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Councilor wants to give students more of a voice - and votes - on the School Committee
By adamg on Sun, 03/22/2015 - 12:14pm
City Councilor Tito Jackson (Roxbury) holds a hearing Monday on his proposal to add a second student representative to the School Committee - and to give both votes on committee business.
The committee currently has a single non-voting student member - Ayomide Olumuyiwa, a junior at the O'Bryant School. Although he took an active role in the committee's questioning of superintendent candidates recently, when the time came to actually vote on a new superintendent, only the adults voted.
Jackson, chair of the City Council's education committee, says that's unfair, given the fact that the people most directly affected by most committee votes are the students. He says the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education gives its student members a full vote.
The hearing begins at 4 p.m. in the council's fifth-floor chambers in City Hall. School officials have been asked to attend.
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Comments
Chest Pieces
Eagerly awaiting more student input.
You should go watch the superintendent interviews
if they're still around on http://bostonpublicschools.org. The kid from the O'Bryant asked some of the best questions.
Give credit where credit is due
His questions are written by the two adults who oversee BSAC, which is why you will see him checking his phone during meetings.
BECE student member
Back in high school we had a Student School Committee Advisory Board which, if I remember correctly, was dormant until a bright and ambitious young man reminded the school committee that the positions existed. We ended up with four SSCAB members, one from each grade. No voting rights, I don't think, but we had a lot of direct input.
I don't know if I agree that students deserve to vote on the issues but I think there should be more members.
Not impressed with student reps
I'm impressed by many students in bps but the student government reps have not been great. There's very little interest or participation at my kids school.
What does that say about your child's school?
I think that's probably more of a reflection on your child's school than the student government reps there. However, we are taking about the student rep on the school committee which is usually an incredibly involved and intelligent young person. Really everyone should be in favor of this. What's the point of a "token" school committee member? You're either a full voting member or not. I plan on going to the hearing and testifying in favor of a student vote.
Involvement, sure - voting, no.
Sorry, I don't think people younger than 18 should be casting key votes on a $1b government organization. Some of the members in the past have been bad enough - let's get more qualified adults instead of lowering the standards to burnish some kids college application.
Definition of Ageism
And that's the very definition of ageism. First of all, it's only one vote so they won't be making million dollar decisions on their own. I would also argue that many of the student members in the past have been much more qualified and intelligent than some of the "adult" members. Who is more qualified than a student to vote on matters that affect students? Whether they are 17 or 19 shouldn't matter at all.
Not really
I just don't agree that a high school kid and a qualified adult with real world experience and higher education (both should be required) are comparable. This is probably a more important entity in the city government than the City Council, right? Sure it's only one vote, but then are you saying it's not important or that it is? No argument that there have been bad adult committee members in the past, but that's not a reason to let kids vote on this. If you want student involvement at a higher level, then empower the students with specific areas and committees.
BTW, the federal and state government also practice 'ageism' in that people under 18 years old can't vote there either.
Too late
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has had a voting student member since the 1970s. That member - elected by the students through several committees - is the only one not appointed by the governor and can often provide a valuable voice and vote. Every major statewide education policy decision made at the regulatory level for decades - including the annual budget recommendations and direct decisions on grants and charter schools - has been made with the student input you fear.
Better idea: LET PARENTS VOTE
Better idea: LET PARENTS VOTE AND HAVE A VOICE ON THE SCHOOL COUNCIL!
Feeling a bit cynical
But this strikes me as little more than a City Councilor sucking up to (future) voters.
Also evidence that City Councilors don't have enough real work to do. How about someone research & propose a way for DPW to actually clear the streets when it snows in 2016.
A thought
I think if you don't shovel out your car in a legal street place, you should get a ticket. Give people some grace period and then ticket them. Unshoveled cars make it worse for neighboring cars, reduce visibility, keep sidewalks from melting, etc... If you have a car and you don't use it, why are we communally taking the hit so you can store it on the street?
agree, but
Agree people should shovel their car out, but I don't really think that was the problem. The problem (at least one of may problems) was no place to put the snow after you shovel. In fact, it was the people who did shovel, and put the snow in between cars, that reduced available parking by 30-40% on many streets.
So what we really need is some type of snow removal plan, any time it snows substantial amounts.