When working toward school improvement, principals would be remiss to ignore the insights of students.
How do we improve public schools? Ask the customers! Who better understands school policy, procedures, operational efficiencies, and pedagogical practices than the
"true" customer—the student? Madison Elementary School, a K–6 school of 335 students in Marshfield, Wisconsin, recognizes the value of student
feedback and
strives to learn more through monthly student meetings, whole-class sit-downs, and student exit interviews.
Monthly Student Meetings
As the principal of Madison Elementary School, I meet with a group of students for half an hour during lunch on the first Friday of each month to talk about ways Madison can
improve. We call these sessions ROARS (Representing Outstanding and Responsible Students) meetings to coincide with the school's tiger mascot.