The National School Board’s Association ("NSBA") has noted a recent trend that students are being included on school boards. In at least one school district, Davenport, Iowa, at least one student who is on the school board is required to be a student with an IEP. On the whole it appears that most student who are allowed a role in school governance are based upon popular vote or other criteria that generally will not favor a student with special needs being included on the local board of education. For instance, in Tennessee, 4 students are to be included on the board two each from the "college track" and "technology track." Download School Governance.pdf
The National Center for Learning and Citizenship ("NCLC") in 2004 reviewed various states’ laws and policies regarding allowing students to be included in school governance. The school districts in Jackson, Wyoming and Cumberland, Tennessee permit students a non-voting role. In Maryland, the state law actually allows students to cast a vote except on matters such as hiring and firing and budgetary issues. Montana, Nebraska, New York, Puerto Rico, Utah and Virginia permit student membership on school boards but does not require it. Other districts, such as in Cumberland, Maine include students on committees that consider issues such as hiring and curriculum.
The crux of the rationale for allowing student governance according to the NCLC is:
"education is as much about fostering citizenship as it is about preparing students for college and the workplace. The skills of leadership and informed decision-making –must be learned. Involving students in governance is one way to provide opportunities for students to acquire and practice these skills."
This argument for a broader scope of the school’s mission applies with equal force to IEPs. Contrary to this policy statement, most schools view their mission in strictly academic terms. If you are making the grade but otherwise failing socially and emotionally, also important components of being a sound citizen, too often this is of little concern to the school.
If more students with special needs were to participate on school boards there could be some interesting changes. The day to day realities of being a student with a disability would at least become part of the discourse of the leaders of the district; instead of decision-making based upon assumption and ignorance about "those students." Moreover, many student with IEPs would benefit from the leadership role of being part of school governance. Inclusion should be as much about helping to determine the vision and governance of the school, as it is about meaningful participation in classes and extracurricular activities.