D.C. youth sounded off about what they assert is a lack of communication between students, teachers and administrators at a public oversight hearing held by D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray Saturday morning.
Marquis Battle of Anacostia Senior High School said many students he’s spoken with “feel that adults see students as children, and that they don’t know what they’re talking about.”
A recent survey of local high school students prepared for the hearing by Battle and members of DC VOICE found that approximately two-thirds of the students polled didn’t feel there was a clear way for them to present their grievances to school administrators.
“We don’t feel as if the adults in our school or the teachers take our complaints seriously,” said Tevi Brown of School Without Walls Senior High School. “If we go to an official to talk about it, they just put it on the back burner.”
“We’ve been living in a society where youth feel like they don’t have a chance to express their opinion,” said Ronada Hewitt of the D.C. World Vision Delegates. “It’s been like that for so long, we’ve kind of gotten used to it.”
Gray — who attended the meeting along with Ward 1 councilman Jim Graham, Ward 3 councilwoman Mary M. Cheh, and Ward 7 councilwoman Yvette Alexander — suggested the students of DC VOICE present their complaints to recently appointed school ombudsman Tonya Kinlow.
“It really would be irresponsible of us not to have these opportunities [to speak to the ombudsman] see the light of day,” he said. “We want to follow up with you. We want to give you the opportunity to take the next step.”
