How can students use their voice for change?

Q: “Why does my voice matter as a student, and how can I use it to advocate for change in education?”

A: As a student, you might sometimes feel like just another face in the crowd, wondering if your opinions and experiences truly matter in the grand scheme of education. Let me be clear: Your voice is not just important—it’s essential. You are the primary stakeholder in the education system, the one who experiences policies and practices firsthand every single day. When you speak up, you bring legitimacy and relevance to educational discussions that adults cannot.

Your lived experience as a student provides the most authentic feedback about what works and what doesn’t in our schools. Policies grounded in student experience are more likely to address real needs and be effectively implemented. More importantly, when students feel heard, remarkable things happen: discipline incidents decrease, staff cooperation increases, and the overall school climate improves for everyone.

I saw this firsthand in my classroom and the classroom of others who have prioritized partnering with students in their learning. When we give students a platform to speak, truly listen to what they have to say, and then act based on what we learn, we create an authentic recipe for success.

The Transformative Impact of Student Advocacy

Student voice drives better educational outcomes in measurable ways. When students participate in co-designing courses, schedules, and support systems, engagement, belonging, and persistence all increase—key drivers of attendance and completion rates. Perhaps most crucially, student advocacy surfaces the barriers that different groups face. This ensures solutions work for all students, not just the “average” student.

In our current educational landscape, your voice is particularly vital. As schools grapple with AI integration in classrooms, curricula revisions, and policy changes, your input helps balance innovation with fairness and safety. In addressing post-pandemic mental health challenges and chronic absenteeism, students can pinpoint root causes and co-create solutions that actually work. And during heated curriculum debates, student perspectives can lower temperatures and keep the focus on learning, access, and respect.

Classroom teachers have an imperative to teach students the language of learning so that they are better able to articulate what they know and can do, and to provide insight that supports their needs and those of their community.

Practical Strategies for Effective Advocacy

• Start with clarity and evidence: Begin by defining your issue in one clear sentence with a SMART goal: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example: “Create a committee to help change the menu in the cafeteria by March 31.” Collect evidence through quick surveys, classroom observations, and comparisons with neighboring districts, and share this information with the folks in positions to make change happen.
• Build your coalition wisely: Create a core team of five to 15 students with diverse representation across grade levels, programs, and backgrounds. Assign roles: research, communications, logistics, outreach, and policy liaison. Remember to include multilingual students and students with disabilities to ensure truly representative advocacy.

Turn Experience into Compelling Data

Use simple Google Forms for five to eight question surveys, conduct short interviews with 10-15 students and five to 10 staff members, and perform walk-through audits of specific issues. This data transforms personal experiences into robust evidence that decision-makers cannot ignore. Remember that qualitative data is often more compelling than quantitative data alone – give your data a voice and a story and let it guide your decisions.

Master the Art of the Meeting

When meeting with administrators or school board members, follow a structured 30-minute agenda: express gratitude and purpose, share student stories (two minutes), present key evidence, state your exact ask, explain costs and implementation, and establish next steps with specific dates. Always leave with a concrete commitment. Remember to bring your clear ask with viable solutions. It does no good to complain unless you plan to be part of the solution. I watched this happen with my newspaper editorial team, who needed to fight to keep an unsigned editorial from being pulled. The editors made the case for why these opinions mattered and ensured reporting was fair and balanced. The administration was not pleased because the topic they raised didn’t show the school in a good light. I asked students if this was the hill they wanted to die on and when they answered with a resounding yes, they had my unwavering support. After making their case, the students were able to keep the article in and start a discussion about the issue that needed to be changed.

Navigating the System Effectively

Understand the Ladder of Escalation

Start with low-barrier approaches, such as informational social media posts and one-page briefs. Move to meetings with principals and district leaders, then public comment at school board meetings. Only escalate to coordinated actions if necessary and always prioritize safety and peaceful methods.

Leverage Storytelling and Media

Use the story triangle: problem → human impact → solution → invitation to act. Create 30-60 second vertical videos with subtitles, combining one statistic with one personal story. Pitch local reporters with concise emails that include a hook, what’s new, why it matters, and available student spokespeople. You can do this with the Kappan now. We are eager to hear your voices. Fill out this form if you have a story to tell. Your voice matters and we want to offer a platform for you to share it with other future educators.

Know Your Rights and Processes

Familiarize yourself with school board procedures, public records laws, and budget timelines. Provide translation services and accessible materials to ensure inclusive participation. Most importantly, know your rights regarding free speech and peaceful assembly at school.

Making Lasting Change

• Track your progress and celebrate wins: Measure inputs (meetings held, speakers trained), outputs (policies introduced, pilots launched), and outcomes (reduced absenteeism, improved diversity in advanced courses). Publicly share successes and thank supporters — this builds momentum for future advocacy. Don’t be afraid to share setbacks so you can mobilize differently in the future. Setbacks are a part of the process and should be discussed as openly as successes
• Common student-led success stories: Students have successfully advocated for improved mental health resources, eliminated course fees, secured better facilities maintenance, created more equitable bell schedules, and implemented peer support programs. Your specific issue might involve curriculum changes, school safety improvements, or grading policy reforms — but your ideas have no limit. Take a chance because the only way to truly fail is by not trying at all.

Your 30-Day Action Plan

If you’re ready to start advocating, here’s a practical timeline:

• Week 1: Form your team and run a five-question survey.
• Week 2: Meet with your principal and refine your approach.
• Week 3: Secure a school board speaking slot and create explainer content.
• Week 4: Deliver your public comment and follow up for concrete next steps.
• Week 5: Share your story with an outlet like the Kappan or a personal blog to ensure more people know and can engage with the work moving forward.

Remember that your voice matters because you are the expert on your educational experience. When you speak up, you’re not just advocating for yourself — you’re helping create better schools for all students. Your perspective is unique, valuable, and necessary for building an education system that truly serves every learner. The needs of students have changed dramatically in the last decade and doing things as we have done them is simply not working. Change is necessary and who better than you to usher it in.

The most successful educational changes come when students and adults work together as partners. Your voice brings the authenticity, urgency, and insight that can transform policies from theoretical concepts into practical improvements that make fundamental differences in students’ daily lives. So find your issue, gather your evidence, and start speaking up — your school needs to hear what you have to say.

What does matter to you? Please share your voice and story with us.

If you have an issue that you would like me to address, please email me at ssackstein@educatorsrising.org or complete this form. You will be kept anonymous.