The Jordan District School Board meets once a month to discuss and create legislation that directs the schools in the district. Often this legislation makes students frustrated, but there is a lack of students offering representation in school board meetings. Students should be more integrated into the type of government that affects them. 

The Jordan District School Board recently passed a legislation that effectively banned phones in classrooms. The policy that was passed on banning phones made it so there was a stricter restriction on phones, not even allowing students to use them during down time. This had frustrated many students, parents, and even some teachers. 

School board meetings happen at least once a month, but there is a lack of representation of teachers and students at these meetings. Not many people attend, and most that do are parents. Teachers and students should be able to speak their minds on these types of topics and issues so that something productive can be decided on. At the meeting that decided the phone policy, the only people who spoke to the board members were parents. The board answers to the public and is supposed to listen to the parents whose children are affected, but they sometimes disregard the concerns of the public. 

Having only parents talk won’t always be effective. Oftentimes, many comments and concerns of parents are brushed aside at meetings, and this might stem from the lack of people that attend meetings. Parents shouldn’t be the only ones working to improve conditions at school. Teens should be part of the debate and decision making also. The policies coming out of the school board most affect the students. Parents are able to see the effects on their students, but they aren’t affected the way the kids are. 

In order to have more control over these policies that so heavily affects teens, students need to start going to meetings and articulating their concerns. There is no way to change policies without talking directly about them instead of sitting around and complaining about them. If students show up, the school board will be able to see how much students care about their education and their school. This could be used to show the school board the effects of their policies. 

Students should be getting involved in a type of government that heavily affects them. Many teens in high school are very close to being able to vote, attending and speaking at school board meetings is a great way to understand the processes of government.