Westport student representatives praise the opportunity to serve on the school board

WESTPORT – After welcoming two probationary student representatives for the 2023-2024 school year, the Board of Education is discussing how to continue the pilot program, which most members agree has been beneficial.

“In the spirit of compromise and consensus, we said the bylaw would only last for one year, we would try it out and at the end of that year we would review it,” school board President Lee Goldstein said of the student representatives during the board meeting of May 2.

When the idea of ​​adding student members came up last school year, the community was divided over whether it would be beneficial.

The school board did not vote on the issue at its recent meeting, but members will decide whether the program should be established in a permanent ordinance or decided on a year-by-year basis.

All board members who commented during the meeting were in favor of retaining student representatives.

“This did not happen spontaneously,” said Chief Inspector Thomas Scarice.

About three years ago, Scarice started receiving input from parents, teachers and students, and one of the priorities within social-emotional development was increasing student voice.

It became a key priority in the school district’s strategic plan, and adding student representatives to the board became an initiative, as did creating student councils at various schools, he said.

“I just think the work speaks for itself,” Scarice said of the program’s value.

Although the decision to add student representatives was made at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the representatives did not begin until January.

“I think this is one of the best opportunities I have had at Staples,” said senior representative Anya Nair.

It’s important to be able to comment on policy changes, Nair says, even if she can’t vote.

“Having that opinion also allows administrators to rethink how students feel about it because the policy ultimately goes to the students,” Nair said.

Nair, who is preparing to go to college, said her role as a representative made her realize what she wants to do as a career and helped her decide to major in international relations and public policy.

She said it would be great to have student representatives every year, saying it is a positive way to bring about change.

Junior representative Calum Madigan was not at the meeting but sent comments to Goldstein.

Working on the school board was a great experience, Madigan said, because he got to see how the board makes decisions for the district and then applies what he learns in lessons and meetings.

“I feel like I was able to bring a new student perspective to the board and provide insider knowledge,” he said.

The Staples student council also appreciates the student representatives, Nair said, and the student representatives have sometimes brought messages from the council to the board meetings.

Nair said she has a friend who is a student representative on the Connecticut Board of Education and said the programs are similar. For example, neither board allows students to vote during actions, which they say they agree with.

If the program were to continue, Madigan would become the senior representative and a current sophomore would apply to become a junior representative starting in September.

Board member Jill Dillon said student representatives are contributing to the discussions and said she wants to see the program continue.

Looking ahead, Vice President Dorie Hordon asked if it would be helpful to add mentorship between board members and the students.

Nair said she is in a group chat with Goldstein and Madigan, and also said rotations between board members can be helpful to see different points of view.

“Having that individual mentorship would probably help a lot,” she said.

Board member Robert Harrington said the program should continue, but he said he felt adding student representatives was a predetermined action and that there was no consensus at the time of the vote last year.

He said then-Republican members suggested involving students more often than board meetings, but he could not recall any follow-up.

“I think there was an opportunity missed to work and find the best structure,” Harrington said, saying no one on the board was opposed to adding student representatives.

Goldstein said if the program were to continue, the board would meet with Madigan and Nair about what worked, what didn’t and what could be changed.

There will be another reading of the articles of association before the vote, probably at the May 16 meeting.