• Students met at Harvard University and toured the campus

Anonymous

Environment: Listening to Students Relationships: Administrators Relationships: Support Staff Equity: Discipline

Hello my name is ______ and I’m a senior. After I graduate this year, I hope to go to college and study criminal justice and psychology. I love the challenge of piecing together the puzzle of a complex problem, and I plan to one day realize my dream of becoming a police detective. I know that I have had a good support system to get to this point in my life, but not everyone has had those same supports. I want to talk to you today about why a group of supportive and trusting adults is important.

For me, it was hard at first to feel like I could trust adults at school. When I was just coming into high school, without actually feeling any community or support at school, it was harder to go to people for the help I needed. A lot of the time when you meet with adults at school, they only focus on what you’ve done badly and why you’re wrong. I was used to feeling like no one was on my side. The first time that changed for me was when I met my social worker. I walked into her office, and said “I don’t know why I came, I  just don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone else. But I want to give it a shot with you.” So she crumpled up the official form, and for the first I was able to have a real conversation with someone where I felt like they cared about me and how I was feeling. I know she filled out the form later, but doing what she did showed me that she wanted to talk to me because she cared, not just because it was her job. Having that one person made me more willing to trust other people at the school as well.

The school has lots of programs and initiatives that it’s trying to use to make things better. I’ve seen many of them during my four years there. But the human relationships are what really matter and will truly build the community between students and staff in school. Without them, all the programs in the world won’t be able to help. I know there are adults who try, but the school doesn’t always support them. I had an exceptional teacher last year, one of the ones who if you had her, you would never forget her. She really cared about us and how we were doing, even outside of her class. But one day in the spring I went to go see her and she was crying in her classroom. She told us she was let go because they felt like she was getting too close to her students. It makes me feel like if you work at Chelsea High and really bond with the students, you’re basically putting one foot out the door. And if we’re losing all the good teachers now, what’s it going to be like for the kids coming up?

I know it can be different. I’m one of the fortunate ones to have a good support system around me. Everyone deserves what I have. But there are students at CHS who walk into school every day and are miserable as soon as they get there. They don’t have anyone they feel like they can go to. For them, it can be really hard to get through a school day, let alone a whole year. Those kids shouldn’t have to get lucky like me to feel like they have someone who cares about them at school. I hope that you will consider supporting safe and supportive schools so that every student can go to a school where they feel supported like I have.

Why can’t schools be more flexible?

“The human relationships are what really matter and will truly build the community between students and staff in school. Without them, all the programs in the world won’t be able to help.”
—Anonymous

“I know it can be different. I’m one of the fortunate ones to have a good support system around me. Everyone deserves what I have.”
—Anonymous

What other students are saying

Alice:

“For me, one of the most important parts of a safe and supportive school is that all the adults in the building understand how to care for and support all of the students.”  Read Alice’s statement

Chelsea:

“We all need and deserve access to positive relationships, a sense of well-being, community, and our own potential.” Read Chelsea’s statement

Chinyere:

“From our perspective, the academic levels create more division than unity, which impedes everyone’s learning.”  Read Chinyere’s statement

Chris:

“I feel like if more teachers understood our backgrounds, things would go better because teachers would know how to talk to students and have relationships with them.”   Read Chris’ statement

Corine:

“ I think adults at my school know what kinds of changes need to be made to help students succeed. But they can’t do it alone. They need help from the school system.” Read Corine’s statement

Taeyah:

“I knew that no matter what, he would be there to support me and would never give up on me. It was a small thing, but sometimes it’s the small things that make the difference.”  Read Taeyah’s statement

Gabriela:

“In order to make connections with the students, in order for them to feel supported like I did, ​you first have to hear them.”  Read Gabriela’s statement

Jaylee:

“If you have adult mentors at school encouraging you and reminding you that you have potential, you start to believe them.” Read Jaylee’s statement

Jonathan:

“Cooperation means learning faster. And when you and your teacher and your classmates are working together like this, it’s like a triangle of good.” Read Jonathan’s statement

Michelle:

“I believe that having all of our needs met would help us learn better and set us up for success in the future.” Read Michelle’s statement

Omari:

“I feel like there is a difference between doing the work just to do it and doing the work to understand it…” Read Omari’s statement

Trish:

“Having stronger relationships between students and teachers will increase the morale of the school, and make students and teachers more excited to come to school each day.”  Read Trish’s statement

Anonymous:

“I know it can be different. I’m one of the fortunate ones to have a good support system around me. Everyone deserves what I have.” Read Anonymous’ statement