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Summer 2003 Edition
| Student Governance by Matt Greenfield There is a lesson which can be learned from Fair Lawn High School’s process of student-governance. It is a lesson of civics and the need for political participation. It is a lesson of cohesiveness of a population, and the story of effective government. For many high school students, springtime brings with it distractions from schoolwork and a loss of focus, but for a group of dedicated leaders, spring has a different meaning. On the first Tuesday in June, the entire student body is given the opportunity to elect the Student Government and Class Council executive boards for the next year. To those who are elected, the season signifies a transfer of power, a shift of leadership, the passing of a torch, the restructuring of leaders in student governance, and the commencement of work toward a new year. Fair Lawn High School’s students enjoy an extraordinary breadth of power in nearly every decision made for the school. Meeting monthly with members of the Board of Education as well as the Superintendent of Schools and the high school’s administration in Student Dialogue Committee meetings, the Student Government is consulted with regard to the development of new policies and initiatives. The students also have a strong voice in decisions made by the Board of Education, through a Student Representative to the Board of Ed. (a member of the Student Government Executive Board). The student body is even represented on interview committees for the selection of new administrative officials. The extensive opportunity for student governance can be attributed largely the trust which the students invest within these organizations. On June 3, several hundred students converged on voting booths at Fair Lawn High School, choosing their leaders for the upcoming year. Nearly 100 students at FLHS will serve the Student Government in some capacity over the next year: more than 70 will be elected by their homeroom classes to represent their fellow students in a General Assembly, while others will chair committees or hold seats on the Executive Board. Hundreds of students will contribute in some way to the efforts of the Student Government. Even more will voice their concerns about Fair Lawn High, express their grievances, suggest new ideas, and confer about prospective policies affecting students. This is the lesson: if our community were to interact with government as Fair Lawn High School’s community does, government would truly work for every citizen. Too often do people find fault in the political process in Fair Lawn, without taking a proactive role in government. Many complain about local leadership, but fail to vote in elections. Many worry about borough policies, but never address their concerns to the Borough Council. Suppose, for a moment then, that Fair Lawn’s community was to be as involved in the political process as is the student body at Fair Lawn High School. What would happen if more borough residents took an active approach to government? What would happen if every concern about Fair Lawn was expressed? What would happen if voter turnout reached unprecedented highs every year, and if everybody considered voting to be no less than a civic imperative? What would happen if the people of Fair Lawn empowered themselves to speak when they had a concern? What would happen if no grievance went unsaid? ! What would happen? If the people were to access their government more frequently and more potently, government would have an easier time serving the people. The bottom line is that if Fair Lawn could take this lesson from the high school, the results could be extraordinary.
See Matt Greenfield's Previous Columns School Budget (April 2003) (April 2003) Seven Wonders in the Schools (February 2003) Smoking: Story of Reconciliation (December 2002) Support The Referendum (October 2002)
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