By: Ayla Ozturk
In Visalia Unified School District [VUSD], decisions are made every day. From hiring teachers to implementing COVID-19 guidelines, the actions the district takes are vital to the community.
Students have the biggest stake in their education but have trouble voicing their opinions and thoughts to the people that need to hear them.
Kyla Seitz ’22, is a senior at Redwood High School. She knows of ways to speak up, but she has trouble contacting the district. Seitz says, “I do know the ways the district has provided, yet personally I don’t see those ways as either possible with my schedule [i.e., board meetings] or reliable [i.e., student equity meetings].”
Some students see being heard as impossible. Golden West student Brooke Singleton ’24, “I don’t know, [we could]protest? Rally up some students that agree with you. Like, they’re not going to listen if it’s just you.”
RHS senior Brielle Alvarez ’22 serves as student representative from Redwood on the VUSD student board.
The student board consists of the ASB Presidents of VUSD’s four major high schools, El Diamante High School, Golden West High School, Mount Whitney High School, and Redwood High School.
Along with the other members, Alvarez’s job is to echo the voices of her fellow students. Alvarez says, “We’re just not little kids anymore. We do want to still be heard and get our reasons through their [the Board’s] minds.”
There are multiple ways to reach VUSD, but students like Seitz and Singleton feel they are not being heard.
As Singleton mentioned, gathering peers to speak up is a good method for students to put their voices out and feel heard.
Alvarez says, “Learning is important, but I also think the aspect of going out, and meeting new people, and being your own voice, I think that’s really important because it’s [school] not just learning for a reason.”
Ayla Ozturk
Ayla Ozturk, class of 2024, is a fourth-year journalism student passionate about leading the News section. She is dedicated to informing students and amplifying their voices through Government and Politics writing.
You can reach her at ayla.oz3769@vusd.us.
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