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Student rights are those rights, such as civil, constitutional, contractual and consumer rights, which regulate student rights and freedoms and allow students to make use of their educational investment.

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One thing that schools can do improve student rights is to get students involved in many student rights. Many schools may overlook certain issues students may have because they might not have knowledge about those issues. Having students be involved in making their rights can not only solve unknown issues but also make students feel comfortable in knowing that they have the rights they need or want.

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When you see injustice in schools' student rights

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When you see injustice in schools' student rights

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Another way to improve students rights is to encourage students to speak up when they feel something needs to change or be added. Giving students liberty to speak up for themselves can help them feel that they can speak up in other situations

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One more way to improve students rights to teach students what it took for students to have the rights they currently have. Learning the history and challenges of getting rights may inspire students while educating them. Through educating them, student can have deeper understanding of their rights as well.

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11 things students should have or should have more of rights for...

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11 things students should have or should have more of rights for...

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1.Free Expression.
2.Safety and Well being.
3.Due Process.
4.Personal Learning.
5.Institutional Agency.
6.Information and Privacy.
7.Employ-ability.
8.Civic Participation.
9.Fair Assessment.
10.Technology.
11.Diversity and Inclusivity.

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Erik Martin
It's rare when students get to inform education policy decisions, much less influence how our schools run. Many decisions are made for us, and asking what we think is often an afterthought. The new Student Bill of Rights is working to change that. The concept of a Student Bill of Rights is not new, but if student rights are to be truly authentic and learner-driven, those rights must come from students.

First and foremost, the Student Bill is a mechanism for empowering students in schools across the nation to voice their opinions and needs, driving holistic educational progress. A cornerstone of this undertaking is improving the learning that happens in our schools, which greater student autonomy and engagement has repeatedly proven to do. More fundamentally, students are people and people have rights, as the Supreme Court has ruled. If we want future generations of informed, engaged citizens, we should treat them that way from the start.

Student Voice, our student-run organization driving this initiative, can't speak for every student in the nation, so we won't try to. We're shooting for baby steps, but lots of them together.

These 11 student-driven amendments will change the future of education by being grassroots building blocks for change:

Safety and Wellbeing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, more students than ever before feel unsafe in school, and 19 percent report being bullied at school. The National Institute of Mental Health also reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth, and 11 percent of youth will fight depression by the time they turn 18. Students should be safe and supported in school, physically and mentally.

Personal Learning. The national ratio of school counselors to students in this country is 478 to 1. What's more, 1 in 5 high schools have no counselors at all. This lack of support is a significant burden for low-income students in particular, and as a result, many smart and capable students simply never pursue opportunities because no one told them they could or should, or was there to help them reach higher. Of course, personal learning is much broader than just guidance counselors, it's about supporting students as individuals first. As Ken Robinson has said, "The answer is not to standardize education, but to personalize and customize it to the needs of each child and community. There is no alternative. There never was."

Institutional Agency. Any discussion about student rights needs to include students at the table. Students need to inform policy and contribute to decisions. The difference between experimenting and innovating in education is the difference between students as guinea pigs, and students being authentic partners of change. We must have the right to help shape our institutions and future.

Technology. There isn't space here to dismantle the "digital natives" argument, but just because we have smartphones and Instagram accounts doesn't mean our generation is adequately prepared to lead the innovations of the century. We need high speed internet access, devices, and up-to-date software in our schools, and we need it today. The current administration has made tremendous strides to this end, and hopefully whomever is next will continue on.

Ultimately, the Student Bill of Rights is not a hall-pass that permits students to participate in changing their schools and be heard. We are already doing that. Students like Dawnya Johnson are helping fellow Baltimore youth improve job opportunities and attend college, Niki Adeli is speaking out on changing standardized assessment, and Tess Harkin and Sam Parekh, student journalists who covered the national superintendents summit at the White House earlier this year to improve the state of technology in schools. Organizations like the Student Press Law Center have also provided unwavering leadership supporting student free speech, and Active Minds works with students to reduce stigmas around mental health at their schools.

What we need now is collective action. There are about 55 million K-12 students in this country, and about 20 million in degree-granting colleges. If students are treated as allies rather than subjects, imagine what could be achieved. We, the students, merely suggest these rights to ensure a more perfect education for all. Learn more or join the movement at StuVoice.org and read all 11 rights at StuRights.org.

For more on student voice, check out:

Erik Martin is Chief Editor at StuRights.org. Follow Erik on Twitter, @eriklaes.

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By Erik Martin - 11 student-driven amendments that have the power change the future of education by serving as grassroots building blocks for change.