“I believe that, at this time, CMS schools are in a state of confusion and distress. It’s at a point where some people would consider it dysfunctional.”
That’s a quote by Laksha Ramkumar, a Butler High School junior who just became the new CMS student advisor, on the current state of CMS schools in an interview with the Charlotte Observer.
The mission of the CMS student advisor is to represent the student body on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. Every year, a high school student is chosen in a vote of their peers across CMS schools from a selected group of finalists. The term is one year long, with Ms. Ramkumar starting her term in January of 2023 and ending in December.
Her quote is depressingly real. CMS test scores for 2022 have hit a record low and, as of the 2021-22 school year, more than 40% of CMS schools were graded “D or below” by the state Department of Public Instruction, indicating “low performance.” In addition, as the Observer states, “...racial and socio-economic achievement gaps on the exams widened in several areas….”
Unfortunately, a school that falls victim to CMS’s current state is North Mecklenburg. Over half of our students are not proficient in reading (53%) and even more do not reach proficiency in math (64%).
Some plans have already gone into dealing with problems like this. Last year, during the term of student advisor Juan Torres Muñoz, CMS spent $50 million to help support low-performing schools. However, in the face of results that are bound to yield pessimism, the limits of the student advisor’s power seems more glaring than ever.
As Muñoz stated last year, “It’s important that you voice your opinions.” In many ways, that’s because his voice has been the only power he possesses. It is prohibited by state law for the CMS Student Advisor to have a vote on the board. Despite this, it seems Muñoz mostly managed to wield his voice effectively, running on a campaign that focused on discarding the highly unpopular “clear backpack” policy. Elyse Dashew, the board’s chair, explained when Muñoz was the student advisor that “[Juan will] come back and say… here's how it looks in homeroom right now. Here's what my peers are saying. And here's some things you might want to adjust."
It’s unknown what Ms. Ramkumar’s unique perspective will bring but some at North Meck already feel hopeful about her term, specifically her ability to engage the student population.
Tamia Torrence, sophomore president, says “[Ms. Ramkumar] got a lot of people voting who wouldn’t normally” through her Instagram page, which highlighted her ideas for policies to be implemented. This included abolishing SEL periods and replacing them with study halls as well as providing greater access to college application resources, both of which have the potential to greatly assist schools like North Meck if implemented.
Junior president Alyssa George said that “[Ms. Ramkumar’s] main concerns that she would address [were ones] I resonated with.”
As written in the Observer, Ms. Ramkumar has said “I want to advocate for student educational equity.” By utilizing her voice as the bridge between students and the Board of Education, she might be able to achieve it. 🆅