Podcast Summary:
Giving Done Right
Episode: Building Better Schools: David McKinney on Why Student Voice Matters
Date: October 30, 2025
Host: The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)
Guests: David McKinney (Vice President of Youth Truth), Grace Nicolette (Co-host), Phil Buchanan (Co-host)
Episode Overview
This episode of Giving Done Right examines the critical role of student voice in improving schools, featuring a conversation with David McKinney, Vice President of Youth Truth. Drawing on personal experience and professional expertise, McKinney discusses how educational systems—and philanthropy—can more effectively support young people by listening to them systematically and authentically. The episode covers how the Youth Truth initiative collects and utilizes student feedback to inform policy and practice, the impact of student voice on academic and civic outcomes, and lessons for donors interested in educational change.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. David McKinney’s Motivation and Background
- Personal Story: McKinney shares his journey from feeling excluded in youth—both institutionally and racially—to being affirmed and empowered by caring adults and mentors.
- Quote: “I am still that boy who wants to be affirmed in his agency as early and as frequently as possible, such that other boys can feel the same and all young people can feel that as well.” — David McKinney [03:33]
- He emphasizes the vital need for educational systems to do better for all youth, regardless of background.
2. Why Student Voice Matters
- Importance of Agency: McKinney describes a series of formative experiences where being given a voice led to healing, self-affirmation, and broader systems awareness.
- Quote: “Adults took me aside and said, David, you aren’t just a victim of your circumstances. You have something to offer. You have a voice. You have the ability to change things.” — David McKinney [04:22]
- Connects student voice to larger societal and civic goals—preparing youth not only for personal success but to contribute to the collective.
3. What is Youth Truth?
- Program Overview: Youth Truth is a CEP initiative started in 2008 to systematically gather and leverage student feedback at scale.
- Method: Uses validated student surveys, followed by deep engagement with educators, administrators, students, and communities to interpret and act on the data—not just “transactional” surveys, but ongoing partnerships.
- Quote: “Youth Truth is really an idea… that starts with the voices of young people, their opinions, experiences, hopes, dreams, aspirations. And it asks what could be possible if we adults took seriously those insights.” — David McKinney [08:20]
- Scope: Engaged over 3 million young people in 41 states, expanding beyond students to families and school staff.
4. What Does the Data Show?
- Evidence of Impact:
- There is a now well-established link between student perceptions (engagement, sense of belonging) and academic outcomes.
- Student voice signals to youth that their experiences matter, driving engagement and improvement.
- Memorable Moment: Phil recalls resistance from early funders who felt student perceptions were “orthogonal to impact”—unrelated to what matters [13:04].
- Quote: “Of course, how students are experiencing their schools matters just because it matters.” — Phil Buchanan [13:55]
- David reframes education’s purpose: Not just for individual mobility, but for civic engagement and the collective good.
- Quote: “It also has to include, from a principles and values standpoint, a sense of the collective, a sense of the we and not I.” — David McKinney [15:45 & 00:03]
5. Civic Engagement and Schools as Civic Spaces [19:14]
- Youth Truth’s Civic Empowerment Report (2024) found most students want to help others and engage civically, but few have the opportunity to do so at school.
- Only ~50% of high schoolers reported learning civic skills; fewer than a third were able to act for positive change [19:27].
- Academic work is often seen by students as disconnected from public life—they want more integration of civic purposes.
6. Examples of Data-Driven Change [24:17]
- Colorado: A rural district used survey data showing ninth graders lacked belonging to design a mentorship program led by upperclassmen, fostering community and leadership among both groups.
- California (Sonoma County):
- After wildfires and the pandemic, surveys identified student mental health needs.
- Response included campus visits, new mental health resources, and increased academic rigor (which students actually desired, contrary to adult assumptions).
- Data also informed partnerships (e.g., with Kaiser Permanente) and new wellness grants for schools.
7. Youth Truth Research on Bullying [29:59]
- Surveyed 200,000+ students; found that:
- Students who feel belonging and academic challenge are less likely to report being bullied, yet only 34% of elementary students felt “an important part of their school.”
- Modeling of respect and tolerance by adults reduces bullying, but Black and non-binary students are less likely to see this modeled [30:54].
- Quote: “When students see adults modeling respect, showing tolerance, listening generously…bullying drops.” — David McKinney [30:54]
- Emphasizes building cultures of belonging, not punitive responses.
8. Data Privacy
- Approach: Data collected is de-identified and cannot be traced to individuals, prioritizing student privacy.
- Data shared with partners is always aggregated.
- Quote: “We know that we are keeping students safe and protecting their data…because it’s de-identified and can’t be tracked back.” — David McKinney [34:48]
9. Challenges of Top-Down Reform [37:22]
- Phil reflects on high-profile, top-down education reforms (Newark, Gates, Annenberg) that faltered in part because they failed to incorporate sufficient student, family, and teacher voice.
- Quote: “A lot of well-intentioned philanthropic efforts fail because they’re too top-down and they don’t listen…to those closest to the issues.” — Phil Buchanan [39:28]
- David calls for systematic, sustained accountability and engagement—listening should be ongoing and accompanied by action and transparency.
10. Advice for Donors and Next Steps [44:18]
- Donors interested in supporting youth voice and data-driven change are encouraged to contact McKinney and connect with Youth Truth and similar organizations.
- Contact: davidmckinney@youthtruth.org
- Quote: “We can’t treat young people as secondary bystanders, and instead we’ve got to really invest more and center them in how we think about whatever issue we care about…” — David McKinney [44:43]
11. Vision for the Future of Public Education [45:28]
- McKinney hopes for a system where student voices, hopes, dreams, and aspirations “guide the way” when defining student success, school effectiveness, and educational goals.
- Quote: “There’s a whole lot of stereotype and bias associated with whether we think a particular kid…actually has a hope or a dream or aspiration. The problem isn’t with them. It’s that we don’t ask enough…”
- Ending on a call for a “land of hopes and dreams” for all students, echoing Springsteen.
- Quote: “We need all of those hopes and dreams to be kind of on the table. We need for people to feel like they can express them. We need for people to feel like they have, that someone else has heard them and wants to support them.” — David McKinney [48:30]
Key Quotes & Notable Moments (with Timestamps)
- “I am still that boy who wants to be affirmed in his agency as early and as frequently as possible…” — David McKinney [03:33]
- “Adults took me aside and said…You have something to offer. You have a voice.” — David McKinney [04:22]
- “Youth Truth is really an idea…what could be possible if we adults took seriously those insights?” — David McKinney [08:20]
- “Student perceptions are orthogonal to impact.” — Anonymous foundation CEO, relayed by Phil [13:04]
- “It also has to include…a sense of the collective, a sense of the we and not I.” — David McKinney [15:45, repeated from 00:03]
- “Most high school students want to help others…but fewer than half reported learning those skills…fewer than a third were actually given any opportunity…” — David McKinney [19:27]
- “When students see adults modeling respect…bullying drops.” — David McKinney [30:54]
- “We know that we are keeping students safe and protecting their data…” — David McKinney [34:48]
- “A lot of well-intentioned philanthropic efforts fail because they’re too top-down...” — Phil Buchanan [39:28]
- “We can’t treat young people as secondary bystanders…” — David McKinney [44:43]
- “We need all of those hopes and dreams to be kind of on the table. We need for people to feel like they can express them...” — David McKinney [48:30]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- David’s Motivation & Story: [01:27 – 04:06]
- Personal Growth through Community: [04:22 – 07:58]
- What is Youth Truth: [08:20 – 11:38]
- Surveys and Engagement Process: [11:44 – 12:46]
- Early Resistance to Student Voice: [13:04 – 15:45]
- Student Voice and Civic Purpose: [15:45 – 19:14]
- Civic Empowerment Report Findings: [19:27 – 23:05]
- Examples: CO & CA (Sonoma) Impact: [24:17 – 29:59]
- Research on Bullying & Belonging: [29:59 – 34:27]
- Data Privacy: [34:29 – 35:57]
- Philanthropy & Reform Lessons: [37:22 – 44:18]
- Call to Donors/Contact: [44:18 – 44:43]
- Vision for Public Education: [45:28 – 48:30]
Summary Takeaways
- Student voice is not “nice to have”—it is integral to both academic and civic outcomes and should guide educational improvement.
- Data alone isn’t enough: Change happens when diverse stakeholders collaborate to interpret and act on feedback, creating inclusive school cultures.
- Intentional, repeat engagement and accountability are critical; top-down, short-term or one-off approaches typically fail.
- Data privacy must be protected, especially in the age of for-profit ed-tech and AI.
- Donors play a vital role by supporting organizations that authentically center youth experience, and by urging systematic—not tokenistic—voice practices.
- Hope for the future: A landscape where every student’s aspirations are known and cultivated, not presumed or ignored.
For more information and resources, listeners are encouraged to visit cep.org and givingdoneright.org.