student trustees: innovating education across canada
TRANSCRIPT
Student Voice Initiative:
Introducing the Student Trustee
Chris Grouchy, Executive Director
Prepared for: Canadian School Boards
Association 2013 Congress
A movement to give students a voice in their education
Key Ideas
1. The Problem
2. How Student Voice is Generated
3. Student Trustees
4. Nationalization
The Typical Policymaking Process
Policy is executed and monitored
Fundamental problem is realized through
normative/empirical claims
School board/district researches the issue
extensively + partners with stakeholders
Findings are presented to Trustees and Senior
Admin for debate
Debate and consensus building on the
direction that should be taken by board
Policy is drafted and finally passed (or
refuted) by the elected officials
Construction without consultation
Policy is executed and monitored
Fundamental problem is realized through
normative/empirical claims
School board/district researches the issue
extensively
Findings are presented to Trustees and Senior
Admin for debate
Debate and consensus building on the
direction that should be taken
Policy is drafted and finally passed or rejected by the elected officials
Students
Construction without consultation
Policy is executed and monitored
Fundamental problem is realized through
normative/empirical claims
School board/district researches the issue
extensively
Findings are presented to Trustees and Senior
Admin for debate
Debate and consensus building on the
direction that should be taken
Policy is drafted and finally passed or rejected by the elected officials
StudentsPolicy
The Student’s Lens:
Policymaking Process
Student apathy
Students recognize issues
within their schools
Decisions & policy made
without consultation
Students want to
provide input
Let’s tap into the potential of those students who are engaged.
“Students are willing to provide input”
• Not given a voice in
the boardroom
decisions that directly
affect them
• Decisions and policies
are rarely effectively
communicated with
students
• Lack of formal outlets
available through
which students can be
heard
Research: Students are more engaged and
are more successful when they are consulted
on the issues that directly affect them.
Solution: Construction with consultation
Policy is executed and monitored
Fundamental problem is realized through
normative/empirical claims
School board/district researches the issue
extensively
Findings are presented to Trustees and Senior
Admin for debate
Debate and consensus building on the
direction that should be taken
Policy is drafted and finally passed or rejected by the elected officials
Students
Big Idea: Student Voice
• When students have a formal
way, mandated within board
policy or provincial legislation, to
act and speak on topical issues
within the board that affect
students
• Provide meaningful dialogue
with policymakers as a means
of making education better for
all
• Student engagement correlates
positively with civic engagement
• Policies take into account a diverse opinion and
expertise
• Reduces civic apathy
• Provides the opportunity for experiential learning
through student leadership
• Involves multiple “types” of students – not just
prominent leaders – to take on an important role within
their education
• Student voice enables students to learn soft skills such
as decision-making, critical thinking, and public
speaking that they cannot learn from a textbook
What happens when students are part of this process?
Student Voice Framework
Student Activity Council: Provide student leadership, work with staff & admin, receive support from senate
Student Senate: Provide support & resources to student councils through conferences & meetings. Works with student trustees to represent student voice
Student trustees: Sit on Board of Education to rep. student voice, address issues from student perspective, & liaise with Student Senate and schools
District School Board
Provincial Student Trustees Association
The solution: Student Trustees
What is a student trustee
• Student trustees sit on every school board in the province of Ontario.
• Same opportunity for input as other trustees, although they do not have a binding vote.
• The student trustee brings the students’ perspective to the board table and helps to ensure that the school board is acting in the best interest of the students.
• Student trustees can bring forward issues and help to influence school board and provincial education policies.
• Students in Ontario have a direct voice in decision-making through their student trustees.
Legislated Rights of a Student
Trustee
• Term of office– 1 year
• Election – by students, through board’s discretion
• Honorarium – board’s discretion– $2,500 in Ontario
• Have the right to – Speak at the board
– Present motions through an adult trustee at the board
Where do student trustees
exist?
• Ontario, 1998
• Education Act, Regulation 7/07
• New Brunswick, 2009
• Vancouver SB, 2013 motion
• Sunshine Coast DSB, 2013
motion
Student Trustees operate within a framework.
Student Trustee Model
1-3 Student Trustees
The Student Senate
Local schools, student councils,
and students
Diversity is achieved by creating a system that
enables the elected student to report to a
Student Senate.
Diversity in Student Voice
• Diversity of opinion and experience by means of:
– Ethnicity
– Academic background
– Socioeconomic background
– Age
Academic Research
Haid, Marques and Brown, 1999
• In a document entitled: “Assessing the Challenge of
Youth Involvement in Public Policy”
• “Four reasons why government should involve youth in
the policy-making process:
– to decrease cynicism in political institutions amongst
youth,
– to improve the policy-making by involving a diverse
group of citizens,
– to promote greater civic education as well as public
awareness and finally,
– to increase the capacity of Canadian civil society.”
• “The position of student trustee is arguably seen as the most serious policy voice for high school students in Ontario.
• “The fact that most are elected and are granted unique special status on the board puts them in a position to be respected and listened to. No other elected student can realistically claim to directly represent as many students.
• “Without the position of student trustees, the average student – or even student council leader - would probably have very little understanding about board policies and practices.”
Haid, Marques and Brown, 1999
Dr. Donna Koller, 2004
• Associate professor, school of Early Childhood Studies
• “Overall, reviews of developmental psychology literature
show student participation correlated with better social
skills, higher academic and self-esteem scores, and
lower rates of criminal activity.”
• “These benefits are more likely to occur if students are
accorded a significant role in all aspects of the decision-
making process.”
Past Local Student Trustee Successes
• Student leadership policy
• Implementation of elementary representation
– Elementary student council
– Grade 7/8 reps
• Implementation of financial literacy in the
curriculum
Past Provincial Student Trustee Successes
• Ontario Student (Parent, and Educator) Survey
• Stick It To Fast Food• Mental Health Charter of Rights
• Curriculum Consultation– Civics and Careers– Core French
• Accepting Schools Act• Bill 115 in Ontario
– Sole student stakeholder
Initiatives
Policy
Position Papers
• Technology in classrooms
• Gay Straight Alliances
• Wi-Fi in schools
• Extra-curricular activities for students
• Civics Curriculum Revamp
*Visit www.studentvoicei.org for more information.
Student Trustee Conferences
• For student trustees, by student trustees
(see OSTA-AECO):
– AGM
– FGM
– Board Council Conference
• For students, by student trustees & students
– Leadership conferences
– Day or overnight camps
Conferences (cont.)
• Opportunity for
– Professional development
• Student trustees
• Student councils
• Student leaders, with or without an official position
– Discussion
• Commonalities and differences
• Successes and failures
• Brainstorming and formulating action plans
Our First Success Story:
BC Pilot Project
Student Voice in BC
The VDSC’s mandate is to provide student input in the planning and decision-making of the District. It is also
an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills, work collaboratively with students from other
schools on pertinent educational issues, to contribute to the Vancouver School District and to learn about
civic processes and policy development
Student Voice in Vancouver
History of VDSC
13 Years
Community initiatives
Student representatives on standing
committees
Student Forums organized by students in
all 18 schools across Vancouver
Specific Benefits of Student Trustees
Students need a direct way to contribute to the
decision making of their own education
Most students do not have access to the
democratic process
Students need a way to communicate with the
“adults” without the intimidating mental block of
authority
Civic education & empowerment for youth
Advocacy in Vancouver
Presentation to the VSB Committee 1 in June
2012
Lobbying efforts; Talking to MLAs & Reaching
out to the Minister of Education
Connecting with other Student Advocacy or
Student Government groups all over the Lower
Mainland & Canada
Vote at BC School Trustees Association to gain
political support
Student Trustees in BC
VSB passes motion to initiate Student Trustee
Pilot Project starting fall 2013
Sunshine Coast School District also passes
motion to initiate Student Trustee Pilot Project
starting fall 2013
Though a good first step, both projects give only
limited powers to the new Student Trustees
Activity Since 2013
Advocated for a provincial motion at the 2014 BCSTA
AGM – and mobilized trustee support to pass it
BCSTA will work with the Minister of Education to
advance student trustees into the Schools Act
(provincial education legislation)
Successfully implemented a pilot project in Edmonton
Public School Board
We plan on rolling out more pilot programs in Alberta,
Manitoba, and Nova Scotia in 2014 and 2015.
For more information on Student Voice Initiative:
Contact: Chris Grouchy, Executive Director
Visit: www.studentvoicei.org