Inspire is a school that prides itself on taking student input seriously. The Student Equity Council (SEC) is a project made as a place for students to use their voice to give input to school policy and actions. For each meeting, two students from every advisory are chosen to participate in the SEC meeting, along with a coach that directs conversation, and a recorder that takes notes of what is discussed.
The aim of the Student Equity Council is to gather student concerns, inform and change school policy, and have every student get a chance to participate as a council member. After the student input has been brought to staff and board meetings, updates and information about what decisions were made go back to the students in the form of a debrief.
During the last meeting in December, students brought up concerns about the school lunch situation and nutrition program at Chico High, the stigma around Inspire, and many questions about the status of our new campus. Students discussed the long lunch lines that take more than half of lunch to get through, and the misrepresentation of Inspire among students who attend other schools. As mentioned in the debrief, the solutions that Inspire is implementing are discussing with other charter schools about alternative nutrition options, and starting student-led outreach and recruitment programs. As for the new campus, an update will be issued by Mrs. Brown answering questions.
The question that this meeting started off upon was “what does a crisis mean to you?” Many students offered up their definitions and input.
“A desperate situation you want to escape” -Silas DeGeorge (11)
“A situation that can’t be ignored anymore” -Cora Gordon (11)
“A situation or stories of events that inhibits someone’s ability to live” -Anonymous
The SEC council members were then asked what harms and what helps students during a school based crisis. A variety of suggestions and concerns were brought forth.
Students said that schools can offer designated spaces for support, and community with others who are facing similar, if not the same issues. Teachers themselves can offer “blue” or easy days to a student particularly struggling, as well as flexibility on academic assignments. Schools can also offer preparation to students to help them learn what to do in crisis situations. “School doesn’t really do anything, I haven’t done an earthquake drill since elementary,” says Chris Escalante (12). “I don’t know what to do during an earthquake.”
But what should we avoid during a crisis? We can avoid bias, and listen to student voices, especially those who do not get heard often enough. “School [Inspire] has a problem with not listening to all students, discarded neurodivergent and disabled students.” says a sophomore. “Some feel unheard and that they [Inspire Admins] are treating it as less of an issue.” We also need to make sure that student problems are taken seriously, and make sure that students aren’t left to deal with these kinds of things all on their own. Chris Escalante (12) says that “The support system needs both students and teachers involved. It should be an expectation for students to reach out during a crisis.”
With all of this information, the Inspire staff and administrators will discuss possible solutions and inform the student body of their decisions come the next SEC meeting.
If you have any questions or concerns, please leave us a comment or contact Mrs. North or Mrs. Brown for more information.