government relations
Student Voice in Educational Policy Kay Black, WMEA State Chair, Government Relations
As educators one of our responsibilities is to keep students at the forefront of all decisions. Whether we are designing curriculum through the CMP process, sitting on commit- tees that impact stu-
dent learning or representation, or seeking out professional development opportuni- ties, our goal is to always put students and student needs first.
At my son’s high school in Oregon there is a plaque in the lobby that reads, “Own your learning.” Certainly this speaks to self-discipline and motivation; to pas- sionately follow one’s goals and interests while navigating the short path to young adulthood, but we may also want to con- sider that “owning” one’s learning means that students have a voice in deciding what learning is available to them and how well supported and funded the curriculum at- tached to that learning is.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “The philoso- phy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Our classrooms are teeming with opportunities for students to reflect on their learning and its importance to them. Students are often, if not always, drawing connections between music and history, culture and human experience. In many ways, it could be a natural next step to provide students opportunities to learn about and influence the democratic process through which education policies are made and implemented.
Certainly, speaking at concerts about the importance of music education or the posi- tive correlations between music education and student achievement and learning are valuable, but this puts a great deal of faith and assumption into the idea that the
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audience, be it parents, administrators, board or community members, will trans- fer this knowledge to making decisions supportive of education at the committee table or in the voting booth. What if we expanded the number of venues for student voice to school and district committees, school boards and state legislators?
In an article titled, “Increasing Student Voice in Local Schools and Districts,” written by Mark Phillips, the author lays out four reasons for student inclusion in government which I have summarized below:
1. It teaches democracy by giving stu- dents the experience of practicing the complexity of political decision making.
2. It helps student leadership. The only way to learn how to be a lead- er is by acting in a leadership role.
3. There is considerable evidence that student achievement and engage- ment in a school can be increased if students feel that they have a real voice.
4. Student leadership can significantly improve a district and/or school’s quality of decision making. Students offer insight and wisdom and are capable of thoughtful, perceptive, well-measured decision making.
I might add that students who are given opportunities to speak in a public forum to people making decisions on their edu- cation will continue to be engaged and informed citizens.
Where to Begin?
• Know what is already in place in your school and district (many districts may already have student representatives serving in various roles and capacities).
“…students who are given opportunities to speak in a public forum to people making decisions on their education will continue to be engaged and informed citizens.”
• If your district already provides a venue for students to serve on
leadership or school board committees, approach students who could represent music and arts edu- cation in a positive way and who would be willing and interested to learn and work in this capacity.
• If student representatives are al- ready in place and they are not
music students, invite them to dialogue regularly with students in other areas (i.e. music and arts education).
• Start small; create student officer positions within the music depart-
ment and have monthly meetings where students create the agenda and set goals for the music curricu- lum: publicity, course offerings, technological support, funding, etc.
• Other considerations might include reaching out to advisors of student
union groups such as multicultural student union, Black student union, LGBTQIA+ union, and student representatives from the special education department.
April 2021
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