Olivia Wahl
18 May 2026
Is your student council accidentally silencing the students who need a voice most? In Part 1 of this two-part S5E38 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Rachael Thrash, Senior Director of Education and Innovation at Big Bad Boo Studios and author of Let the Learners Lead: Empowering Student Voice to Co-Create School Culture, breaks down why traditional student leadership models are quietly reinforcing the status quo, and what co-creation actually looks and feels like in schools. Rachael walks us through David Yeager's research and the student voice continuum, unpacks why a student survey is NOT the same as student voice, and shares two unforgettable stories about what happens when teachers trust kids enough to let things get messy. This is instructional leadership and school culture work at its most human. Some episode mentions: Rachael Thrash's website10 to 25 by David Yeager, PhDDesigning Group Work by Cohen and LawtonStudent Voice Continuum — Teschales and Nykula, University of PennsylvaniaInternational School of HelsinkiTricia Friedman🎧 Part 2 drops Friday, where Rachael walks us through a school case study, whose voices get overlooked most, and the one move you can make on Monday morning to get this work started. CHAPTERS 0:00 — Hook: Is Your Student Council Doing More Harm Than Good? 1:00 — Welcome & Introduction: Who Is Rachael Thrash? 2:00 — Research Spotlight: David Yeager & Designing Group Work 3:30 — What Traditional Student Leadership Gets Wrong 5:00 — The Student Council Constitution That Excludes Most Kids 6:00 — The Moment Rachael Knew We Had to Do This Differently 7:30 — Student Voice vs. Student Survey: There's a Huge Difference 9:00 — The Student Voice Continuum Explained 10:30 — Co-Creation: What It Actually Means for Students & Adults 11:30 — What Happens When Teachers Let Go of Control 12:30 — The Resistance Art Gallery Story 14:30 — The Helsinki Interview That Changed Everything 16:00 — Life Is Messy — and That's the Point 16:45 — Lightning Round With Rachael Thrash 19:00 — Key Takeaways & Call to Action 19:45 — Come Back for Part 2 — Preview Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. 📧 🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content. 📧 Book a coaching session with me here if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE! #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies #StudentVoice #SchoolCulture #StudentLeadership #CoCreation #LetTheLearnersLead #RachaelThrash #Schoolutions #OliviaWahl #InclusiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #ClassroomBelonging #StudentEngagement #InstructionalLeadership #SchoolImprovement #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #EffectiveTeaching #ActiveLearning #EmpoweredEducators #WholeChild #ProKidMindset #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #AntiBiasTeaching #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #ProfessionalDevelopment #NewTeachers #SchoolLeadership #FamilyPartnerships #inspiringstudents When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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