A student leader touches on her experiences vocalizing the issues she faces at school to the community. In order to have their voices heard, students should seize opportunities to reach out to those in power within the Clarke County School District. “Though it may seem difficult to speak up, students should continue to make sure that their ideas are heard in order to create change within the district.” Illustration by Antonio Starks
It is more important than ever for students to address issues that impact them.
As the old proverb goes, much of society lives by the standard that, “Children should be seen and not heard”. However, during the last several decades, there have been examples of students advocating for change within their schools.
In the Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), a group of students protested the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands, which caused their suspension and sparked the case. The court ruled that students in public schools maintain First Amendment rights.
According to usnews.com, after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, MSDHS student X González became a vocal advocate for gun violence prevention and helped involve students in the fight against this issue through protests and movements.
These students saw issues affecting their schools and seized the opportunity to speak out and incite change.
During the last four to five years, students have seen multiple Clarke County School District leaders deposed, including a Superintendent and multiple principals. Many of these issues sparked controversy in the community.
This is evident on the CCSD Facebook, Town Hall, which is a public forum for community members to express their concerns.
These students saw issues affecting their schools and seized the opportunity to speak out and incite change.
While they are discussed primarily by adults, many of these issues affect students most directly.
Though it might be difficult for high schoolers to find their voice, there are forums for student opinions that they should take advantage of, such as speaking at public Board of Education meetings.
On Feb. 10, CCHS girls varsity soccer player Hannah Barnett, a senior, spoke at a CCSD BOE meeting to address issues of inequality between the men and women’s sports teams at CCHS. “We ask that the district plan to add women’s locker rooms into our school. This is not a funds issue, this is an equity issue,” Barnett said.
There are other forums for concerned students, such as the CCSD Superintendent Student Advisory Council, an organization created to “provide high school students the opportunity to learn about school district issues and influence how decisions are made,” the CCSD website states.
Furthermore, if these opportunities provided to students do not spark sufficient change, students should challenge the systems that suppress their voices. Though it may seem difficult to speak up, students should continue to make sure that their ideas are heard in order to create change within the district.
