The Paw Print

By Paw Print Editorial Board

Throughout the past few years and especially during the recent election cycle, the dissatisfaction of the American people in their perceived ability to make their voices heard has become increasingly evident. One Pew Research Center poll found that 85% of Americans feel that their elected officials don’t care about what “people like them” think, while another survey found that only 21% of Americans believed that their government listens to the public in 2024, down from 22% in 2023 and 27% in 2022. Though this issue is undoubtedly important to address on a national level, it remains equally important to acknowledge the power and necessity of the voices of those governed on a variety of smaller scales, including public school districts and individual schools. 

Over the past few months, the Payton Voices Instagram account has become an avenue for students, parents and staff to anonymously share their experiences and grievances within the school. Though the anonymous nature of these posts makes it difficult to verify the validity of their information, content has recently focused on the issue of the student voice not being adequately represented in the current administration. Members of the Payton community have criticized the absence of a form to ask questions that was once included in Principal Shabazz’s weekly Payton Pulse, a newsletter intended to keep the community up to date. Others have criticized the Local School Council (LSC) for, in their minds, failing to represent the best interests of the students.

While the Payton Voices account allows students to share their complaints with the community, it is telling that they feel obliged to do so anonymously. School should be a space where students are free to express fair and constructive criticisms of the administration and its policies without fear of unjust repercussions. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees that all Americans have a right to freedom of speech, assembly, expression and the press. If students do not feel that they can respectfully exercise that right in a formal manner, then there is an issue concerning the empowerment of the student voice.

When feelings of discontent over the empowerment of student voices arise, it is the responsibility of the administration to address concerns to the utmost of their ability. If they fail to do so, feelings of frustration and disempowerment may continue to grow, leading to a tense relationship between the administration and the student body. The purpose of an administration is to serve their school’s students by cultivating a healthy learning environment. Since students at Payton feel that their voices are falling on deaf ears, it is essential that Payton’s administration makes a clear, public effort to acknowledge student opinions and concerns. 

Though the support and efforts of the administration are essential to ensuring that the student voice is heard, it should also be the responsibility of the student body to pursue opportunities to do so in a responsible manner. It is well within the power of students to make use of existing resources to promote greater transparency between the student body and the administration, such as by utilizing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). FOIA allows individuals to request documents related to matters such as Payton’s budget, which appears to be a matter of contention. Additionally, there are three student representatives on the LSC. When the election for new representatives is held in February, it will be the responsibility of the student body to vote for candidates who they believe will represent their interests on the LSC and give a platform to the collective student voice.

Through the combined efforts and collaboration of the student body and the administration, the student voice can be empowered in a considerate and respectful way. In her October letter to the LSC, Principal Shabazz wrote that she welcomes “feedback that is constructive and solutions-oriented” and is “always available to answer questions and engage in thoughtful discussion.” She went on to emphasize the value of feedback and strength in open communication. By establishing such open and direct communication with the administration, the student body has the ability to make its own voice heard. Doing so would require students to shed the mask of anonymity, but in order for meaningful change to be enacted, students must be able to stand behind their words and beliefs.