D97 Middle School Team Elevates Student Voice at National Conference

Following their participation in the ‘Teach to Lead’ Summit on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, District 97’s middle school team returned inspired, energized and with a shared vision for centering student voices to enhance a sense of belonging at Brooks and Julian.

The two-day summit in Denver, CO, brought together 20 teacher-led teams from states, districts, and schools across the country to exchange best practices, develop skills, and problem-solve to address challenges affecting their students.

“Attending the summit and working with the U.S. Department of Education, ASCD, Teach Plus, and educators from across the country was a fantastic experience that transformed me as an educator,” said Brooks student success coach Nichelle Stigger. “It expanded my perspective, exposed me to various challenges, and provided solutions.”

For Stigger, the team’s work to improve a sense of belonging among students at Brooks and Julian reminded her that a sense of belonging matters for educators, too. 

Stigger and Julian’s student success coach Kasey Fleming represented District 97 middle schools at the conference, alongside Brooks Principal April Capuder, Julian Interim Principal William Lee, and Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools Dr. Luis Fernando De León. District 97 was one of 20 teams from across the country selected to participate and the only team representing Illinois.

Fleming appreciated the opportunity to work with other teacher-leaders from diverse regions across the nation. “Collectively, we identified common challenges, reflected on present practices, and exchanged innovative ideas,” Fleming said. “Each educational institution was then given the opportunity to use the valuable information they acquired, to devise customized projects based on a logic model framework, aimed at creating favorable transformations within our respective school communities.”

Over the summer, the team identified an area connected to student learning and anchored in data where both middle schools could grow. They knew that when students feel valued and connected, they are more likely to succeed in and outside of the classroom. At the same time, they were seeing trends in student survey data showing a drop in sense of belonging when students transitioned from the elementary schools to the middle schools.

"Teach to Lead gave us the opportunity to address this issue head on,” said Brooks Principal April Capuder. “The summit allowed us to learn from the nation's top educators and refine our approach to using student voice as a catalyst for positive change."

Student voice practices are efforts by schools to seek feedback and ideas from students, partnerships between students and staff to design and implement reforms, or student-led campaigns to create change. 

In addition to brainstorming ways to implement these practices into current middle school systems and culture, the Teach to Lead Summit provided time for genuine, dynamic, and deep collaboration between the middle schools and between school and district leaders on their next steps.

“I cannot fully describe in words the impact that this opportunity to collaborate has had on me,” said Julian Interim Principal William Lee. “It was refreshing to interact with colleagues outside of the building and to learn of our common interests and passions regarding students and uplifting their voices through our work.”

Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools Dr. Luis Fernando De León said the team continued working on their action plan even as we waited at the airport to board the plane home from the conference.

“The synergy we’re creating between middle schools and among community partners around student-centered initiatives is critical,” said De León. “Through our Teach to Lead team, Developmental Relationships Framework professional development, and logic models, we’re ensuring a unified middle school experience for every student.”

In the upcoming months, the team will be working with middle school students, staff and families to set their plans in motion. 

“There is still work to be done, but Teach to Lead helped us move closer to our vision for District 97's middle schools, where every student feels a sense of belonging and student voices are reflected in the improvements to their learning experiences and school culture."