Adam’s 2024 Statement
My name is Adam and I am a senior, and I’d like to speak with you about what makes a good school leader and why having one is so important for students’ education.
I want to speak about this because I got a new principal at my school this year, who was previously an administrator, and it’s helped me notice how different he is from my previous principal and how big of a difference this makes in my school and the environment.
Adam’s 2023 Statement
My name is Adam and I am an 11th grader at the Springfield Renaissance School. Today I want to talk about teachers building inclusivity, not only with LGBTQ+ students, but with all students.
Inclusiveness matters to me, especially as a LGBTQ+ student, because I know that that teacher will keep me safe. It’s important to feel safe in a place that you learn; to know that you are protected when you’re in this environment for almost your entire teenage life. It’s important for them to care about us as people and as students. And by having an inclusive space, students open up to the idea of having someone to come and talk to if they don’t have anybody else.
Adam’s 2022 Statement
I am a Transgender student in tenth grade and I’m here to speak about my school and how it showcases a Respectful Environment as well as what can be done to improve it.
I’m here to talk about respect and tolerance because it’s important that schools are a comfortable environment for all students; it’s important to be comfortable in the place that you spend your childhood and adolescence. Treating all students equally regardless of who they are is something that all students and teachers should focus more of their time on. Being a transgender student and being considered “different” from others, it’s dificult to be myself when I’m witnessing students being constantly made fun for their appearance or the way they dress.
This website is dedicated to the valuable lessons we can learn from students’ own experiences about how to create better schools. Decisions about schooling are often made without listening deeply to students themselves. But students are in the best position to understand what they need in order to do well in school.
A collaboration of the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI), Harvard Law School and Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC). LEARN MORE