Family Engagement Specialist and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner stands at the Clarke Central High School Ceremonial Entrance on Sept. 28, 2022. At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, Barner founded the Student School Climate Committee to combat previous instances where students’ voices did not play a part in the CCHS decision-making process. “I’d like to see some changes that the students can look at and say, ‘We did that.’ Next semester, we’ll see some changes in Advisement that (will be) coming directly from student input,” Barner said. “We want these things in order to better ourselves, better (our) education and better the environment at Clarke Central.” Photo by Aza Khan
At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, Family Engagement and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner founded the Student School Climate Committee for students to provide feedback about the school environment.
At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, Clarke Central High School Family Engagement Specialist and Academic Support Specialist Christian Barner initiated the Student School Climate Committee for students to gather to discuss and provide feedback about the school environment each month in Room 242.
According to Barner, the input of CCHS student voice is necessary, but there was not a designated forum for them to voice their concerns until the SSCC was established.
“I think that’s the biggest thing I’m learning is that we have not done a great job in listening to students. I don’t know if that’s true with (other) teachers, (but) I don’t think that’s something we need to be doing more of (because) we are here for students,” Barner said. “I figured that if we had an in-person meeting, that would allow students to come and be heard by adults in the building.”
Barner asserts that the primary goal of SSCC is to create a safe space for students to openly voice their opinions and apprehensions regarding the school environment.
“Our school is working to create a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Program, they’re all throughout (Clarke Country School District), to essentially create a better climate at the school,” Barner said. “Part of PBIS is to have student input, is to have family and parent input, so (the SSCC) is an opportunity for students to have input.”
“I think that’s the biggest thing I’m learning is that we have not done a great job in listening to students. I don’t know if that’s true with (other) teachers, (but) I don’t think that’s something we need to be doing more of (because) we are here for students,”
— Christian Barner, Family Engagement and Academic Support
While SSCC member Wilmer Perez, a junior, views the SSCC as a safe space and believes in the program, he has been disappointed by the lack of attendance among his peers.
“So far we’ve met twice (and) I want to see something change in Central (and) be able to say what we want to have, or the changes that we want around the school,” Perez said. “Right now at the moment, it’s barely any of us. I feel like we could do better with that, but with the few people that we have, I think we’ve got some great ideas already.”
