Students taste life as school board members

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Student advisory committee members, from left, Leah Cunningham, Whitney Pelham, Kasi McGregor and Bradley Locke were among 400 state students who attended TSBA’s Student Congress on Policies in Education last month.

Like those of their adult counterparts, the opinions of Tennessee students are divided. One thing they do agree on, however, is they like having vending machines in schools.

Such was the verdict of 400 state students, including four from Warren County, who participated in the 2004 Student Congress on Policies in Education.

Sponsored every year by the Tennessee School Boards Association, SCOPE, as it is called, is held to garner student input on education issues facing state school boards and legislators. Local students participating were Leah Cunningham, Bradley Locke, Kasi McGregor and Whitney Pelham, all members of the school board’s Student Advisory Committee.

Pelham told local school board members she enjoyed SCOPE and that it gave her a new perspective.

“It made us look beyond our own opinions to see how policies will affect everyone,” she said.

After listening to an address by Tennessee Titans special teams coach Alan Lowry, the students conducted mock school board meetings. Here the students assumed the roles of schools directors, board members, parents and concerned citizens. While “in session” the students discussed whether to move a fictitious school system to an alternate calendar.

The mock meeting, TSBA officials said, gave the students the opportunity to understand how school board decisions are made and to consider factors that influence policy decisions.

Participating students also chose 16 members to debate four current educational issues including whether vending machines should be allowed in schools, whether students should recite the pledge of allegiance daily, whether all students should follow a college prep course, and whether exercise and nutrition classes should be taught every year to all students.

Hot-topic School Issues
High school students from across Tennessee recently gathered for the 2004 Student Congress on Policies in Education sponsored by the Tennessee School Boards Association. Here are some of their policy opinions:

• All vending machines shall be removed from schools.
7 percent support
93 percent oppose

• Students shall be required to recite the pledge of allegiance at school daily.
66 percent support
34 percent oppose

• All students shall be required to take the college preparatory curriculum.
20 percent support
80 percent oppose

• Exercise and nutrition classes shall be required each year for grades K-12.
52 percent support
48 percent oppose

• Students shall be allowed to leave school for lunch.
72 percent support
28 percent oppose

• Home school students should be allowed to participate in school-sponsored athletics.
40 percent support
60 percent oppose