As school boards have become battlegrounds for curricula reform, racial justice, and book bans, it was surprising to learn how few students serve as school board and youth council representatives today.
Students express their opinions about their educational experiences through posts on social media or by engaging in larger-scale actions such as school walkouts. But, behind the scenes in district offices or over zoom calls, students are also engaging in less public forms of activism — where they may find themselves seated at tables with superintendents and district leaders to see how educational policies are hammered out in real-time.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Byronie McMahon and Parker Myrus, students representing Portland Public Schools (serving about 50K students). I also connected with Adam F.C. Fletcher who is an expert in the area of youth Boards and increasing youth voices inside and outside schools.
From these conversations, I gained a deeper appreciation of what it takes to meaningfully recruit and engage youth for membership on School Boards or youth councils. I was impressed with how Byronie and Parker described their roles and how they have influenced school district decisions.
Episode links
Portland Public Schools District Student Council
High School Youth Council in Portland’s McDaniel High School
Guide to Students on School Boards by Adam F.C. Fletcher
Should Youth Sit on School Boards? by Jacoba Urist (Atlantic Monthly, 2014)
Have you figured out ways to integrate youth voice meaningfully into your organization’s Board or advisory committee?
Have you served as a student representative yourself (currently or in the past)? How was this experience for you?
I’d love to hear about your experiences or questions related to this topic. Please consider leaving a comment below.
E8: Learning from youth serving school boards