The moment news spread that the students of Parkland, Florida were using their voices to speak out against school violence, Rep. Shawn Harrison staffer claimed that the students were paid actors. This reaction isn’t uncommon. Some adults in positions of power are hesitant to include youth voice in the public sphere, and some will use any means necessary to discredit their perspectives.
Remember that the steps we take to empower students must be about boosting their authentic message and not pushing our agenda. When advocating for the perspectives of youth, a good approach is to remove yourself from the equation entirely.