Whose Classroom? Student Voices on Schools as Community Spaces

Schools serve as community hubs, athletic venues, art institutions, and the site of town and district events. In addition to merely serving as a space, schools also provide intellectual space for debates on equal rights, activism, and equity-driven community engagement. This project intends to examine the role schools play as universal, informal gathering spaces, and the failures from other U.S. institutions that led to schools playing this role. Inspired by a faculty, staff and student-led food drive in Brooklyn Center, MN, in which members of the school community used the space at their disposal to provide the much needed resources to the population of Brooklyn Center, this project will center youth voices, with the aim of understanding the past, present, and future role of schools in student lives. 

Additionally, the growing number of student-led school walk-outs have raised questions around the spatial impact of schools, in other words, what purpose does their physical space provide in ongoing social justice movements regarding education. We seek to understand if the growing number of student-led educational initiatives is a response to the failings of public institutions, or if schools as physical spaces are adopting a new public perception of equity and inclusion. Additionally, we hope to discuss the ways in which schools can serve as community assets going forward, and the extent to which schools will serve as a space created for and by students.

Background Statement

Education in the United States is compulsory through age 16 or 18, depending on the state. Thus, a primary unifying experience for American youth should be schooling and education; schools are widely considered “common” because of required attendance (Collins and Coleman). However, the vastly different climates of public education and public schools across the country, alongside the unique experiences of every public school student, mean that there is very little that is unifying about public education, besides the intention behind it. When we think about the role that schools serve for young people, we know that schools are central to the geographies of children and young people, and to the organization of family life, due to the time children spend in schools, and the impressionable age children are when they are in schools (Collins and Coleman). 

When we look back on the history of public education in the U.S., we see that the roots are primarily in nation-building and assimilation, with the intention of molding youth into the “common citizen.” We also recognize that schools are places where children are compelled to endure a decade plus of group socialization, without much attention to the individual needs of students (Bocking). As we contextualize the experiences of young people in public schools, we begin to think about the experiences of students, and more specifically student autonomy in schools, and how self-determination exists within the binds of a mandatory institution. Grouzet et. al. cites that the encouragement of autonomy might be the most significant factor in encouraging adolescent intellectual growth, and that environments which support autonomy are associated with increases in motivation.

The existing literature about student autonomy and motivation is almost non-existent in the correlational research field, but rather is based on student perception and self-reported engagement. We strive to connect the history and intentions of public education with open dialogue about student autonomy in schools today, following the path of the aforementioned research, with a more grounded and community-centered approach, by giving students the opportunity to discuss their own experiences in schools, where they feel empowered, and what roles schools play for them in their own community-building. 

Expected Takeaways  

We wish to hold the forum as a space for students, teachers, and community members to hear from the youth. During the forum discussions, we want to present students’ needs, and expectations for school. And how could we reach the need with the contribution from community. Our goal is to mainly reflect on the previous issues or events and think forward about future orientation for school functionality.

Target Audience Statement

For this forum, we hope to target two particular demographics. Our panel will be composed of students, who will speak on how they perceive the extent of their agency in shaping schools into youth-centered and youth-defined spaces. We hope to hear of some practical examples of what student-centered schools look like, and their role in the community. We hope that this will serve as some sort of empowerment for students in this audience. Hearing their peers speak as an authority on this matter, as well as providing concrete solutions, anecdotes, and stories can serve as an inspiration for watching students to take initiative in transforming and taking control of their educational spaces. We also hope that this forum will have a profound impact on those in the audience who are not students, particularly parents, teachers, and other involved community members. We hope that hearing directly and honestly from students will inspire adult community members to be mindful of how they impact the way schools function and impact students. 

Photos

“Brooklyn Center Schools to Wrap Up Blue Barn Donation Drive.” YouTube, uploaded by CCX Media Community News, 22 April 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qwiqCCNJZ4&t=37s

“The Shift from Engaging Students to Empowering Learners.” YouTube, uploaded by John Spencer, 9 June 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYBJQ5rIFjA&t=42s

Brooks, Jennifer. “Minnesota school boards are at the breaking point.” Star Tribune, https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-school-boards-are-at-the-breaking-point/600094045/. 31 March 2022.

OECD. “Student Agency for 2030.” OECD.org. 2019.

Suggested Readings:

It’s time to reimagine the school campus as a community center

Evaluating student voice in education

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/elevating-student-voice-education/

Don’t Dismiss ‘Safe Spaces’ 

Response to “Don’t Dismiss ‘Safe Spaces’ 

https://quillette.com/2019/09/06/a-flawed-defense-of-safe-spaces-in-the-new-york-times/

Building Place: Students’ Negotiation of Spaces and Citizenship in Schools

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ830513.pdf