LBUSD Students Lead the Way in Raising Their Voices for Change

“The biggest lie the world ever told you is that you are the future. You are our NOW! And you matter, TODAY!”

Dr. Nader Twal, Special Assistant to the Superintendent, electrified the room with this powerful declaration at Jordan High School’s Raising Student Voices and Participation (RSVP) event on March 18. The message was clear: students are not just preparing for leadership someday—they are already inspiring culture, trends, and decisions in real-time.  

From the moment students stepped into the room, the energy was electric. Laptops were open, not for note-taking but for designing solutions. Conversations weren’t just theoretical—they were filled with conviction, urgency and real-world application. LBUSD students weren’t there to be talked at; they were there to lead.

Superintendent Dr. Jill Baker, a dynamic force behind the initiative, set the tone early: “Students, your voices don’t just matter—they are essential. You decide what music tops the charts, who headlines the Super Bowl and what styles dominate fashion. The world moves at the sound of your voices and we need that power in our schools, too.”

Students leaned in—literally. Hands shot up. Ideas flowed. They tackled big questions: How do we ensure every student feels valued? What needs to change for learning to reflect who we are truly?

One student, confidentiality, stood up tall and put it simply: “We know what works because we live it every day. If you want to fix education, start by listening to us.”

And that’s precisely what LBUSD is doing. Through the RSVP initiative, students, educators, and district leadership co-design solutions to local challenges using their direct input. The session was not just a discussion but an activation of student agency.

The heart of the conversation? 

Authenticity.

Dr. Baker, who loves to encourage, motivated students to embrace their unique lived experiences and contributions to the LBUSD community. “The answer is being unapologetically YOU,” she said. “We need your voice because you matter just as you are; as adults, we want to meet you right where you are.”

The students embraced it. They owned their narratives, challenged assumptions, and left the event knowing that their voices weren’t just heard—they were shaping the future of LBUSD in real-time.

This isn’t about preparing students to lead someday. It’s about recognizing that they are already leading today. As Dr. Twal reminded them, nothing moves without their voices.