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

chris@studentvoicei.org.

Visit: www.studentvoicei.org