Structures that Elevate Student Voice in Equitable Ways: Empowering Students While They Develop Life Skills

Student voice and equity have always been at the heart of my work as a school leader. They aren’t just ideal. They’re essential to creating school communities where every student feels a sense of belonging and purpose. In my time leading three high schools across two states, I saw how centering these values could change everything. When students are given meaningful ways to share their perspectives and influence their learning environments, schools become more inclusive, more responsive, and more effective for everyone.

OBJECTIVES

Build more inclusive and responsive school communities.
Create systems that students trust, understand, and help improve.
Strengthen leadership decisions through authentic student partnership.
Foster a culture where all students feel seen, heard, and motivated to succeed.

RESOURCES

Use Another Word: Incorporating Student Voice in Key Decisions at All Levels

PBIS: Building a Schoolwide System Around Shared Identity & Expectations

Principal’s Advisory Council: Develop Structures that Elevate Student Voice in Equitable Ways

Unpacking “All” Protocol: Making Sure We Actually Serve ALL Students

What I’ve learned is that when we genuinely listen to students, when we create space for their perspectives, trust their insights, and include them in the decisions that shape their experience, we see transformation. The shift shows up not only in student outcomes, but also in the overall energy of the school community.

Creating those opportunities isn’t something extra. It is the work. It helps young people develop the kind of life skills that are often missing from traditional, top-down systems, including agency, collaboration, and a sense of purpose. When students feel seen, heard, and valued, they show up differently—and so do the adults around them.

Too often, we overlook the fact that students know what’s best for themselves. When we pause to really listen, we find that what’s best for students is often what’s best for all of us.

Use Another Word: Springfield High School

Too often, we overlook the fact that students know what’s best for themselves. When we pause to really listen, we find that what’s best for students is often what’s best for all of us.

Principal’s Advisory Council: Valley High School

While working with Valley High School in partnership with Inflexion, I helped lead the development of a schoolwide PBIS system and worked to build a shared language around expectations and identity. From the very beginning, student input was central to the process. Students weren’t brought in after decisions had already been made—they helped shape the expectations and design structures that were truly equitable and reflective of their lived experiences.

One of the most meaningful parts of this work was creating student advisory committees, known as the Principal’s Advisory Council, that represented the full diversity of our student body. These groups were never symbolic. I relied on them to understand what was working, what needed to change, and where we could do better. Including students in leadership conversations wasn’t just about representation—it made our decision-making more grounded, responsive, and effective.

Grading Practices: Milwaukie High School/Milwaukie Academy of the Arts

At Milwaukie High School, one of the clearest examples of student leadership came when they raised concerns about our grading practices. Through the Principal’s Advisory Council and schoolwide discussions, students shared how the lack of consistency and transparency left them feeling uncertain about where they stood academically. These weren’t complaints—they were thoughtful, persistent calls for grading practices that were clear, fair, and equitable.

What stood out most was how deeply invested our students were in their learning. They wanted to understand their progress and be part of a system they could trust. That feedback pushed us to take a hard look at how we were grading and why. We began working closely with teachers to bring more consistency and purpose to our practices, making sure that expectations were clear, feedback was meaningful, and every student had an equitable opportunity to succeed. It was a powerful reminder that when students speak up about what they need to learn and grow, it’s our responsibility to listen and act.

When Students Lead, Schools Grow

Centering student voice is not just good practice. It is essential to building schools where all students can thrive. When we create space for students to share their perspectives, trust their insights, and involve them in shaping the systems that impact their learning, we do more than improve outcomes. We strengthen the foundation of our school communities. The examples from Springfield, Valley, and Milwaukie show what’s possible when students are treated as trusted partners in the work. They are not passive participants. They are thoughtful, engaged, and ready to lead when given the opportunity. As school leaders, we have a crucial role to play in making that happen. The choices we make today will determine whether our schools reflect the voices and needs of the students we serve.