<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4L32Iv_1GzpuHaT00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4L32Iv_1GzpuHaT00" width="273" height="300" ></figure>A rule changes. Students complain. Teachers enforce it. Administrators explain it. Then the school day continues.But somewhere between the students who live under school policies every day, and the adults responsible for creating and enforcing them, one question remains: how much power should students have in decisions that affect them?In a survey conducted by the school last year, around 70 percent of students said they feel their voice is not heard. For students, policies can affect everything from how they complete schoolwork to how they spend their time at school. If those rules directly affect students, their experiences should be part of the conversation.For students like junior Karli Mellor, having a voice means more than being able to follow or question a rule after it has been put in place. She believes students should have a role in conversations about their education and learning environment, especially when decisions directly affect their daily lives.“I think students should have the most input on the way they learn or the rules surrounding how they get their schoolwork done or timelines,” said Mellor.Mellor believes student involvement could create more investment in school because students would have a role in decisions that affect them. She also believes students should be able to communicate directly with administrators and Board of Education members rather than simply accepting decisions after they are made.However, having a voice should not mean having the final say.Assistant Principal Bart Denbow also believes student voice is important, but he said student input is only one part of the decision-making process. Students can provide firsthand insight into how a policy affects their lives, while school officials must also consider the perspectives of parents, teachers, staff and the larger school community.“At the end of the day, school officials want to hear from all stakeholders [students, parents, staff] before making policy [or] rules.” said Denbow.That distinction matters. Students experience school policies firsthand, but administrators, teachers and parents also have responsibilities and perspectives students may not see.Denbow also said policies that are not required by Missouri law should be open to student input. However, some policies fall outside of the school’s authority to change.The cell phone policy is one example. This policy is outside FHC’s control. Missouri Senate Bill 68, signed into law in 2025, requires school districts and charter schools to adopt policies prohibiting students from displaying or using electronic personal devices during the school day, including instruction time, lunch, passing periods, and study halls, with expectations for circumstances such as emergencies and authorized educational use.That means if every student wanted the cellphone policy changes, the school could not simply remove the requirement. And even when a policy can be changed, student opinions should not automatically determine the outcome. A student may oppose a rule because it is inconvenient, while administrators may have information about safety, learning, or school operations that students do not have.Keep in mind that all policies are reviewed by district administrators before going to the Francis Howell Board of Education for approval, with district legal counsel also reviewing handbooks for legal requirements.Social studies teacher Kymberlee Hunter agrees students should have a voice, but argues student opinions should be considered alongside research and adult experience. “Their frontal lobe is not developed yet. So what they feel should be a positive change, not necessarily in the long run, is gonna be the best for them.” Said HunterHunter thinks students may not always have all the information behind a policy or understand why it exists. It’s true, in an age where students can encounter misinformation and incomplete information online, understanding the reasoning and evidence behind a decision matters just as much as expressing an opinion.“[Students can] write letters, that really makes a difference, writing campaigns to the board members, because the board members do read the letters,” Hunter said.Denbow also said students have more opportunities to express their opinions than they may realize, including through student organizations, teachers, and administrators. He suggested bringing back a Principal’s Council, which would give student leaders a direct opportunity to communicate with administrators.Student voice should not be a checkbox at the bottom of a survey or complaint heard only after a rule has already been decided. It should be a part of the process.Students know what it is like to walk into a classroom under a new rule. They know how policies affect their schedules, activities, learning, and everyday lives. Adults bring years of experience, professional knowledge, and responsibility for the entire school community. Neither perspective tells the whole story by itself.The goal should not be to give students control over every decision. It should be to make sure the people most affected by a decision are not left out of the conversation.If students are expected to follow the rules, they should have a meaningful opportunity to understand them, question them, and help shape the ones that can be changed.Student voice does not have to mean the final word. But it should never mean no word at all.</div></body>

Block Source: fhctoday.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

A rule changes. Students complain. Teachers enforce it. Administrators explain it. Then the school day continues. But somewhere between the students who live under school policies every day, and the adults responsible for creating and enforcing them, one question remains: how much power should students have in decisions that affect them?

Students Deserve a Voice

NewsBreak

A rule changes. Students complain. Teachers enforce it. Administrators explain it. Then the school day continues. But somewhere between the students who li

Students Deserve a Voice

Comments