NEW HAVEN — With concerns ranging from aging school buildings to the quality of their technology, New Haven students have indicated that they would like to see changes happen in their school district.
Abdellah Aly, a student representation for the New Haven Board of Education, presented information to the school board members Monday from student government leaders.
The students got feedback from their peers on a variety of education-related topics, including mental health help access, technology and artificial intelligence policies. The feedback came from primarily high schoolers, who are “feeling burnout, exhaustion, pressure” from balancing academics, activities, family responsibilities and more, Aly said.
“Many students also discussed how mental health directly affects their academic performance, their motivation, their attendance and basically overall well-being around the classroom,” he said. “Students recommend increasing access to counselors, social workers and support staff across the schools.”
While Aly said students know that the New Haven Public Schools does not have the funding to hire more school counselors and other staff to support student mental health, but it is “kind of unfair.”
“One can’t focus on every student, and because of that, they don’t have much time and they have to rush through everything,” Aly said. “The student isn’t basically feeling welcomed in a way.”
Many of the recommendations New Haven students offered to enhance their time in the school district would be contingent on funding, Aly said, including improving the school buildings and the technology students have access to.
“I’ll be honest, Chromebooks don’t really run that well,” he said. “A lot of them have problems and so some students have to decide to get their own technology to school.”
However, when it comes the new and constantly evolving technology of AI, Aly said students are confused about the district’s policy on whether it can be used in the classroom.
“One teacher could say you can’t use it at all, some of the teachers say you can use it but limited,” he said.
CT Insider reported that according to Justin Harmon, the district’s spokesperson, New Haven Public Schools give teachers the ability to “stipulate how AI may or may not be used in any given assignment.”
Therefore, when it comes to AI, students would like the district to spell out “how to use it, how to not use it, when to use it, when to not,” Aly said.
As a result of Aly’s presentation, Board of Education President OrLando Yarborough said the district and school board should practice “over-communication.”
“Increasing awareness about the resources and opportunities that exist,” he said. “That’s something that maybe costs a little bit, but it doesn’t cost as much as one might think. I think it could go a long way.”