When students feel known and valued by an adult at their school, they show up. When they are engaged in relevant, challenging work, they are building competencies for college, career, and civic life. What is it like to be a student at your school? To ride the bus? Juggle the workload? Fit into the culture?

From February 29 – March 4, 2016, we're asking school leaders to clear calendars, silence walkie-talkies, throw on sneakers, and immerse themselves in student life for a day. Join the community of educators committed to rethinking the student experience-starting by walking in the shoes of a student. See you at the bus stop.

For a Day, School Leaders Urged to Immerse Themselves in a Student's Life

Building empathy is goal

A group of education organizations is challenging school leaders around the country to spend one day shadowing individual students so they can develop greater empathy for their charges' experiences.

Participants in the Shadow a Student Challenge sign up to follow one child for a full day during the week of Feb. 29 to March 4, eating lunch with them, attending classes, and maybe even riding the bus with them. Those taking part will connect on social media to share what they learn, and will get resources from the organizers—School Retool, a fellowship that encourages school leaders to promote deeper learning and solve problems in their buildings; IDEO, a consultant group; and the d.school at Stanford University, which encourages innovation in schools.

Susie Wise, the K-12 lab network director for Stanford's d.school, talked about the vision of Shadow a Student with Staff Writer Evie Blad. The exchange has been edited for length and clarity.

Click here to read the full article.