The state legislature is considering a bill which would require local school boards to appoint student representatives to district-wide advisory boards. Arguing that students bring a unique perspective and fresh ideas to the table, State Rep. Mark Strama proposed the bill to ensure that school districts to consider the viewpoints of the students they represent.
The Richardson ISD is officially neutral on the bill. “We do value the opinions and suggestions of our students,” RISD’s Communications Director Liz Morse told me, “and we already involve our students in a variety of ways.” Student representatives currently serve on the Bi-Racial Advisory Committee and the Religious Practices Committee, among others, and they lead the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee, aka Super SAC. Students appointed to Super SAC by their high school principals meet monthly with Superintendent Dr. David Simmons to discuss ideas and share opinions.
“Currently, we do not have a student on our District Planning Committee,” said Liz, because the DPC meets for several hours during the school day and student reps would have to miss class time to participate. She cites the heavy community involvement of members of the board and their frequent interaction with students as they attend events in schools. “The kids don’t seem too shy to give trustees their opinions!” she added.
The proposal in Austin, which also requires adding a voting student member to public university boards, has tended to pit youthful Democratic lawmakers representing college towns against experienced Republicans opposed to state government mandates. Some legislators have official student advisors working in their offices and others say they get the student perspective from their own teenagers around the dinner table at home. In any case, reaching out to see issues through the student perspective makes sense.
