For too long, discussions around education reform and improvement have been dominated by big data and quantitative metrics. While these traditional data points have their place, they often fail to capture the nuanced experiences and perspectives of those most impacted by systemic inequities within the education system – the students themselves, particularly those at the margins. The groundbreaking book, Street Data, challenges this status quo, urging educators and policymakers to “flip the dashboard” and prioritize the rich, qualitative insights gleaned directly from students, families, and communities. This paradigm shift, focusing on what the book terms “Street Data,” offers a powerful pathway to creating truly equitable and transformative learning environments.
What is Street Data and Why Does It Matter?
Street data, as highlighted in the chorus of accolades for the book, is not about discarding traditional data but rather enriching it with on-the-ground realities. It’s about listening deeply to the voices that are often unheard in the formulation of educational policies and practices. Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and President of the Learning Policy Institute, emphasizes that Street Data calls for “a focus on the voices at the margins – those learners and their families who have been most affected by deep-rooted systemic inequities.” By embracing curiosity, courage, and humility in listening to these voices, educators and policymakers can gain a profound understanding of the root causes of inequities and develop solutions that are genuinely transformative and healing.
Taryn Ishida, Youth Organizer and Executive Director at Californians for Justice, further underscores the critical need to center student voices. She notes that for too long, reforms have been implemented “without engaging and centering those most impacted – the students.” Street Data provides an “energizing, anti-racist, actionable framework” that positions marginalized students as the experts and crucial collaborators in building an education system that truly serves their brilliance.
Humanizing Education Through Lived Experiences
The reviews consistently emphasize the human-centered approach of Street Data. Dr. Napoleon Wells, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences at Claflin University, describes the book as building “a conversation more than a framework,” where students, communities, teachers, and systems are seen as interconnected parts of a family unit. This perspective highlights the importance of “family systems centered teaching and learning” that is holistic and necessary for genuine progress. The focus shifts from viewing students as mere data points to recognizing them as individuals with rich lived experiences that hold invaluable insights.
Sophie Fanelli, President of the Stuart Foundation, points out that Street Data offers a “vivid and immensely readable account of what public education could and should be.” Instead of promoting quick fixes, the book is filled with real-life examples and actionable equity practices that empower educators to address root causes of inequity. Fanelli raises a crucial question: “What if policy decisions were anchored in the lived experiences of students, their families, and their educators?” This question encapsulates the core message of Street Data: to reimagine and reverse-engineer resources, policies, and practices to create environments where all students, especially the most marginalized, can truly thrive.
A Call to Action for Systemic Transformation
Street Data is not just a theoretical framework; it is a practical guide for creating systemic change. LaShawn Routé Chatmon, Executive Director of the National Equity Project, describes the book as “an urgent, timely provocation to listen to, honor, and be informed by the experiences, wisdom, fears, and aspirations of children and families who have been forced to the margins.” The book provides a “humanistic approach and practical guidance” for embedding crucial values like love, equity, curiosity, and courage into the fabric of learning spaces.
Jal Mehta, Professor of Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education, hails Street Data as “a fundamentally different paradigm for schooling,” one that prioritizes “listening, understanding, and loving over counting, measuring, and classifying.” He believes the book marks “the beginning of a new and different era for American education,” offering a “humanizing and liberating approach to school transformation.”
Shawn Ginwright, Professor of Education & Africana Studies at San Francisco State University and CEO of Flourish Agenda, emphasizes the timeliness of Street Data in a world where “old systems are crumbling.” He sees the book as offering “key insights about how to transform data and explore indigenous knowledge creation for a new world.” Street Data provides “new ways to analyze, diagnose, and assess everything from student learning to district improvement to policy,” making it essential reading for anyone seeking a fresh and authentic model for school transformation.
Shanna Peeples, former Teacher of the Year and author, summarizes the book’s impact by stating, “Street Data gives us a vibrant picture of what it means to do school when we authentically center our students.” She emphasizes that the book offers both inspiration and practical advice for educators and leaders to shift their approaches, creating a “new normal that builds with and for students.” In a time where a new path forward is urgently needed, Street Data emerges as a “trusted map for charting a course for maximum impact” in achieving educational justice.
Street Data is more than just a book; it’s a movement. It’s a call to action to fundamentally rethink how we understand and utilize data in education, urging us to center the voices and lived experiences of students to build a more equitable and just education system for all.
