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BOE’s Student Advisor to Host Fourth Student Summit
Feb. 28, 2020
School District U-46 Board of Education Student Advisor Hallie Furtak will lead approximately 220 high school students during the Districtwide Student Summit on Thursday, Mar. 5 at Elgin Community College. Furtak, a Streamwood High School senior, organized this year’s Student Summit, which aims to promote a unified school culture across the District.
"Our students are the people who experience our educational system every single day," said Lela Majstorovic, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Instruction and Equity. "Their voice is a powerful lever for continuous improvement and the summit is one way we get to harness their voices to create positive change in our schools."
The morning event will begin with opening remarks from Majstorovic, CEO Tony Sanders, and Elgin Community College President Dr. David Sam. After opening remarks, students from all five high schools and the DREAM Academy will break out into roundtable discussions. Principals selected students, some of whom serve on the Principal’s Student Advisory Council, to attend the summit and the members of the CEO Student Advisory Council will serve as facilitators at the tables to keep discussions constructive and positive, and to encourage participation among all students.
“When students are given the opportunity to share their perspective on issues, new and important perspectives are seen and a healthier, happier environment is created,” Furtak said. “I hope students walk away with ideas they can use to help improve their own school.”
Topics of discussion will include academics, including student engagement and grading practices; culture & climate, including school safety, discipline, and community involvement; post-secondary readiness, including college and career planning and standardized testing preparation; and “miscellaneous” subjects such as class rank, extracurriculars, mental health and more.
Dr. Suzanne Johnson, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, and Brian Lindholm, Coordinator for Strategic Initiatives, will deliver a presentation during lunch about the District’s Equity plan.
Following the Student Summit, District administrators will review the notes and relay information to school administrators. High school principals will conduct a debrief session with their students to discuss ideas that can be implemented at their school.
Former Student Advisor Eric Loera launched the annual U-46 Student Summit during the 2016-17 school year. Topics covered in past years at the student summit have included mental health, school safety and culture, and college and career readiness.
WHO: Board of Education Student Advisor Hallie Furtak, U-46 high school students and administrators including U-46 CEO Tony Sanders, ECC President Dr. David Sam, and Lela Majstorovic, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Instruction and Equity.
WHAT: U-46 Student Summit.
WHERE: Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Mar. 5