MPS plans to enhance student voice in decision-making, ensure students have seat on board

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2 days ago

Milwaukee Public Schools is looking to reaffirm a half-century-old policy that would allow students to have a consistent seat on the School Board.
The policy reaffirmation is taking place to see what students want revised within the current legislation, said School Board President Missy Zombor. The board hopes to cut down barriers to participation and appoint a student representative to sit on the board.
Zombor said students may currently struggle to participate due to the number of board meetings, which can be difficult to attend on top of schoolwork and personal responsibilities. Additionally, she said, some meetings may not feel relevant to students.
Zombor is seeking student feedback on which meetings they think make the most sense for representatives to attend.
"This is about opening up that conversation," Zombor said. "How do they envision what would give them the most impact, and give them the most access to the board in a way that helps them share what's most important to them?"
MPS adopted Administrative Policy 8.18: Student Involvement in Decision Making in December 1971 and most recently revised the policy in July 2012.
The policy states that as societal changes take place, schools make decisions that "vitally affect" students, who "wish to be involved in these decisions and express their feelings about them."
The MPS Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, comprising student representatives from each high school in the district, seeks to create dialogue between students and the superintendent. Administrative Policy 8:18 states that the SSAC should develop a process for two students to be selected annually to sit with the board during deliberation.
These two students are free to attend all non-executive board sessions, receive all nonconfidential materials and speak to the board, under the administrative policy. However, students on the board are not allowed to vote or make motions.
Zombor explained that MPS is bound by state statutes that require voting members to be selected by the electorate. Despite this, she said the board will still try to give students to as much access as possible.
"Having a student on the board helps remind us that every decision we make impacts students," Zombor said. "I'm really looking forward to reaffirming that policy."
David Valdés, student engagement associate for SSAC, said it's important to him to see students expressing themselves freely to adults who are willing to listen. He cited school safety and mental health as two concerns that students frequently bring up in SSAC meetings.
"We need to build a bridge so that our kids are able to speak openly about what's going on in their school without shame," Valdés said. "They should be able to have adults in their life in the district who are willing to listen to them."
Having a student seat on a school board isn't unique to MPS, Zombor said. Some nearby school districts already have this in their administrative policy.
Kaymin Phillips, a senior at Shorewood High School, has served as one of the Shorewood School Board student representatives for a year. The student body elected her in June 2024, and she began attending biweekly board meetings in September.
Phillips said she applied for the position her junior year because she's always been interested in politics and felt it was a chance to be involved in a "mini government."
"As a minority, I know a lot of people don't feel heard, and I know that having those voices in that type of seat is very important," Phillips said. "Being able to advocate for my fellow students and everything feels good, to know that we're helping make a difference."
Phillips said it makes her hopeful to hear that MPS is working to implement student voices on its board. She said students should use the opportunity to speak up for their teachers with everything MPS is going through.
On May 13, the Shorewood School Board voted unanimously to eliminate one staff position and reduce three other positions to part time. Phillips said she and other students pitched ideas to the board opposing the cuts and supporting their teachers.
"My voice really helped during that decision," Phillips said. "I feel like they were just thinking of money, but not thinking of the students who it was affecting, cutting classes that we enjoy and cutting teachers."
The policy reaffirmation will be requested at the Committee on Legislation, Rules and Policies meeting June 12. Zombor said the School Board has asked Valdés for any student-recommended policy changes and has invited students to reach out to board members directly with their thoughts.
"This is a really great way for students to get involved in the district and get involved in change, and learn how one person can make change through policy," Zombor said.
The immediate implementation of a student seat on the school board will depend on whether SSAC students can elect a representative by the beginning of the school year, Zombor said. She added that while the student representatives would ideally start by the September board cycle, she wants them to participate in some sort of orientation before jumping into meetings.
In the future, Zombor said the policy can always be revised to reflect what works best for students.
"I feel like a lot of schools might think it's cool to add a representative position just for the outside look and showing that 'We value our students,'" Phillips said. "But I think it's really important for the actual school members to be listening to what they say, instead of just having them there to listen."
Contact Mia Thurow at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MPS School Board president wants to add student seat