Students from Cannon County High School joined approximately 350 of their high school peers in Murfreesboro recently to express their views on public education in Tennessee at the Tennessee School Boards Association Student Congress on Policies in Education (SCOPE). The event took place on the Middle Tennessee State University campus.
Attending from Cannon County High School,: Nolan Bell – 9th Grade; Hannah Carrier – 10th Grade; Perry Baird – 11th Grade; and Erika Taylor – 12th Grade. They were chaperoned and driven to the event in the Canon County High School Driver’s Education vehicle by Director of Cannon County Schools William F. Curtis. He stated regarding the Student Congress event, “This group of students from Cannon County High School represented our school in a very distinguished way. They had great thoughts about the debate topics and each one contributed to their specific small groups. This is a great group of students, and I look forward to their being a continued asset to the Cannon County Board of Education as student advisors. We are very appreciative to the Cannon County Board of Education for sponsoring these excellent individuals to represent them at this informative training event.”
Now in its 37th year, SCOPE is designed to give students a voice where public education issues are concerned and to involve young people in finding solutions to the topics that are discussed. Attendees participated in mock school board sessions, where they assumed the roles of school board members, school officials, parents, students and concerned citizens. School board members, superintendents, and educational leaders led the sessions.
Students then chose speakers to represent each of their 16 small groups who went on to take part in full-scale debates on current education issues. This year’s four debate topics and results from the poll were:
1. High school graduation requirements shall include several pathways/options (college and career, industry credentials, etc.) that allow students to graduate with a regular high school diploma.
(Agree: 59%, Disagree: 41%)
2. Students shall have the option of substituting club sports for physical education requirements.
(Agree: 80%, Disagree: 20%)
3. Fighting on school grounds or during school activities shall be a zero-tolerance offense.
(Agree: 24%, Disagree: 76%)
4. For purposes of honors recognition at graduation, the board shall use the Latin System (i.e. summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) instead of selecting a valedictorian and salutatorian.
(Agree: 51%, Disagree: 49%)
