Nearly 100 RHS students had the opportunity to participate in the Student Town Hall event with Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers Nov. 19.
RHS was the first high school in MCPS this school year to have a town hall meeting and current Student Member of the Board (SMOB), junior at BCC HS Eric Guerci, said he plans on moderating more events throughout the year. However, it is not ensured that the current superintendent will be attending all the town hall events.
The town hall served as an opportunity for students to voice their concerns and have questions answered by the acting superintendent. The event was moderated by Guerci, and he also added his own response to student concerns. Larry Bowers took questions from students in the audience, and answered questions submitted in advance by email and Twitter.
SGA president Adam Sarsony said, “I found it interesting that Superintendent Larry Bowers wanted to pursue more funding from the state and local governments.”
The Media Center was turned into a TV studio before the event. In addition to the SMOB and interim superintendent, many members of the MCPS board of education were present at the event. The town hall answered many pressing questions student have but due to the time constraint there were other issues that may have not been addressed.
The students asked about assessments, cuts to staffing, bell times, and the MCPS Operating Budget. Another point of discussion was teacher diversity in MCPS schools, and Bower said it’s up to the universities to keep producing to a diverse set of prospective teachers.
The event was broadcast live on MCPS TV and streamed live on the MCPS website. RHS students were also encouraged to follow along in their classrooms live. The town halls will also be archived on the MCPS website and rebroadcast on MCPS TV.
“It was a good way for students to help influence and learn about the policies in the county,” Sarsony said.