Student Voice (ePub)

Michael J. Corso, Ph.D., former high school teacher turned adjunct professor of education and administrator, has been the Chief Academic Officer for the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations (QISA) for 15 years. In that role he provided professional development and training in Aspirations and Student Voice theories and frameworks to thousands of educators and students in hundreds of schools. Out of those experiences he co-authored numerous books and articles on the subject of School Voice, including Student Voice: The Instrument of Change (Corwin 2014) and Aspire High: Imagining Tomorrow's School Today (Corwin 2016). While he is still connected to QISA as a special consultant, he has decided to return full-time to the high school classroom. While many in education move from practice to theory or policy, Mickey has chosen to move from consulting back to the classroom. This blog is a weekly window into his journey of trying to practice himself what he has preached to others for over two decades as a researcher and PD provider.

Julie Hellerstein is the Director of Student Services for The Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations (QISA). She plans and executes “Student Q-Team” workshops to increase student voice and aspirations at QISA’s demonstration site schools. Julie has hosted innovative student leadership conferences in Ohio, Idaho, and South Carolina. Prior to accepting a position at the Quaglia Institute, Julie taught Social Studies at Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio. She taught World History, American History, and Link Crew, a class in which upper classmen students are trained in helping freshman transition to high school. Julie was part of a pilot program studying the utilization of the iPad in the classroom and presented with a team at the 2013 Ohio Educational Technology Conference. Outside the classroom, she was the advisor for the Diversity Club, a coordinator for a school Unity program, and served as the chairperson of the Aspirations Committee at Northmont High School. Julie graduated from the University of Dayton in 2010 and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Educational Leadership.