Why parent, student and teacher voices matter in education decisions

With a focus on elevating the “wisdom of the proximate,” the Kansas city Action Fund (KCAF) launched this year “with the intent of engaging and elevating those diverse voices to improve the quality of education for Kansas City students, especially those historically marginalized.” KCAF director of strategic collaboration and civic impact, Andrea Ellis, explores the dynamics at play in efforts to improve local public schools in recent a piece in the Kansas City Business Journal. She says improvement of schools must prioritize the perspectives of those closest to the system.

“Too often, the people at the heart of the educational ecosystem — students, parents, and teachers — are overlooked when important decisions are made about how schools operate and how children learn,” she writes. “Each of those demographics has a direct line into what is and is not working, and, if armed with good and accessible data, can be strong advocates for asking the right questions and pushing the right levers to improve the education landscape for all students.”