“Their Voices Matter”: Reimagining Learning with Dr. Omar Hakeem

For Dr. Omar Hakeem, education has always been rooted in a simple but transformative belief: students should not merely experience school—they should help shape it.

In Episode 8 of Coffee with the Doctors, Dr. Hakeem reflected on a career that has stretched from high school English classrooms to international fellowships and now into educational public media through Detroit Public Television and the Michigan Learning Channel. Across each role, one thread has remained constant: honoring student voice as central to meaningful learning.

His research at Michigan State University focused on how students could move beyond tokenized leadership opportunities and become authentic collaborators in curriculum and instructional design. Rather than treating student feedback as a formality collected at the end of a course, Dr. Hakeem worked to build systems where students could see their ideas reflected in real-time changes to classroom learning.

That work reshaped not only student engagement, but also students’ understanding of teaching itself. As students analyzed peer feedback and wrestled with differing perspectives, they developed a deeper appreciation for the complexity of instructional decision-making. For Dr. Hakeem, the process revealed that student voice is not about surrendering professional expertise—it is about creating a more transparent and collaborative learning environment.

The conversation also highlighted how those ideas continue to influence his current work in public media. Through initiatives like Read, Write, Roar and statewide family engagement efforts, the Michigan Learning Channel seeks to extend learning beyond school walls and into homes and communities. Dr. Hakeem emphasized that literacy development and educational opportunity begin long before children enter a classroom, requiring stronger partnerships with families and earlier investment in children’s learning experiences.

Throughout the discussion, Dr. Hakeem returned repeatedly to the importance of creativity, curiosity, and care in education. Whether discussing curriculum councils, democratic participation in schools, or the enduring lessons of Fred Rogers, he challenged educators to think differently about what schools can become when students are treated as genuine partners in the learning process.

As schools continue navigating rapid social and technological change, Dr. Hakeem’s work offers a reminder that innovation is not simply about new tools or systems. At its heart, meaningful educational change begins by listening closely to the voices already present in our classrooms.