High school students discuss controversial issues during forum

By Frances Vanderploeg

Friday, Dec. 5, 2008 | midnight

With cuts of $120 million per year for the next biennium looming over the Clark County School District, several high school students took an opportunity to provide their two cents Nov. 25 at the annual Sun Youth Forum.

They sounded off on subjects such as the benefits of classes like health and driver's education, block scheduling, whether it's right to make racial diversity a requirement when rezoning schools, and No Child Left Behind and the proficiencies that come with it.

Las Vegas Sun founder Hank Greenspun came up with the idea for the Youth Forum in 1955, providing an opportunity to teens to discuss what can be controversial issues. Besides the Sun, the Greenspuns publish the Home News and other publications. The first group of students met in 1956, and students from 49 schools attended this year's forum.

They had something to say at the first forum, and still today feel that way. Some students were nearly falling off their chairs, waving their hands and biting their lip as they waited to be called on.

"No Child Left Behind doesn't make any sense," Amber Luke of Centennial High School said. "If you don't pass your proficiencies you lose funding, when really those are the schools that need funding."

Many students expressed concern over the proficiencies, but not just because of funding concerns.

Students who don't pass their high school proficiency exams will not receive a standard diploma, regardless of their grades. Some students said they had friends with high grade point averages who may not be able to graduate because of one of the proficiencies.

"(Administrators) should look at the overall course history, grades and attendance records," Ann Finley of Palo Verde High School said. "If someone has had high grades all four years but can't pass a proficiency, they should be able to appeal."

Students tackled each subject with the same fervor, showing off the knowledge they've acquired as high school students potentially affected by budget cuts.

They discussed several ways of cutting funds, including smarter spending and dropping expensive programs.

One idea touched on was separating English as a Second Language students and placing them in their own school.

It was an idea students were set against.

The value of those students being placed in a real-life situation such as school was emphasized, with several students noting that it could make or break a college career or even a trip to the grocery store if they're used to being sheltered. Being in school helps them assimilate to life in the United States much easier.

It's also not fair that race should be so highly considered at the schools and on every proficiency, they said. Any time a student takes a proficiency, they have to fill in their race and gender.

"It's almost as if they're patronizing minorities," Mystic Hightower, a Bonanza High School student who used to attend Palo Verde, said.

"I wouldn't want to get into any college just because of the color of my skin," Hightower, who is black and Vietnamese, said.

Students who had attended before, and also moderators, said this year was better than most. The students were far more informed and ready to debate this year, they said.

"They represent a point of view I've never seen in 10 years of doing this," Robert McCord, assistant professor of educational leadership at UNLV, said.

As each discussion came to an end, students chose a representative from their group to discuss the issues touched on throughout the day. Those representatives will write a column for "Where I Stand" in the Las Vegas Sun or for the student publication CLASS, or appear on discussion panels.

Scholarships were also given to high school seniors chosen at random.

Frances Vanderploeg can be reached at 990-2660 or [email protected].