PCAB Testimony in Favor of Bill SB 0157

 On January 25, 2022, the Parent and Community Advisory Board presented testimony at the Board of Commissioners meeting in favor of Bill SB 0157 in support of voting rights for student members of the school board as well as for the task force to study compensation for school board members.. Read the full statement below:


PCAB testimony in favor of Bill SB 0157: Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners - Student Members and Task Force to Study Compensation


The Parent & Community Advisory Board is submitting the following testimony in support of voting rights for student members of the school board as well as for the task force to study compensation for school board members. First and foremost, we believe in democracy and a school board that represents as many voices as possible in making decisions that impact the students and families of Baltimore City. We continuously urge the school board to pay attention to the parents and community members in Baltimore City in their decision-making, and so this issue is one about which we at PCAB are quite passionate. This bill, while focusing on students, would lay the groundwork for a more democratic school board that truly represents the people the schools serve.

Specifically, SB 0157 ensures that in addition to student seats on the school board that students have full voting rights, just like any other member. There is a great deal of rhetoric about caring for students and wanting to elevate their voices, yet we currently do not trust our student commissioner with full voting rights to weigh in on the issues in which they will be most directly impacted, like policy, budget, and even personnel. By allowing students to vote, they can have an impact on the ways their schools are run, which will engage them in the system more fully and allow them to shape the kinds of schools they attend.

Additionally, Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties have full student voting rights for their student school board members. The University of Maryland’s and Maryland Higher Education Commissions Student Commissioners have voting rights. Voting rights for student members is standard practice. Why not Baltimore City? We believe innovative ideas and honest perspectives come directly from young people attending our schools. Daily, they experience the opportunities and challenges of public education. Having a student member with full voting rights on the board could also ensure that the voices of students across the school system would be counted and valued in all matters, not just the few currently allowed by statute. The students and families of Baltimore City Public Schools should not just be subject to the decisions of the board without a say, this is about democracy and giving a voice to the almost 80,000 students that are impacted by the board.

The work of the school board is valuable, and that is why we also support the task force to study compensation for school board members. This would also bring Baltimore City in line with almost every county in Maryland. Twenty-two of 24 counties in Maryland compensate their school board members. It is vital that we acknowledge the important role that school board members play, and the task force will give us the opportunity to understand what appropriate compensation might look like for Baltimore City. Lastly, the ability to contribute time and energy at the level required of a school board commissioner without compensation means that we are limited to selecting only commissioners who can afford to do very important and time-consuming work for free. Those who must generate an hourly wage or meet the full-time requirements of a job in order to feed their families and do not have a network of support at home for sacrificing their nights and weekends to volunteer service are left out of the race entirely even though they are serving and representing many such individuals in their constituency. For these reasons, we need SB 0157 to pass.




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