Robbinsdale youth council urges schools to prioritize student–teacher relationships, follow-through on programs

The Robbinsdale 281 Youth Council told the school board Monday that stronger student–teacher relationships, clearer staff identity and bias work, and more engaging classroom lessons should be central district priorities.

The students, drawn from Armstrong and Cooper high schools and supported by staff including youth enrichment coordinator Nicole Plagay and teacher/coach Anne Beaton, described a year of research that included analysis of district survey data, visits to four schools and live surveys with entire grade-level audiences. They recommended the board and administration adopt the council’s three priorities in school improvement plans and use them to guide program selection and professional development.

“The mission…is to work on behalf of district 281 student body to improve the overall experience of every student by incorporating youth voices into the decision making process,” Nicole Plagay said during the presentation.

Nut graf: The council’s recommendations are practical and procedural: they ask that the district formally adopt youth-identified priorities in school improvement plans, prioritize programs that align with those priorities, ensure district-wide follow-through on selected programs, allocate time for teachers to rewrite curriculum after PD, and co‑plan professional learning with students so training reflects student needs.

In a presentation covering October through April, student members said they analyzed district survey trends and found declines in positive responses about teachers meeting student needs that began before the pandemic; they conducted structured observations at Sonocent, Forest, Robbinsdale Middle School and Sandburg, and held live surveys in auditoriums after superintendent visits to Armstrong and Cooper. Students reported consistent themes across grade levels: freshmen said they wanted more talk from teachers, sophomores wanted to be listened to, juniors sought respect, and seniors wanted to be treated as young adults.

Student presenters described how classroom practices vary by teacher and called for greater staff diversity in skills and languages to meet students’ needs. One student noted an example at Forest where a teacher switched to Spanish to clarify instructions for a student who needed it.

“Teachers teach with different styling…there is no wrong way of teaching,” a youth council member told the board, adding that diversity of instructional skills can foster stronger community and belonging.

The council’s three top priorities were: (1) building relationships between staff and students, (2) staff identity work and addressing biases, and (3) creating engaging, active lessons. Recommended next steps included adding these priorities to school improvement plans, using them to screen and select programs such as AVID and other initiatives, implementing programs with fidelity district-wide, allowing time for teachers to rework curriculum after professional development, and co‑planning PD with students.

Board members responded positively. Superintendent Stallone told the council their recommendations will be included in a principals-and-leaders meeting the following morning, and said district leaders will consider the youth council input alongside other strategic work. Board members thanked the students for the presentation and encouraged continued participation.

Ending: The youth council said it will continue to represent student perspectives from Armstrong and Cooper; students invited the board to follow up with them and encouraged the district to use the council’s priorities when choosing and implementing programs.