Article and Photo Courtesy of Kendra Milligan of the Grant County Community Health Council.
At last Tuesday's nights community conversation youth panelists shared their experiences and concerns on school policies with the community. Panelists included (from right to left): Snell Middle School Student Senators Isaiah Garcia, 14; Ciso Torres, 13; Frankie Gomez, 14; Nikko Madina, 13; Gabriel Ortiz, 13; and Silver High School student Caitlin Zollinger, 17.
Silver City, New Mexico, February 19, 2015: Last Tuesday in Bayard, a panel of local youth discussed school policies at a community conversation held at the Cobre High School Performing Arts Center. This was the third in a series of town halls and community conversations hosted by the Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (YSAPC) intends to gain insight for future recommendations regarding substance abuse policies at public schools.
YSAPC Coordinator, Razanna Robinson-Thomas praised the panelists for their willingness to share their perspectives. "The youth panel was phenomenal! At first, I think, they told us what they thought we wanted to hear, but once they felt comfortable with the audience they opened up and gave us great insight into how school policy affects their lives."
The youth panel called for fairness in enforcement of school polices and suggested hallway monitors during class to increase safety from bullying and curtail drug use.
The youth panel was composed of Snell Middle School Student Senators Isaiah Garcia, 14; Ciso Torres, 13; Frankie Gomez, 14; Nikko Madina, 13; Gabriel Ortiz, 13; and Silver High School student Caitlin Zollinger, 17.
The panelists felt that many rules regarding dress code and bullying were arbitrarily enforced. Gomez noted in his experiences punishment for many lesser infractions of school policies was dependent on if the offender had a "bad reputation," which was the difference between a warning from the teacher or a trip to the office to be disciplined by the principal.
Torres stated, "I would like to see fair enforcement." All the panelists voiced their agreement.
The panelists were concerned about the relevancy of policies which were instated mid-year due to the actions of a few students, not the many. Gomez said, "Last year it was no whistling, this year it was no gum chewing." The panel did note that the loud whistling was disruptive in the halls.
Madina said, "We hear every day about gum chewing or whistling, but not about the drug policies."
The youth panel also reviewed the results of the most recent Grant County Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, a student self-reported survey that gauges the healthy, and not-so-healthy, behaviors of Middle and High School students across the State.
Robinson-Thomas added, "We are grateful to the panelists for their willingness to participate in the discussion. It takes great courage to face an audience and answer these types of questions."
The input from the panel, as well as from past community discussions, will serve as the foundations of recommendations to be made by the YSAPC to the County's public school boards. Robinson-Thomas said, "The school boards have been very receptive, and we want to thank Cobre School District for supporting our efforts by making the beautiful Cobre High School Performing Arts Center available for this community conversation."
The YSAPC is composed of 25 service providers and invested community members dedicated to creating an environment that cultivates healthy productive lifestyles through policy and advocacy change that promotes resilient and empowered youth.
For more information on the YSAPC call (575) 388-1198 or visit their website at www.facebook.com/YSAPC .
The Silver Consolidated Schools' Parent/Student Handbook can be downloaded at http://www.silverschools.org/contact_school/parent__student_handbook_-_2014-15_school_year
and the Cobre Consolidated Schools' at http://www.cobre.k12.nm.us/board_of_education/board_policies
The YSAPC is a program of the Grant County Community Health Council, the Health and Wellness Planning Authority of the Grant County Board of Commissioners, and is supported by Gila Regional Medical Center.