Parker says students identified with concerns expressed by conference participants such as James, who feels schools place too much stock in standardized tests. Parker's students also are troubled by student apathy and teachers' insensitivity to their lives, issues discussed in the video by Adriana Paniagua, then a Curie High freshman. That's what makes us not want to learn. But like the students in the video, Parker says her students realize their own behavior also could improve. Aimee Horton, co-founder of the Lindeman Center, says students can contribute to school improvement efforts if educators listen to what they have to say.
Students can play such an important role in reform.
Independent coverage of Chicago school reform since 1989.