Lexington (MA) High School Senate

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-FACULTY SENATE

2001-2002

Moderator Ilana Kessler, Assistant Moderator Michael Fiveash, Secretary Sara Enders

<http://lhs.lexingtonma.org/senate>

Agenda

For the February 7, 2002 meeting:

1. Announcements

2. Committee Reports

3. Level Override Bill

4. MCAS Resolution

5. Ten Minute Rule Bill

6. Final Exam Bill

Minutes

From the January 31, 2002 meeting:

Quorum reached at 7:50 AM.

[Minutes Approved]

[Agenda Approved]

Announcements

S. Enders: I contacted the Senators who have been absent from more than twenty percent of our meetings. Should these Senators wish to retain their seats in the Senate, they have one week in which to request a hearing in front of the Elections Committee. Otherwise, their places will be filled with the runners up from their class in last year's Senate election.

Shield: What about faculty who have missed more than twenty percent of the meetings?

S. Enders: There are three faculty members who have been absent from more than twenty percent of our meetings, but the faculty is currently underrepresented on Senate, and there would be no one to fill the seats of these Senators. We have decided it is best for the Senate to let them stay, rather than to further deplete their numbers.

K. Girondel: I recommend that the Senate vigorously recruit faculty members.

Committee Reports

Collins: Climate met in room 246 and had our usual 33% attendance rate. We talked about CRUD and theft from school lockers.

S. Girondel: Social Action put out posters regarding condoms, which were not taken down. The condoms we supplied are now gone, so we will replace them, soon. We also talked about what community service the high school should give credit for.

Burson: Oversight started its annual bill review. Also, please continue to fill in the Student Activities Board with clubs that have not yet been listed.

David: The Testing Day Survey Ad-Hoc Committee plans to distribute our survey in the next available homeroom. Please make sure your homeroom teacher distributes the survey prior to handing out report cards. There are only six questions to the survey, to be completed on a scantron sheet, so it shouldn't be a problem for anyone.

GSA Senate Representation

Kessler: The LHS Gay Straight Alliance is interested in occupying one of the five extra seats on Senate which are open to groups who feel underrepresented in our body. Two representatives from the GSA have come to today's meeting to petition for one of the seats: Alyssa Rosenberg and Anna Vogelzang.

Nagiel: Are there currently any groups represented in Senate?

Kessler: No. Currently seats are only occupied by faculty and class representatives.

Fried: Do outside groups have to nominate themselves for seats?

Kessler: Yes.

S. Girondel: I move to allow the GSA to petition for a seat on Senate. [Seconded.]

Rosenberg: First, we think that occupying a seat on the Senate would enhance the visibility of the GSA at the school, and raise awareness of our group as a forum for activism, and as a voice for students who feel they have no voice. Also, hearing the perspectives of the GSA would benefit the Senate, allowing it to be a more representative body.

Vogelzang: There is stuff that goes on at school that is brought up in GSA meetings, but that the rest of the school doesn't ever hear about. Having a voice on the Senate would allow us to share this information with a greater audience.

Rosenberg: Sometimes students don't feel safe reporting harassment to the administration, as they fear the result would only be an escalation of the problem. A Senator could speak to the Climate Committee, for example, on behalf of the GSA. This could result in positive action, and would give the Climate Committee another window through which to monitor the climate of LHS.

Hemond: Are there any current Senators members of the GSA?

Rosenberg: We have a policy of anonymity to prevent targeting of GSA members for harassment.

Burson: It is my perception that the open seats are reserved for groups who feel underrepresented on Senate. This body does not lack GSA-sympathetic Senators - is there really a lack of representation?

Rosenberg: Only a representative from the GSA can really speak from our experiences on behalf of our sector of the community. Also, a specific seat on Senate makes our cause visible.

Vogelzang: Burson is right that we are not without friends on the Senate, but an elected representative would have the advantage of being able to report both to the Senate and to the GSA, allowing for real representation and communication between the two groups.

Conklin: Have any other groups ever held seats on Senate?

Kafrissen: At various points, METCO, LABB, and "New Students" - a group for students new to the high school-have held Senate seats.

S. Girondel: Are additional representatives full-fledged Senators?

Kessler: Yes.

S. Enders: I am very much in favor of the GSA having a voice in the school. However, I have also been thinking along the lines that Burson expressed. The Senate welcomes anyone who would like to have his or her voice heard - the Senate is not a forum reserved only for Senators - but does the GSA need a vote of its own?

Fried: I am for GSA getting a seat. It may be that only someone willing to designate themselves a GSA representative will feel comfortable speaking on behalf of the GSA.

K. Girondel: I am strongly in favor of the FSA getting one of the open seats. We have long said that Senate needs to be more representative of the student body. A group such as the GSA which feels underrepresented should get a voice on Senate.

Kessler: The Senate Constitution was written sufficiently long enough ago, that concerns about visibility of groups like the GSA may not have surfaced. Perhaps visibility is now as viable a reason as is representation to ask for a Senate seat.

Rosenberg: In response to Senators Enders and Burson, I don't think that every student who may wish to say something can come to Senate, and in our case it is not always safe for them to do so. An Elected Senator can speak for those who can't speak for themselves. The phenomenon of the "closet" can be tough for anyone who has not experienced it to understand, but many would not feel safe, speaking so publicly.

S. Girondel: In response to Senator Enders' concern about the whether the GSA really needs the vote, I think that as the seats are not being claimed by anyone else, the GSA is welcome to one.

Vogelzang: I think the fact that Senate is one more place to take concerns of GSA members is important. It is frustrating to voice concerns in our meetings and then feel that there is no way to take further action. I know many who would not be comfortable speaking in Senate, but I think their stories should be spoken for.

Collins: Does the GSA have any specific proposals or ideas for the Senate?

Rosenberg: Yes. For starters, we feel we could be very useful to various committees-on Climate, in particular. A GSA representative could not only better inform the committee of the "state of the school," but could also help coordinate to promote positive climate, as we have experience with this. With our experience working with various community service activities, we could also be a very positive addition to Social Action. Together we could set up a fantastic activism center.

Vogelzang: Yes, we are really excited about contributing to those committees.

Fried: Move to call to question. [Question is called.] [Motion to grant the GSA a Senate seat passes, 32:0.]

Kessler: Congratulations. You now have a seat on Senate and we look forward to seeing your elected representative at next week's meeting.

Level Override Bill

K. Girondel: I have three points. First, parents are not left out of decision making by this bill, as the wording is that teachers may disregard requests made; they don't have to. If a student is capable of doing a higher level of work, a teacher should know that, as the student has had a year to prove it. One reason for Lessin's observation about the differences between honors and level one class is that currently, too many students are put in honors classes. If students were put where they should be, level one classes would be more rigorous. Finally, I support this bill as it is written, and I hope to see it go through.

Choi: Many students at this school believe that colleges don't want to see level one classes on applicants' transcripts. I spoke with several freshman who believe that colleges would rather see a student get a C in an honors level class than an A in a level one class. The perspective of the student body needs to be changed if we are going to encourage students to accept where they are placed.

Kafrissen: I am glad that this bill is drawing attention to the course selection process. Teachers are left on the receiving end of overrides, often not aware who of their students has overridden into their classes - especially as many overrides are made during the summer. I would support anything to give teachers more control over the process and that would increase communication between teachers and students.

Catsouphes: In last week's discussion many Senators spoke against the "one and only one" policy, but I would argue that that clause really holds the main purpose of this bill.

Burson: Regarding the "one and only one" clause: Who would enforce it? It sounds like it would require a lot of communication between guidance counselors and department heads.

Walsh: It would probably mean more work on the part of the Guidance Office.

Kieft: The way it is written, students would return sheets to the guidance office, which would enforce the policy.

Jehle: The results of the Stress Survey said that teachers are a primary cause of student stress. Level one students think that courses are not rigorous enough, and honors students are having trouble keeping their heads above water. We need to end this. Many high schools are moving towards eliminating levels altogether.

S. Girondel: I think we are repeating ourselves. The teachers seem to be pretty much in agreement that they would like to see this bill passed, and as the policy primarily affects them, I encourage us to listen to them, and to call to question on this bill, soon.

Fried: If this bill is asking the Guidance Office to do more work, we really need to talk to them before passing this bill because they are busy. I would like to hear what they have to say and therefore think this bill needs to be given another week.

Shield: I move to change the words "one and only one" to "a." [Seconded.] People last week said that students should get the message if they have three or four teachers that don't want them to move up, but this bill also prohibits a student in the more likely scenario from moving up in two classes. Classes are not the same from year to year. It is quite reasonable that a student who didn't excel in geometry and biology could want to take high-level pre-calculus and chemistry.

K. Girondel: I think there is no point to this amendment. We should vote against it, and rapidly.

Kieft: There seems to be some misinterpretation. The bill allows a student to move up in one class. That is different from an override, which may be overruled. <Meeting is adjourned.>

List of Senators Absent from the January 24, 2002 Meeting

M. Dhanani, K. Ly, K. Zioto, S. Basu, C. Enders, M. Finnegan, A. Stratman, A. Gong