The Kentucky Student Voice Team is devastated to learn that the state Senate failed to pass Senate Floor Amendment 1 on HB 178, which would preserve the non-voting student and teacher members of the Kentucky Board of Education.

This decision sets an example for education decision-making bodies across the state — bodies where student presence ought to be not only normalized but expected. Removing the student and teacher members rejects the basic fact that students are the primary stakeholders of our education system. It rejects the fact that students are, and have always been, more than capable of independent, developed thought processes. It rejects the fact that students, from the civil rights movement of the 60’s to the climate strikes of today, have always been at the forefront of policy change and transformation.

This vote is about more than the Kentucky Board of Education and its members. It is about the ability of young people to lead in their communities. It is about the lived experience that only students can bring to the table. Students lost a seat on the state Board of Education, but the Kentucky Board of Education also lost the immeasurable insight of a student member.

Our team organized the #SaveOurSeats campaign immediately upon learning about the changes in the Senate version of HB 178. We put out a statement, built a webpage, created a sign-on form, and launched a comprehensive communications and outreach campaign. In three days, we received support from nearly 300 Kentuckians in 50 counties — teachers, students, and community leaders. We joined in coalition with student and adult organizations across the Commonwealth. This alone is evidence of the high capacity of young people to lead in education and beyond.

Below, students, educators and community members share their perspectives on #SaveOurSeats, highlighting the importance of including stakeholder voices in the policymaking process.

Solyana Mesfin, junior in Jefferson County, first student to serve in an official role on the Kentucky Board

“I know firsthand that when it comes to discussions held by the board, the perspective a student brings to the conversation is critical and incomparable. Students understand the impacts of the decisions school boards make because we live with them in a way that no one else does and we can serve as an important reality check.”

Pragya Upreti, junior in Fayette County

“Students and educators are at the heart of our state’s education system. Disavowing our voices in policymaking is a direct threat to the integrity of our public schools.”

Sofie Farmer, senior in Warren County, member of the Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council

“With hundreds of thousands of Kentucky public school students and educators, it is critical that there is student and teacher representation in education policy. The diversity of student and teacher experiences are best known by students and teachers, and the proper representation of these voices is vital in education decision making, emphasizing the need for further inclusion.”

Emma Nesmith, junior in Boyle County

“Ultimately, students — not legislators, not administrators, not community members — are the preeminent experts in their own education. No other group can present such a vital perspective on the real world impacts of education policy.”

Connor Flick, junior in Boone County

“By placing students at the forefront of decision-making, Kentucky exclusively stands to benefit. Student voice on our boards allows our education policy to be proactive, effective, and responsive to the needs of primary stakeholders, setting us up for a more equitable future.”

Brison Harvey, Kentucky educator and former student state board representative in Maryland

“In education, all policy decisions trickle down to impact teachers and students most directly. I can definitively say that my presence required all members to re-think and re-evaluate their perspectives to be inclusive of that of students. That only creates better solutions and stronger outcomes for all parties involved.”

Gavin Whitaker, junior in Whitley County

“To paraphrase our state motto, it is together that we stand and divided that we fall. If the people have not their inalienable right to representation, how can it be said that they are equal to the governing body? And if not for equality, from where would stem our unity? Truly, without representation there is no unity, and thus we shall fall.”

Zoe Jenkins, senior in Fayette County

“Students are the most important stakeholder in education and teachers are the most important practitioners. If we want to have a Board of Education that is representative of those who make up our schools — and able to foster the policies our schools need most — we need to have students and teachers represented. We both have such a unique insight into the classroom that can not be ignored when crafting policy.”

Allison Slone, Rowan County special education teacher and current teacher representative on the Kentucky Board of Education

“Our state is in a crisis, but how can we improve retention and recruitment of educators when we continuously show their voices and those of students do not matter?”

Xander Jarvis, junior in Rowan County

“I see the struggles of some of my underprivileged peers firsthand, who have to choose between getting home reliably on the bus or eating dinner that night.”

Bailey Bullock, sophomore in Rockcastle County

“Student and teacher voices are imperative to the success of our schools, not only in education, but in student climate, mental health advocacy, and school/administrative support.

Dr. Emmanuel B. Anama-Green, Ed.D., Harlan County

“Not having a teacher or student on the board would leave decision makers with only an external view of the current educational environment.”

Ralph Bright, sophomore in Fayette County

“As a student I learned that there should be no taxation without representation, as such there should be no ruling by the school board without the popular consent of the governed.”

Hannah Rose Neuhauser, Young Authors Greenhouse

“Education must be student-centered — always. In order to have equitable school systems, we must look toward students as the leaders that they are and truly listen. The voices of students and teachers must not only reach key decision makers — they must also BE key decision makers.”

Lily Gardner, senior in Fayette County

“Without a student on the state board of education, I feel deeply scared that my education will not actually support me and instead cater to the goals of adults far outside the classroom. How can you actually craft education policy without the people who it most affects?”

Judith Bradley, JackBeNimble, Inc.

“Students with disabilities make up almost 15% of our student population. Rarely, if ever are they or their educators present for policy making discussions which directly impact them.“

Rayne Sheppard, junior in Bell County

“Democracy differs itself from other forms of government by a singular factor: voice. The people’s voices are infused into our form of government. It is what causes us to move forward and advance.”

Madison Thacker, junior in Whitley County

“Nobody sees the impact legislation has on students and teachers better than they do.”

Shana Sippy

“There is nothing more important than having the most important stakeholders — students and teachers — serve on the Kentucky Board of Education. I have seen what a profound difference it makes when we listen to the perspectives of those who spend everyday in the classroom.”

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