Students Get Valuable Face Time with EMCSD Leaders & Staff
A rainy day proved no barrier for El Monte City School District’s Superintendent Student Advisory group from voicing their concerns and appraisals about the student experience at EMCSD schools. This is the second year that district leaders and staff sat down with these students one-on-one to discuss all aspects of student life.
The Superintendent Student Advisory Group is made up of two students of the highest grade level at each EMCSD school who act as representatives of the student body to communicate various topics with Superintendent Dr. Maribel Garcia. 28 students from throughout EMCSD campuses meet four to five times a year with Dr. Garcia, discussing everything from meal services and extracurricular opportunities to EMCSD’s new strategic plan and funding. These students bring vital insight into daily operations while also learning about the inner workings of the district and its campuses. This is EMCSD’s fourth Student Advisory group, and each year, more and more students are eager to be selected as school representatives.
First-year advisory member Aria H. urged the significance of this meeting, “It’s better for students to [speak directly] with the people in charge instead of having someone else paraphrase.” These meetings are beneficial in bridging the gap between student and leadership communication. Dr. Rudy Torres, Director of Instruction and Assessment, found this collaboration insightful and stated, “It’s important to remember that our students are essentially our customers and hearing from their perspective in areas of improvement, areas that we’ve overlooked,and things that they enjoy, helps fill in all those pieces in developing a quality instructional program.”
This meeting also served as a reinforcement for ideas that leadership had on school-wide activities: “I had this inkling of students wanting to play more volleyball, but did not [yet] have the data to support it, but students were very vocal about that today,” shared Coordinator of Engagement and Enrichment, Jacob Muniz. Like his colleagues, he shared the importance of providing an audience to students who participate in daily programming. For over an hour, students and EMCSD staff held in-depth conversations about how to enhance programming, build even stronger bonds between school communities, and the age-old negotiation of how to completely eradicate homework from the school experience.
Many students were also intrigued by the diverse roles in the school district, with leadership possessing varying backgrounds such as Finance, Nutrition, Custodial, Communications, and Social Work. Contrary to the belief that a career in a school district is solely for teachers, many branches come together to support students’ education and well-being. Student Advisory member, Ethan C., found the activity really insightful regarding career aspirations, “It was cool to see the different jobs available at schools. I can learn finance and still work in education.”
In an ever-changing world, EMCSD leadership is continuously striving to develop new strategies that will be conducive to students’ education. Working together, they can ensure the outcome will be fulfilling and set students up for a successful future.
