Students from Washoe County had the chance to share what is and isn’t working in their schools at a special event hosted by the school district. Reno Public Radio’s Noah Glick was there.
Teachers, students and administrators from across the county met at the Nugget in Sparks to discuss the issues most affecting students.
The event included performances, personal stories and nearly a dozen breakout sessions on topics like cultural competence and stereotyping.
Throughout the day, many students said that what’s important to them, is better communication with their teachers.
“Speak to all your students, don’t leave nobody out. Make them feel comfortable. If they feel comfortable, they’ll talk to you more and feel more motivated, be able to do more things,” says Khalijah Baskerville, a freshman at Reno High.
Maura Lopez, a sophomore at Reed High says, “Don’t focus on their scores and all that work-related stuff. Try to see who they are as a person.”
Ariana McConnell, a junior at Damonte Ranch High says, “I think the big thing with students, our main problem, is that they only see what we are on paper. There’s much more to every single student than that, and that’s not really touched on in classroom."
Blanca Miller is with the district and coordinated the event. She said she’s learned a lot from students opening up about their experiences.
“So it’s not only that they want to be seen as individuals and someone who goes beyond that academic, but ‘Hey I’m a person.’
The district plans to continue this student voice event next year.