Student Voice: So You Want to Be a Student State Board Member?

Serving as the student member on the California State Board of Education was the honor of a lifetime. But I nearly did not submit an application. It is extensive, requiring essays about topics unlike anything I had ever written. Yet after many rounds of interviews from student groups, state board members, and finally the governor’s office, I was chosen to represent the more than six million students in California public schools for the 2022–23 school year.

Carving Out a Role

I was determined to maximize my impact and prove myself worthy of the role entrusted to me, even though my term lasted only a year. As a former student member told me, “Being a student board member is a write-your-own job description.” While there are meetings and formal engagements to attend, most of the work happens outside those contexts and requires initiative.

So I took it. I made it my goal to speak with students who spanned the gamut of the diverse needs of California students. In conversations, emails, and social media, I volunteered to travel around Southern California to speak with virtually any student group.

I formed relationships with local and county superintendents, local student board members, and staff. My message was clear. I wanted to talk with students across the political spectrum and from diverse places and socioeconomic backgrounds about the issues they cared about most. I wanted to help students take control of their education, learn about resources to advocate at a local or state level, and advise how I could best represent them.

My goal was also to speak to administrators to incorporate student voice in their decision making. I spoke to the Association of California School Administrators and worked with superintendents to form student advisory groups in districts that lacked them. I met with thousands of students and listened to their reflections on statewide issues. I talked with students experiencing homelessness, first-generation high school graduates, students with special needs, and students previously incarcerated. I got diverse input on statewide policies but also did what I could to help students launch their own leadership journeys in their districts. One student from a rural county in Northern California reported they were able to give public comment to their school board about issues affecting their peers. The same student has since begun the process of advocating to add a student board member in their district.

Using Social Media

Believing we have to meet students where they are, I actively used social media to engage them and was the first to do so. Students will not read state board agendas or meeting minutes. They are not subscribed to the Department of Education’s mailing list. But they are on social media.

I used student-friendly wording on multiple platforms. After conversations with department staff, I posted “day in the life” videos on Instagram and Tik-Tok. I shared opportunities for students to get involved in the state education system, explained new policies, detailed my role, and broke down the application process for those who would follow me as student members.

I reached over 20,000 viewers in all. More important to me than the number were the students, who, at the election conference for the next state student board member, told me that my video encouraged them to apply. They appreciated a transparent process and tangible advice.

State boards should be interacting regularly with students on student-friendly platforms. I am encouraged by work at the Washington state board: Washington is paving a path for nontraditional methods of engaging with students such as videos, social media, and hiring student communication interns.[1]

Finding Mentors

My state board colleagues are some of the kindest, most passionate educators I have ever met. They invested time and interest in my life and still care about my success. One nominated me for a national NASBE award—my first encounter with NASBE, which led to my current internship. Then they showed up in force to celebrate my winning the Distinguished Student Award and hear my speech. One connected me with a colleague at UCLA, who changed my perspective on opportunities for research in the education policy world. I know I can rely on them for career advice.

I will always look back on my state board time with overflowing gratitude. My advice to students who are seeking a place at the table in education decision making is to embrace curiosity, talk with staff, and get involved in local efforts. It can be easy to get discouraged by strenuous applications or roadblocks to student leadership. Remind yourself of your “why”. For me, that continues to be striving for an education system that prioritizes equity, promotes multiple pathways for student success, and adapts to meet the needs of modern leaders. I am proud to be a product of California’s public education system, and I will continue working toward these goals in public service.

[1] Stephanie Liden Davidsmeyer, “Harnessing Students’ Expertise in Communications,” State Education Standard 23, no. 3 (September 2023).