Roberts Introduces New School Board Student Rep

“I love my school!” said Logan Kasinecz to the Cambridge Lions Club. “I’m not afraid to ask questions. I can attend (Cambridge school board) meetings and report to the kids. I expect to learn more about how it works.” Kasinecz and Chris Colby are the two student representatives on the school board for the 2009-2010 school year.

(Pictured left to right; Jeff Carroll, Logan Kasinecz, Rusty Roberts)

Last year’s student representative, Jeff Carroll spoke about his experiences. “(The school board members) were interested in what I had to say. It was a very open process; we had good dialogue. I can be very outspoken, but I tried to be politically correct and proper.”

Rusty Roberts, Cambridge school board vice president, gave a brief history of the student representative program. “The 2009-2010 school year marks the fourth year for the student representative position. Last year’s other representative, Jenna Griffith and next year’s representative, Chris Colby, were unable to attend today’s meeting because of other commitments.”

“The first student representatives were Mike Evancho and Mary Brislen in 2006-2007,” Roberts said. “The concept has become very popular state and nationwide. The program has been presented three times at the Ohio School Board Association’s conferences. It has been presented to many other school districts. I’m currently working with districts in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.”

“This summer the concept will be outlined at the twenty-third annual High Schools That Work National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and at the All-Ohio Career, Technical, and Adult Education Conference in Columbus, Ohio.”

“The program has nominated twice for the Magna Award from the American School Board Association,” Roberts said. “Maybe this year we will win it. This national award recognizes outstanding student achievement programs used in public education.”

“All of our kids that applied for the student representative positions are winners,” Roberts said. “They have to write a resume, get letters of recommendation, and go through an interview similar to a job interview.”

“We select two representatives. We have found that that works best. Our kids are involved in a lot of activities. If one can’t make a school board meeting the other one usually can.”

Kasinecz illustrated Robert’s point by telling of some of his activities. “I run cross country and track. I am in the band and choir and WHIZ kids. I play in the city band and sing in Cambridge Chordial Barbershop Chorus.”

“It scares some school board members to have kids there,” Roberts said. “Some think it is not a place for kids, but we are there because of the kids. They bring a lot of good ideas to the meetings.”