Participation
Inclusive partnerships and Liberatory Thinking call us to be mindful of how and where we engage the greater school community in decision-making. Stakeholders will be more invested in and take ownership of the school community when there are clear pathways to inform decision-making.
Considerations for Adult Leaders
Every school can make space to share information and gather feedback from students on decisions that impact them.
Often schools communicate policies or changes in process to students after decisions are already made, leaving students feeling like recipients rather than participants. Making space to communicate during the decision-making process more inclusive and promotes student investment, agency, and ownership - especially if they feel heard and the final decision rationale is communicated clearly.
Tensions / Potential Challenges
TENSION: Some decisions may feel less flexible than others, particularly where standards or compliance are at play.
TRY: Communicate why some decisions are not flexible. Share who/what group has decision making power. Student knowledge of systems and structures of decision-making is an important learning outcome of this work.
Identify areas where students CAN meaningfully participate in decision making. Use this calendar to identify one focus area.
Strategy, Tool, or Resource
Host a student town hall forum . A town hall forum is a great place for Admin and the CIWP Team to hear from students, teachers, and parents on what they think should be prioritized and why - using data as evidence for their suggestions.
- Some resources: 4 Easy Steps to a Town Hall Meeting; or more detailed, The Town Hall Meeting: Imagining a Self through Public-Sphere Pedagogy
Or, share findings and draft-plans from the CIWP team, and get feedback from students either in a whole-community meeting or through classes or advisory. Include students in action development by soliciting ideas and feedback