BHS senior selected for Student Advisory Council
A Bartlesville High School senior has been selected for a program connecting them with Oklahoma Department of Education leaders to discuss ongoing public education concerns — and possible solutions.
Joyce Yang is among 74 high school students selected from schools statewide to participate in the seventh iteration of the Student Advisory Council. The group will meet with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister twice in the spring semester — with the first meeting set to be held virtually on Jan. 25.
“It’s a privilege for her to be selected to represent Bartlesville … She’s able to be a voice for what students believe they need to see from schools,” BHS Principal LaDonna Chancellor said.
The program will give Yang and the other students a chance to consult Hofmeister on issues they face in school.
Discussions from the program in previous years have influenced state-level action to provide teachers training in trauma-informed instruction, replace some state testing with the ACT or ACT and pilot a career planning program, according to a press release.
“These students are among the top high school leaders in our state, and it is imperative to get their feedback. The insight we receive from this council is incredibly valuable, and their thoughtful reflection and fearless vision is instrumental to our decision-making,” Hofmeister said in the release.
Eighteen of the students selected for the 2022 program have also participated in previous years.
Yang is not the first Bartlesville student to participate in the program — two BHS students, Elijah Winter and Samantha Simmons, served on the 2021 Student Advisory Council. As with these past students, Yang was nominated for the program by Bartlesville Public School District Superintendent Chuck McCauley.
Chancellor said Yang is well spoken and articulate.
"Joyce is a strong student leader here at the school and very involved, so I feel she will represent us well. She has a good idea about issues students struggle with, but she’s also someone who looks for solutions. She’s an amazing kid, she really is. I’m excited for her to bring that student perspective,” Chancellor said.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: BHS senior selected for Student Advisory Council
