I'm glad that someone, in this case State Senator Frosh, has finally shown some common sense and guts. I can certainly understand the desire to have some input from the students on the Board of Education. But that is what it should be, input. Bring one or more students in, in an advisory capacity. That is fine. We elect the County Council. We elect the Board of Education. What would be the basis for a non-elected student to sit, as a voting member, on the Board of Education. What are the chances that the student would have either the background or experience to make decisions involving millions of dollars and thousands of young people?

Of course, you can make the same arguments about elected board members, but the difference is that those people are elected. If they screw up, are other than scrupulous, are not acting in the best interests of all of the students, that is on the electorate. No such backing would exist for a student member.

Let's just remember that, just because someone has a creative idea, that doesn't make it a good idea.

Well said!

There is only ONE student member of the BOE, and he/she deserves a vote that counts. He/she IS elected by the "citizens" of Montgomery County--its students, who have the most at stake. Are they not "citizens?" These kids actually run campaigns at schools, hold debates, etc, and voting occurs at school.

Hijacking the issue to say this will do "nothing" to tackle the problems we face is absurd and insulting to all the students who have served as SMOBs. Have you ever done an analysis of the past SMOB votes and found them lacking? If so, please share that data.

BTW, those non-citzens (AKA students) already feel disenfranchised enough knowing their SMOB today doesn't get to vote on the most important issues.

Sorry, but high school or middle school campaigns do not qualify as the same as city/county/state/national elections.

Yes, they are citizens, but, unless they are at least eighteen years old, they are not allowed to vote in other than school elections.

You are certainly reading more into what I said than was there. I strongly suspect that there are very few students who actually "feel disenfranchised." I know the feeling, having grown up in DC where I was disenfranchised.

Thus far, you have simply rephrased your talking points, which are non-sequiters, in that they don't actually speak to the issue and its consequences. Please refer to your 10th grade English class about fallacious arguments.

By the way, do you really want a seventeen year old, with limited experience, limited background, etc. casting a deciding vote on where to spend millions of your tax dollars? Are they likely to make a rational decision on whether to place a new school in Gaithersburg or refurbish a school in Takoma Park? This especially, since they won't be up for re-election, having graduated from high school and gone on to college.

I'd like Mr. Panner to respond to my post and address my questions.

In the 2011 election for SMOB, voter participation was 84%. Interested individuals can learn more here.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/studentaffairs/smob/

Students have expressed their reasons for giving SMOB the vote.

http://www.theblackandwhite.net/2012/01/03/smob-should-have-right-to-vote-on-budget/

I don't think giving the SMOB full voting abilities will "restore the public's confidence" in the School Board, nor do I think it's their responsibility. Turning 18 isn't some magical moment when a young person suddenly gains critical reasoning skills. In fact, I know some fully-grown adults who still don't have any. If we're going to put a democratically-elected student on the Board of Education, they deserve the ability to give input on important matters. And if our democratically-elected state legislature deigns it appropriate for students to have a vote, then one senator shouldn't be able to kill the entire process.

We saw what happened with Ike Leggett's ill-advised curfew last summer: a group of smart, motivated young people organized a campaign to refute and eventually defeat an ill-advised proposal from a group of adults. Montgomery County is capable of producing some pretty smart kids, and I'm confident they deserve and can handle a larger voice in local decision-making.

Having recently listened to several BOE candidates in a forum, and having recently heard statements by several intelligent and articulate high school students, I don't think that there's a huge gulf between their abilities to make judgments. I don't think that the presence of a single student on the board, serving on an equal basis with all of the elected officials, would diminish the board, nor would it harm the actions of the board.

Sorry, "background and understanding..."

In his post, Mr. Panner did not cite a single reason why the SMOB shouldn't be allowed a full vote. In fact, he seems not to even understand what rights they do have.

The current SMOB is one of those who led the fight against the successful fight against curfew. Those students who have held that position during the 34 years it has been available have taken the time, the interest to learn the issues, to run a campaign and get elected. These are not your average students.

They deserve a full vote.

I would reiterate all of my statements to support a VOTING student representative. A student voted on by his/her peers would most likely receive a much higher percentage of votes from the student body. We know, especially from the most recent BOE election, that only a minuscule number of potential voters take the time to vote for those candidates, so I would hardly say that the "will" of the entire electorate was expressed in choosing the winners of that primary.

As to the issue of whether the viewpoints of taxpayers without children in the schools are or aren't represented, that just makes me laugh out loud. As one of those taxpayers, I've found over the years that my opinion has sometimes been ridiculed or dismissed by parents, since some of them feel that the only ones whose opinions matter in school and educational issues are parents.

I've now read and re-read all of the comments that would have the SMOB get a vote on the BOE. I think that those who are pushing it have not yet provided a valid reason why the vote should be granted to the student rep. They haven't provided a reason to believe that would indicate that, somehow, the student rep would somehow improve the BOE or its workings. The arguments for this change (and remember that this is a change and should be done for a reason) seem to to come down to "because that is how it should be." In my opinion, that is simply not a supportable argument.

Voting age in this country is 18. The SMOB, with a vote, would be someone who is not elected by the general electorate and yet could have a deciding vote in close decisions. How is that valid? I could understand and probably support the concept of having a voting BOE member reserved for a current student, but only if he/she ran in a general election. At that point it would become logical, in that they would be elected in a proper public election. Barring that, there is no logical reason to have any such voting rep.

That's funny, because the reverse is true. And I suggest, again, that you read the editorial from the Whitman newspaper.

@Bubba--you're wasting your time. Mr. Shapiro isn't reading anything anyone says who disagrees with him. I've said most of what you've said, and more...And as you or someone else pointed out, just about everyone agrees this is a good idea, while Panner, running for BOE (!!???) chooses to make an argument without substance (or respond to requests for more info).

All I gotta say is GO PHIL KAUFFMAN! I have known him and worked with him since prior to the last election.

http://philkauffman.com/

@GinWheaton:

You had to know that was coming :)))

Let's get a hint for how a Student Board member behaves. Where was the SMOB recently for 3 days? In Boston, at a convention with the adult BOE members and the Superintendent.

Really? Is this what students want? Convention spending over classroom spending?

Thank you for such vigorous debate. There are so many posts with many good points, but let me try to respond generally. I agree that students should have a voice and should have input. The more vested stakeholders feel in the system, the better. That said, our system relies on duly registered citizens voting people into office to represent them. It is the core of what makes our system legitimate. That does not invalidate the voices and opinions of people who are not elected, but it does mean that they can't vote as part of a duly elected Board of Education. This is directly tied to the hard policy issues we face. The reason our system works and laws are legitimate is that we believe in the system that generates them. If we give that up, we risk a failure in public confidence in the system.

Really, one must wonder why everyone else was in support of it. Very little would have changed as far as how the SMOB operates now. I still believe you are in the wrong here, and in the minority of actual elected officials, clearly.

I appreciate your comment, but do think adding an 8th vote to the board (particularly an unelected one) would change things a lot. I am in disagreement with the current BOE on this. I am running to give people a choice.