Overcoming+Barriers

 Develop a district or school-wide strategy for engaging student voice, including professional development, policies encouraging and sustaining student voice, and integrated approaches to developing, sustaining, and strengthening the impact of student voice. Steps in this particular scenario may include... There are plenty of other examples of the structure and culture of schools serving as barriers to engaging student voice throughout education; however, these are surmountable tasks that every school can and should overcome. Student voice is too valuable to the success of learning and leading in schools and communities to continue to be neglected, alienated, or rejected. Our schools and students can't wait any longer. To learn more about overcoming barriers to student voice in the classroom, see Alfie Kohn's article entitled, "Choices for Children: How and When to Let Children Decide." For information on overcoming organizational barriers to student voice, see Youth On Board's manual called, "15 Points to Successfully Involving Young People in Decision-
 * Main Strategy for Overcoming Barriers **
 * 1) Individual teacher advocate learning about student voice and meaningful student involvement.
 * 2) Teacher advocate training peer teachers and intentionally selected nontraditional and traditional student leaders about student voice and meaningful student involvement.
 * 3) Students learning about issues in education by incorporating their reflections on school in a constructivist learning experience centering on the committee's work.
 * 4) Teachers and students committing to participating as equals on committee.
 * 5) Facilitation of development and reflection activities focusing on student voice are provided throughout committee activities.
 * 6) Final committee activity is focused on critical reflection and celebration of accomplishments, including meaningful student involvement.
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