When Ethan Kessinger joined the student board of education in Denver, he had no idea what he was getting into, but it didn’t matter, as long as it looked good on his resume.
A year later, seeing change resulting from his ideas and hard work through the 30-member student board, he believes his voice matters.
“I didn’t feel so much anyone cared what we were doing, but through meetings with board members, I’m really starting to see we do have a voice to make a difference,” Kessinger said.
Kessinger, a senior at Denver School of the Arts, knew the biggest challenge for his fellow students was finding time to meet with counselors and learning to navigate the college application process.
Kessinger and another student board member worked with the principal at DSA to have two counselors hired and to organize a college fair at the end of the school year.
“There is a big difference now after that fair, but we still have more to do,” he said. “I would guess about 50 percent of students still have big questions about how to get to college.”
Besides projects taken on by each student member for their corresponding schools, four leaders of the student board, including Kessinger, worked last summer developing a leadership curriculum that is now integrated in student leadership classes at some Denver high schools.
“It’s really about understanding how to build relationships with adults, so it’s helpful to everyone,” said Tanner Sandoval, a student board member leader. “We would really like to try to make it into a civics course on its own — built into a required schedule.”
For Sandoval, that summer opportunity helped turn his work with the student board into what is now his passion for change and student activism, he said.
Student board members also present updates on their projects to the school board twice a year, but beyond that, students must request to talk to the school board to give further input. The school board can also ask to hear from the students.
This month, the student board is researching a proposal to present next month that may increase communication between the student board and the school board.
“What excites me about it, is being able to give them more ideas and better perspective,” said Selena Gomez, a student member from North High School. “They are not the ones living the decisions they make for us.”
Students would like to propose that one student be appointed as a member of the regular school board. However, under current board policy and Colorado law, it may not be possible, said Denver Public Schools attorney John Kechriotis.
“The law does not provide for a means by which to create a student position on the board, whether it’s a voting position or not,” Kechriotis said.
Opening the dialogue and increasing awareness are steps in the right direction, students said.
“It’s so cool I can call Nate Easley (president of the regular Denver school board) and let him know what’s on my mind,” said student board member Nicole Williams, a junior at DSA. “My friends do, too; they know what’s going on and they tell me what they think so I can try to bring it to the board.”
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com
About the board
Thirty students from Denver Public Schools — two from each of 15 Denver high schools — serve on the student board, which was started in 1958 to create a medium to connect the regular school board with students. Students also work on independent projects within their schools.
