Putting students at the center of their own education

MPR News with Angela Davis

We hear a lot about students who are not engaged in school.

But what happens when schools begin to do things differently to give students more control over their education — in everything from hiring staff to student discipline policies?

MPR News host Angela Davis shares a conversation she moderated this spring with high school students, principals and teachers from three public schools who are finding new ways to support student leaders.

A technical high school on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is helping students explore careers and Indigenous identity. A small public charter high school in Brooklyn Park involves students resolving discipline issues. And, at a small-town school in southeastern Minnesota high school students help out in the elementary school classrooms.

The panel discussion was held May 7 in Minneapolis at an annual education reform gathering called “Student-Centered Learning for Equity” convened by the Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization Education Evolving and supported by the Bush Foundation.

Guests:

Cari-Ana Garcia Luna is the director and superintendent of SAGE Academy, a public charter high school in Brooklyn Park.

Skye Leng is a ninth grader at SAGE Academy.

Marlin Kingi is a social studies teacher and student council advisor at Lakota Tech High School, a public high school in Oglala Lakota County on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Marcel Swallow is a sophomore at Lakota Tech High School.

Luke Kjelland is principal of Spring Grove Public Schools, a public kindergarten through 12th grade school in Spring Grove in southeast Minnesota.

Ellie Halverson is a senior at Spring Grove Public Schools.