Welcome back, new and returning seniors, juniors, and sophomores, and welcome to our freshman! Turning a new page into the 2024-2025 school year, we would like to formally introduce ourselves, Hermela Shimelis and Urbana Barua, as your new Student Representatives to the Cambridge School Committee.
For those who don’t know, the Cambridge School Committee is a seven-member governing body of elected officials who set key school policies, including the budget, for Cambridge Public Schools. Chaired by Mayor Simmons, the committee aims to ensure that all students in the district receive a quality educational experience that meets Massachusetts and community standards. It serves as a public and broadcasted forum for discussing educational issues and policies with local officials, parents, students, and district stakeholders. The committee’s goal is to enhance our academic journeys from enrollment to our graduation day. Currently, the members include Vice Chair Caroline Hunter, Richard Harding Jr., Elizabeth Hudson, José Luis Rojas Villarreal, David Weinstein, and Rachel B. Weinstein.
Now, this begs the question, what is our role? Well, to represent you all, of course! While committee members are elected by the public, student representatives are elected by CRLS students. As students, we understand the importance of our voices in shaping school policy and driving meaningful change that supports every student in their journey toward academic and personal success. In our new role, we hope to promote transparency between the committee and the student body, which means that collaborating with the other committee members and engaging with our community will be the most significant part of our job. We look forward to seeing our educational policies reflect the diverse needs of students in CPSD.
To build on this, another one of our goals is to encourage more funding for CRLS youth-led initiatives, making them accessible to all, especially for underrepresented students throughout the district. Ultimately, our mission goes beyond simply voicing youth opinions; it’s about fostering a greater culture of inclusivity and equity within the Cambridge Public School experience together. We can build a stronger and more vibrant school environment where every student feels valued, empowered, and invested in to achieve their full potential.
That’s why we are proud to introduce CRLS, What’s on Your Mind?, a schoolwide student input form! As your elected representatives, we want to fully uphold one of our most important goals: student voice. We want to hear your honest, unfiltered suggestions and comments on how our schools can improve. Your submissions will be included in our student climate report during meetings, as we urge school committee members to hear and address your questions or concerns. Therefore, don’t hold back from what’s on your mind! Scan the QR code above!
To stay updated on the day-to-day of the Cambridge School Committee, more information, meeting summaries, and important updates follow our Instagram: @cmbkidsonschoolcommittee.
We’re excited to hear your thoughts, ideas, and concerns, and we can’t wait to be working with you all!
Please, let us know what’s on your mind,
Urbana & Hermela
This article also appears in our October 2024 edition.
