Student Activism

Composite image of school building and climate change protestors.
Illustration by F. Sheehan/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty and E+)
School & District Management 'It Has to Be a Priority': Why Schools Can't Ignore the Climate Crisis
Schools have a part to play in combating climate change, but they don't always know how.
Mark Lieberman, May 18, 2022
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16 min read
Minneapolis students gathered outside U.S. Bank Stadium in April 2021 as part of a statewide student walkout to protest racial injustice. The Twin Cities advocacy group MN Teen Activists also organized recent walkouts over the police killing of Amir Locke.
Minneapolis students gathered outside U.S. Bank Stadium in April 2021 as part of a statewide student walkout to protest racial injustice.
David Joles/The Star Tribune via TNS
School & District Management When Students Walk Out in Protest, Here's What Administrators Should Do
Administrators must balance student safety, minimizing disruption, and respecting civil liberties, regardless of the issue behind a walkout.
Evie Blad, February 11, 2022
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7 min read
School & District Management Video Students and School Boards: The Value of Student Engagement
A student school board member from Maryland offers advice to educators, board members, and his peers on the importance of student activism.
Eric Harkleroad, September 10, 2021
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3:51
A student holding a U.S. flag upside down stands atop the steps at the Idaho Capitol building in Boise on April 26, 2021. The Idaho Senate has approved legislation aimed at preventing schools and universities from "indoctrinating" students through teaching critical race theory, which examines the ways in which race and racism influence American politics, culture and the law.
A student holding a U.S. flag upside down stands atop the steps at the Idaho Capitol building in Boise on April 26, 2021. The Idaho Senate has approved legislation aimed at preventing schools and universities from "indoctrinating" students through teaching critical race theory, which examines the ways in which race and racism influence American politics, culture and the law.
Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP
States 'I'm Terrified.' Idaho Students Fear Repercussions of Indoctrination Task Force
A group of students are speaking up about the task force assembled by Idaho's lieutenant governor to look into "indoctrination" in schools.
Becca Savransky, The Idaho Statesman, June 24, 2021
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8 min read
Tay Andwerson, front center, Denver School Board at-large director, leads demonstrators through Civic Center Park on a march to City Park to call for more oversight of the police Sunday, June 7, 2020, in Denver.
Tay Andwerson, front center, Denver School Board at-large director, leads demonstrators through Civic Center Park on a march to City Park to call for more oversight of the police Sunday, June 7, 2020, in Denver.
David Zalubowski/AP
School Climate & Safety Video A Year of Activism: Students Reflect on Their Fight for Racial Justice at School
Education Week talks to three students about their year of racial justice activism, what they learned, and where they are headed next.
Kaylee Domzalski & Brooke Saias, June 4, 2021
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4 min read
Demonstrators march across the Brooklyn Bridge as they remember George Floyd on the one-year anniversary of his death, Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in New York.
Demonstrators march across the Brooklyn Bridge as they remember George Floyd on the one-year anniversary of his death, Tuesday, May 25, 2021, in New York.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP
Equity & Diversity Collection How the Murder of George Floyd Changed K-12 Schooling: A Collection
The Black Lives Matter protests forced schools to re-evaluate how they serve Black students and marginalized communities.
June 4, 2021
Deering High School in Portland, Maine, one of two schools to have their SROs removed.
Deering High School in Portland, Maine, one of two schools to have their SROs removed.
Ryan David Brown for Education Week
School Climate & Safety These Districts Defunded Their School Police. What Happened Next?
Six profiles of districts illustrate the tensions, successes, and concerns that have accompanied the changes they've made to their school police programs over the last year.
Sarah Schwartz, Stephen Sawchuk, Eesha Pendharkar & Ileana Najarro, June 4, 2021
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14 min read
Police officer outside of a school
Collage by Vanessa Solis/Education Week (image: Bastiaan Slabbers/iStock)
School Climate & Safety Defunded, Removed, and Put in Check: School Police a Year After George Floyd
Education Week has identified nearly 40 school districts that defunded their police after last summer's Black Lives Matter protests.
Stephen Sawchuk, Sarah Schwartz, Eesha Pendharkar & Ileana Najarro, June 4, 2021
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10 min read
A crowd of people of color stand together
Iiulia Kudrina/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Equity & Diversity Opinion Students: Racial Justice Demands More Than a Lawn Sign
Our progressive town is full of “Black Lives Matter” yard signs and Instagram posts. So why do our schools still have huge racial disparities?
Julian Taylor & Phoenix Garayùa-Tudryn, April 21, 2021
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5 min read
Young people celebrate the presidential election results in Atlanta. Early data on the 2020 turnout show a spike in youth voting, with Georgia, which faces a pair of senatorial runoffs, an epicenter of that trend.
Young people celebrate the presidential election results in Atlanta. Early data on the 2020 turnout show a spike in youth voting, with Georgia, which faces a pair of senatorial runoffs, an epicenter of that trend.
Brynn Anderson/AP
School Climate & Safety As Election 2020 Grinds On, Young Voters Stay Hooked
In states like Georgia, the push to empower the youth vote comes to fruition at a time when “every vote counts” is more than just a slogan.
Evie Blad, November 13, 2020
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6 min read
Austin Teen Coalition Co-Founders Mainur Khan, left, and Zach Moser, right, both 17-year-old seniors at Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas, are unable to vote in this year’s presidential election but have energized their peers and have registered more than 100 voters.
Austin Teen Coalition Co-Founders Mainur Khan, left, and Zach Moser, right, both 17-year-old seniors at Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas, are unable to vote in this year’s presidential election but have energized their peers and have registered more than 100 voters.
Julia Robinson for Education Week
Student Well-Being Casting Their First Ballots, Teen Voters Confront Pandemic's Barriers
From registration to balloting, COVID-19's disruption is adding friction for young people casting their first votes. Some are helping others navigate the process.
Evie Blad, October 16, 2020
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8 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Illustration by Jamiel Law
Equity & Diversity Opinion What Abolishing the Police Means to Me: A Student's Perspective
Young people deserve a say in how to keep their communities safe, writes high school student M’munga Songolo.
M'munga Songolo, September 23, 2020
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4 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Illustration by Jamiel Law
Equity & Diversity Opinion Why I'm Designing Anti-Bias Training for My Classmates
Schools are not preparing students to enter an increasingly diverse world, writes high school senior Zoë Jenkins.
Zoe Jenkins, September 23, 2020
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3 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Illustration by Jamiel Law
Equity & Diversity Reported Essay Are Strained Police Relations With Black Teens a Solvable Problem?
A leadership program for young Black men looks to confront racism in law enforcement. Corey Mitchell explains.
Corey Mitchell, September 23, 2020
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1 min read
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