Hi, my name is Richard and I am a junior in high school. I want to talk with you today about the power differences between students and staff and the importance of student voice in making decisions about our school. I think that the authority in general in schools has to change.
Everyday when I go to school, I and many other students are pressured to avoid making mistakes often with the punishments for those mistakes being too vague. This can affect our grades and work and impact us in the long term. Personally, I feel like we are being treated like a herd. As students, we are told where we are supposed to be, where are not supposed to be, it can begin to feel like we are cattle or zoo animals. I am an individual, I want guidance and support.
Some people at school that help me feel differently are our school counselors. They help me feel comfortable in class, if I experience a struggle in class, the counselors help me reach the most productive learning. Their office is one of the rare places in the school where students have a say. If a student has a problem or an event, the counselors will be there to help address it, they will listen and they will take action based on what you say you need. I want more experiences like this at school. I want somebody checking in, I want adults to get to know me and I want to have a voice in the decisions that affect me.
The lack of power I experience at school makes me feel that others are in charge of me, that I can’t be independent, and other students like me share this need. Right now, I have few opportunities to be responsible for myself at school. High school is supposed to prepare us for college and the real world, but I don’t have many opportunities to prove that I am ready for college and the real world and be responsible for myself.
Another problem for our school to address is the rampant vandalism and vaping in the bathrooms. The staff and leadership are trying to fix the problem by limiting our access to the bathroom and installing cameras in the hallways. Before this school year, students were allowed to go to the bathroom when they needed to, but this year, the school leaders decided to close certain bathrooms to avoid the risk of the damaging bathrooms more. Throughout the day, students have to find open bathrooms, sometimes needing to walk across the whole building during passing periods which can lead to students being late for class. And if students need to use the bathroom during class, the student will miss content due to the length of time searching for an open bathroom.
All of the decisions that are made for the students in the school tie back to the students, they affect us. Students don’t have any say in solving problems that involve us and it frustrates us. These are rules that affect us, yet we don’t have a say in making the ruIes that apply to us. And with this, I want schools to ask students for what they want, we want to make school a better environment.
And with this, I have a few questions for policy makers:
Do you care about us as students or as people? If so, why?
Please support Safe and Supportive schools so that my school and all schools can work on including the voices of students.
