by Sam Seliger
Guilford Gazette Intern
For over 30 years, Howard County Public School System students have had their voice represented on the Board of Education by the Student Member of the Board, or SMOB. This student, who is granted full member status (unlike in other counties in the state), can participate in every vote except for those pertaining to budget, personnel, and a few other restricted issues. The SMOB is elected to a one year term by all HCPSS students in grades 6-11 every April.
Each year, representatives from each school attend a convention in order to whittle down the competition to two candidates who go on to the general election. This year, out of a crowded field of 11 candidates, juniors Hannah Witkin and Allison Alston were selected to advance to the general election.
Student Members are discouraged from taking stances on policy issues, so both candidates’ platforms are very similar. However, the SMOB also plays an important role in determining what policies go up for review the year after they finish their term.
Alston, who attends Reservoir High School, is focusing on improving the mental health of students. In a forum hosted by the Howard County Association of Student Councils (HCASC) held on March 13, she said that one of her first priorities, if elected, would be to hold an awareness event for student mental health, bringing more attention to the issue and allowing students to talk to one another about coping strategies.
Alston said that mental health struggles are “something that everybody goes through and undoubtedly matters to every single person.” She also recently spoke about student stress and mental health at an event held by community organization PATH (People Acting Together in Howard), attended by Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano and Board of Education chair Mavis Ellis.
Witkin, a student at Long Reach High School, plans to focus on reaching a wide range of students and inspiring others to advocate for themselves. She emphasized the need to actively reach out to students, because only a few individuals will take the initiative to voice their opinions at open forums. At the HCASC forum Witkin emphasized that she wanted to lead by example and help students access the resources they need to become leaders.
Including and working with marginalized and underrepresented students is a large facet of both candidates platforms. Witkin emphasized her eagerness to reach out to students who do not normally speak up on issues, such as those involved in a few school-sponsored extracurricular activities. She discussed visiting schools and using CANVAS (the county-wide gradebook website and app) to reach those students whose voices are often not noticed.
Alston touted her experience as a student representative on the HCPSS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group, working with administrators, teachers, and community members to help make the school system fairer for all students. Alston also said that she would try to reach out to underrepresented students by visiting special education programs such as the Cedar Lane School, and clubs such as Best Buddies.
Both candidates talked about the importance of communication for the SMOB to be successful. Via an instagram direct message, Alston stated that “Teamwork is vital if I am to represent your beliefs and ideas towards policy.” At the HCASC forum she suggested that she could make use of point people at middle and high schools to maximize and coordinate communication with the over 50,000 students in HCPSS.
Witkin said that she wants to “take an active role in connecting student networks so everyone has access to the resources they need to make change at school and community levels.” She emphasized her intention to use CANVAS and social media to communicate with students.
In her closing remarks at the HCASC forum Witkin talked about the disconnect that has often noticed between SMOBs and the student body, specifically middle school students. She discussed her eagerness to address the issues that the student body prioritizes. Alston, who earlier in the forum cited spoken-word poetry as having helped her build self-confidence, delivered a unique spoken word poem about her desire to advocate for students’ interests.
The general election will be on April 24. Until then, Witkin and Alston will continue to visit schools and meet with students.
This article was corrected to show that Allison Alston is a student at Reservoir High School.