On March 21, 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that Students for Education in Pennsylvania (SEPA), a group created by student representatives of the state Board of Education, is seeking dedicated, passionate high school students to help elevate student voices across the commonwealth.

“At PDE, we often note that the best way we can accomplish our mission to provide high-quality education to all learners is by hearing from students who are actually in the classroom learning,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Noe Ortega. “Effective and meaningful public policy is developed through collaboration and feedback, and we believe that as policies are considered, student voices should be heard. We encourage any interested students in the commonwealth to lend their time — and their voice — to Students for Education in Pennsylvania.”

SEPA was created out of a shared passion for a broader and more diverse student representative network. As a complement to PDE’s mission, SEPA aims to establish an ongoing relationship with dedicated students throughout the commonwealth to more effectively represent student voice in Pennsylvania’s educational policymaking.

To accomplish their mission, student representatives to the Pennsylvania Board of Education, Senior Student Member Eva Rankin and Junior Student Member Reva Gandhi, asked stakeholders across the commonwealth to nominate two to three dedicated, passionate high school students to contribute their unique voice to the Pennsylvania Student Representative Program, which comprises geographically based groups that will meet on a regular basis to discuss education and student life.

In 2021, the Board student representatives conducted several regional meetings to gauge concerns and interests of students. Common findings from these meetings included a desire for more student voice and choice in curriculum, providing more global perspective on historical events and issues, an urge for better representation of cultures and religions in the classroom, mixed responses to standardized testing, and concerns about mental health and closing the educational gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each year in the spring, the Pennsylvania Board of Education, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils (PASC), selects one rising high school junior to serve a two-year term as a student representative to the State Board. The primary responsibility of the student representative position is to provide student perspectives at board meetings. Historically, student representatives have met with small groups of student stakeholders, however, the current student representatives are looking to expand and elevate student voices further.

Student representation on the state Board of Education is made possible through a grant provided by Highmark, supporting opportunity for students in Pennsylvania to have a direct voice in helping to shape education policy.

To read the press release, click here.