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Creating a School Culture That Values Student Voice

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT

Creating a School Culture That Values Student Voice

Presented by Mike Boraz, Chief of Network 15, Chicago Public Schools (IL); Tim Schell, Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction, Waunakee Community School District (WI); and Quinesha Tillman, Partnership Manager, PERTS

Sponsored by PERTS

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Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

A recent Gallup survey shows student engagement has fallen in recent years, with only 47% of high school students feeling engaged in their education. What is the missing link to engaging students? Student voice.

Students who believe they have a voice in school are eight times more engaged and seven times more likely to be academically motivated than students who do not believe they have a voice. Elevating student voice regarding students’ own learning experiences can produce significantly greater outcomes. So, how do you create a school culture that values student voice? Join this edLeader Panel to learn from district and school leaders who have made student voice a priority, and:

  • Learn how to create a culture that values student voice
  • Gain a framework for collecting student voice data
  • Hear about successes, challenges, and lessons learned when shifting school culture

Viewers receive:

  • The field guide series, From Data to Impact: Leveraging Student Voice Data for Meaningful Change, which includes: 1. Setting the Foundation, 2. Supporting the Adults, and 3. Partnering with Students
  • An infographic on the learning conditions that drive student engagement and achievement

This recorded edLeader Panel is designed for school and district leaders, professional development leaders, SEL counselors, grades 6-12 teachers, and anyone passionate about school culture and climate.

Michael Boraz

About the Presenters

Michael Boraz is Chief of Schools for Network 15, Chicago Public Schools, where he supervises 26 high school principals. Network 15 prioritizes improving the daily student experience through collaboration and learning cycles informed by PERTS and other student voice data. Michael began his career in CPS as a social studies teacher in 1997. He also served as an assistant principal for seven years and principal for nine prior to moving into the Chief of Schools role. He earned his BA in economics and MA in education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He completed additional training in educational leadership through New Leaders (2003) and the Cahn Fellows (2018).

Tim Schell

Tim Schell is the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction at Waunakee Community School District, where he has served in leadership roles since 1999. Tim’s career has transitioned from high school social studies, elementary school leadership, and instructional technology to leadership in teaching and learning. Tim is passionate about serving students and school communities through evidence-based practices and cultures characterized by collaboration, engagement, and inclusion. Tim co-coordinates the I 90/94 Curriculum and Instruction Directors Group and participates in the MSAN Research Practitioner Council. Tim received his B.A. in history and political science from Yale University, his M.A. in social studies education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tim was recognized as the Wisconsin Instructional Leader of the Year by the Wisconsin Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (WASCD) in 2019.

Quinesha Tillman

Quinesha Tillman is a Partnership Manager at PERTS, where she collaborates with schools, districts, and colleges to thoughtfully integrate PERTS’ tools to create more equitable experiences for students. A Teach For America alum, Quinesha spent the beginning of her career teaching in under-resourced, low-income public schools as an elementary teacher. Quinesha is passionate about student equity and also spent a position of her career as a college access advocate with EMERGE, empowering low-income students to apply to, attend, and graduate from the nation’s most selective colleges. Quinesha holds a BA in music from the College of the Holy Cross and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

Join the Creating a Positive School Climate community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.


PERTSThe Project for Education Research That Scales (PERTS) is an edtech nonprofit founded in 2010 at Stanford University. PERTS equips educators to create excellent and equitable learning conditions—conditions that foster engagement and accelerate learning. To do so, PERTS develops, tests, and scales the impact of evidence-based solutions in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations.


3 Learning Conditions for Student Engagement & Achievement

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