Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Student Government Association Student Advisory Board Statement to Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District School Board

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Students Advisory Board / Student Government Association wishes to address the proceedings of the recent school board meeting held on December 6th, where our dedicated Student Advisory Board Representative, Kolendo, faced a line of questioning that not only demonstrated disrespect towards him but also the entire Student Advisory Board. It's imperative to highlight Kolendo's unwavering dedication, having served with distinction for nearly six years, consistently meeting and exceeding the expectations set forth by our board.

It is necessary to clarify the nature of our board; the Student Advisory Board is not a "club." Instead, it operates as a governing association entrusted with the responsibility of representing a large and diverse student body. Any attempt by the school board to overstep its bounds and demand actions from us is exceeding its authority, potentially undermining the democratic process by overriding the voices and votes of our students. In a democratic system, the will of the people cannot be dictated or controlled by those elected to execute said will.

In addition, we, the Student Advisory Board, would like to underscore the parallel purposes of our board and yours — both are committed to representing the people of our district. Our service to the community is to represent the students of our district, as yours is to represent the members of your individual districts. You do not provide an education, you represent a group and their voice in the educational process as do we. The assertion that our service is insignificant implies the same for your esteemed board. Our Student Advisory Board Representative serves as a valuable tool to the school board, aiming to provide insightful information. This facilitates the formulation of effective policies and ensures appropriate fund allocation, all of which are based on the authentic experiences of students in our schools. It is crucial to note that our board has no intention of altering the well-established purpose, goals, or structure that has been in place since 1979. This structure has effectively served our district for decades before the current school board took office and will continue for decades after.

Recent acts from the school board and district administration have been negatively targeting student representation. The Student Advisory Board believes that the perspective of an informed student is invaluable when making decisions; “Student’s biggest asset in pushing for change is [their] biggest liability. A student advocating for change will likely always be able to get a hearing... Students working to improve schools carry an inherent ‘cute’ factor that, more than anything, needs to be acknowledged as part of the dynamic. [It is] believe[d] that serious student involvement can be a real strength, but if a student or group of students is serious, then the first thing that [they] must do is to demonstrate that seriousness. This requires understanding not only the situation in a given school or district but a mastery of the larger issues... As important as it is for students to understand the larger issues, they must also enlist allies such as parents and teachers who are willing to stand up and be supportive in public. Ideally, students will be an integral part of any effort to push for change, simply because all of the effort and discussion is ultimately aimed at them;” which is a respectable and honest statement made by Dr. Trani, our very own superintendent, in his book Fallacies in Education, showing how important having a student voice is, saying without it, any change attempted by administrators or the school board will ultimately be unsuccessful.

In light of the questions raised by Member McCollum during the December 6th meeting, the Student Advisory Board respectfully requests a cessation of any aggression directed at Kolendo. We advocate for maintaining a professional and respectful discourse, recognizing its importance for fostering constructive dialogue. To add clarification, the Student Advisory Board initiated Kolendo's visits to various district student governments in response to remarks made by the school board during the September 6th school board meeting. Subsequently, formalized reports, termed "assessments," were developed, as per Member McCollum's request at the November 1st meeting. The Student Advisory Board will remain strong in its commitment to assessing student governments within our district, and we uphold our decision to keep these assessments confidential.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Students Advisory Board and Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Student Government Association, including Quinlen Schachle, chair; Ben Kolendo, representative; Rianne Rowe, public information officer; Kristin Shea, executive director