The Importance Of Democracy In Stillwater Area Public Schools

As I stepped through the doors of the Stillwater City Hall at 6:30pm on September 24th, there was a pleasant chatter amongst the members of the school board and the citizens gathered there to be informed and involved. It was a welcoming, yet structured atmosphere and I began to be intrigued by issues and events that were going to be addressed that night. The Stillwater Area Public School Board’s mission is to “assure all students are provided opportunity to reach their maximum potential”(Stillwater Area Public Schools). This group meets once a month and there are 7 School Board members along with two Student Board members. The School Board is at the level of local government and they have the power to make decisions for the Stillwater Area Public Schools involving finances, facilities, community engagement, and student support. These officials who make up this important democracy are elected by the residents in the school …show more content…
Democracy is what has given all citizens the ability to have a say in the decisions their country makes through elections and the freedom of speech. This public meeting only supported my beliefs about democracy. At this meeting, everyone who wanted a chance to speak was given an opportunity to do so. One example of this was an 8th grader came up to speak. Isabella Anderson is an 8th grader at Stillwater Junior High School and wanted to talk to the school board about an issue on class sizes. Her opinion was warmly welcomed by the board. This had a positive impact on the way I viewed this public meeting and this is how I feel a democracy should work. No matter who the person is, how old they are, or what their background may be, they have the right to be heard and the freedom of speech. This is exactly what I saw at this School Board Meeting that