Student+Voice+at+NKHS

 ** //ARE WE NK?// ** January 12, 2010 Kelly Stevens, Brianna Dodd, Devin Callahan Day 1 Period 1

  **Strategies employed**    **Outcomes of the project**   **Reflections**
 * Intro to the problem**
 * The current rule-making process at NK reflects a dictatorial government, not a democratic one. Students need to be involved in making decisions that affect us and gain experience to better prepare us to be active, democratic citizens. We need to be able to think for ourselves, not have someone tell us what to do. The administration and students have to be equally involved in decision-making processes when it comes to making rules. It will minimize the confusion and miscommunication that currently plagues NK and it will better prepare students for the future. The administration, teachers, and students of NK are not on the same page. The rule-making process at present is very ineffective. The administration can either make or change a rule at any time. However, they do not communicate these changes to the students in an efficient manner. The administration is often sporadic about enforcing rules and teachers sometimes completely ignore rules set up by the administration. The responsible students at NK deserve more privileges and more voice within the processes that affect them. The mission of NKHS is to help students grow academically, as citizens, and as individuals through opportunity, accountability, and security. This is not being accomplished to its fullest potential.
 * 1) Thinking/brainstorming what to do about the issue
 * 2) Come up with our own ideal solution/democratic system
 * 3) Contacted Mr. Foley & kept up correspondence (but he left...)
 * 4) United with kids in Mr. Verria's class working on the same project
 * 5) Created Facebook group to gain support of student body
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Contacted Larry Ceresi & kept up correspondence
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Scheduled meeting to discuss our ideas
 * 8) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Met at l <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">ibrary, brainstormed, figured out what we were going to do next
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Wait for survey results, brainstorm ideas that would work best for entire school population
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Help Mike Spahr with his senior project after semester ends
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Try to establish student government policy through School Committee, so such a policy cannot be tampered with in the future
 * Discussion**
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">It turned out to be a good thing that Mr. Foley couldn't be involved, since that forced us to contact Ceresi who turned out to be in support of our ideas. He has more influence on school matters anyways, so it was the best thing to do.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Face-to-face meeting with Ceresi was a success - far more effective than just emailing. We made action out of theory.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">If we had to do something differently, we would have taken a chance and contacted the higher authority first since it was ultimately our best move anyways.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">ACHIEVEMENTS: Getting the Chairman of the School Committee to support our cause, making student body aware that something will change with our help, making project a joint effort with students in other classes, laid the groundwork for other students to continue - with ultimate goal being a School Committee policy
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">LIMITATIONS: Political drama surrounding Mr. Foley kept us from getting his help and making any progress with anyone (even Ceresi), administration is really set in their ways & it is difficult to obtain information about the current process and get answers from them - always, always busy
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">WHAT'S NEXT: Keep helping Mike Spahr, collecting surveys to learn opinions of students and faculty, taking that information to draft a new policy, present it to School Committee, put it into action.

Brianna Dodd <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Kelly Stevens
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This project has really opened my eyes to the world around me. My only knowledge about democracy prior to this class was limited to the governmental aspect of it. I've always watched the news and been alert to current events, but I've just been assuming that I had no voice until I gpt voting privileges at the age of 18. This class, my project, and the projects of others have lead me to understand all of the ways in which I can participate in my community as an active, democratic citizen. I wouldn't describe myself as a self-centered person, but I was a passive person in the world around me. I was only involved in my own little circle of family, friends, and school. Working on this project has made me realize that there are so many other things I can do, and people I can interact with. I can learn from the experiences of others, and the ones I've gain in class, and use them to make myself a better person. Working with others on a project like this is always beneficial. Had I done this on my own, it would have come out a lot worse. I've learned that other people have really good ideas, and by talking, listening, and learning from them, my own project/ experience will be better.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This project has given me a new perspective on democracy. I've always thought that democracy just had to do with the structure of a particular style of government, but its foundation goes much deeper than that. The most important parts are the people involved, their ideas, and how they share them. It was our class discussions that made me realize this. Hearing different views got me to think harder about my own, and I believe that's what makes a democracy more effective than any other form of government. Everyone is entitled to their own voice, so no group is ever going to completely agree with one another. Once I came to listen to and respect those opposing views I learned the most in this class. But even so, it's always a good plan to collaborate with other people who have similar interests and goals. By working with a handful of classmates who were as passionate about student voice as I was, all of our different views on the same issue made our project more successful
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">On a personal level, this project made it clear to me that I should stop holding back so much. I've never been one to take risks on a whim, but maybe if I hadn't been so hesitant to contact someone of higher power earlier (Mr. Ceresi), we could have made some serious progress on a new school government by the end of the semester. But even so, I don't regret acting the way we did. We still made serious headway by talking to Mr. Ceresi and Mr. DiPrete and laying the groundwork for action.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Appendix: Ways of Acting**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> **//*Public Education://** Below is a poster that is meant to get students thinking about our project.



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">***//Public Education://** Below is a photo of our Facebook group that got the word out about our project. In the first two hours after it was created, we had roughly 60 members, and now there are 232 members. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">


 * //*Direct Action://** If we were to hold a demonstration like the one explained below, this is a sign that we'd carry around with us to get our message across to the press and bystanding students, faculty & administrators.




 * //*////Direct Action://** //Demonstration Plan//
 * WHEN:** all 4 lunches
 * WHERE:** around first floor hallways
 * WHAT:** marching, chanting w/ picket signs (see above)
 * PRESS RELEASE:**

STUDENTS DEMAND DEMOCRACY AT NKHS //Marching, picketing and chanting during school's lunchtime gets administrators' attention.//

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI - With ex-principal of North Kingstown High School, Gerald Foley, gone, students protested together for their democratic rights on Friday during lunch. Led by a few students of the senior class, one identifies the recent student efforts and activism in support of Foley as the inspiration for the demonstration.

"We feel that now is the opportune time for us to take action. If we make changes to the decision-making process now, everything will run more smoothly in the future for our new principal," says John Smith, president of the senior class.

The students need to improve communication between themselves, faculty, and administrators, and carry that into an improved school government involving equality of all parties.

Even marching past the main office and hub of the school, dubbed "the spine," the students proved that they are serious about making a change. A few have already made contact with Larry Ceresi, Chairman of the North Kingstown School Committee. It is doubtful that the students will be satisfied until change is made.



//*** Citizen Lobbying /** Writing a bill & finding a sponsor// : <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In our meeting with Larry Ceresi at the North Kingstown Free Library, we brought with us a rough plan of what we would like to see happen with a new school government. He was in full support of our ideas.

//**PLAN**// --> New system of government w/ reps from each group in school (students, faculty, administrators) holds monthly meetings

//Group consists of:// - Principal - 1 Assistant Principal - 3 teachers - 3 freshmen - 3 sophomores - 3 juniors - 3 seniors

TOTAL: 17 (odd number so there are no ties in a vote)

//Process// <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> //*Persuading Legislators// //:// <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Our email correspondence with Larry Ceresi requested a meeting and he was very willing to help us out.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">If there's a problem, it gets proposed to lead teacher/faculty member & they decide if it's legitimate and needs consideration
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">If it's approved for consideration, Board discusses & votes on it at their monthly meeting
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Can propose a student vote in advisory to get entire school's input if more time/discussion is needed to decide outcome of issue (these votes happen over the course of the month and are used at next Board meeting)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">New rule is announced via Morning Announcement & school email system
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">New rule enforced

//*** The Media**// / //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> Letter to the Editor of the Current Wave://

Dear Editor,

It is true that in recent months, "saving" Mr. Foley has been a major concern of the NKHS population, and rightfully so. But in the wake of the recent political turmoil, many students have lost the once firey passion for gaining our "voice." We have all been too distracted to remember the power of our political influence.

Just last spring, sporadic new policies over backpacks, purses, coffee, and tardiness left students defiant and teachers baffled. It seemed as if we were being ruled by an oligarchy rather than participating in a democracy. But if we are to go out into the "real world" after graduation, then why don't we start practicing democratic processes now, in a fostered environment? We have rights to vote, to speak, and to be heard. Students that attend this high school can vote on national issues, but when it comes to things as minuscule as whether or not coffee is allowed, we don't get one word.

If we added an element of student voice to this school, we would put ourselves in a position of success and unity. And if students are really involved in establishing new rules, maybe we would be more willing to abide by them. We have the academic credentials, the powerful sports programs, and a talented arts department. But we do not have a reasonable system of government. Are **we** NK, or is the school administration NK?

We need to take action. It is understandable that certain faculty and administrators may be wary of allowing students to influence rule-making. But all changes have to start somewhere, and if NKHS wants to generate truly productive citizens, then the time to start is now.

Sincerely,

Devin Callahan Kelly Stevens Brianna Dodd <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> //* News Releases / News Conferences//
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">See press release above.