Feedback 11/14

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Give students a voice

We are MAD, Making a Difference, a youth group of Rochester School District high school students. We are not lab rats. We'd like the school district to stop trying new ideas on us. We understand that there are needs for improvement but wish they were not thrown at us all at once.

This year, when some schools were closed or reorganized, many of us were forced to change schools, take a different bus, learn new scheduling, and meet new faculty. Some of us were taken out of our comfort zone. After years of becoming familiar with the students and staff of our high schools, we had to start over and build new relationships.

For future reference, we feel we should have a say before decisions to close or change our schools are finalized. Since these decisions affect us, we wish the district could take the time to ask how we feel. Here are some questions district officials should consider:

What do students need?
What are students interested in?
How do students feel about our school's neighborhood?
How do students like the food?
Do students feel safe?
Do students have a voice when it comes to education?

We hope the district tries to understand our perspective before making any future changes.
REBECCA PEREZ, SHEARLY MADERA, BIANCA MARTINEZ, JUANITA VALAZQUEZ, ROCHESTER