Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
First, thank you for bringing forth your request to initiate STAND, a local chapter affiliate
of the Young Democrats of America, for students at Pt. Pleasant Beach High School.
Your passion for the topic of community service and reform has shown itself over the
past year, particularly as we have navigated, together, the process of how to
appropriately bring this club into existence in partnership with Pt. Pleasant Beach High
School.
At our last meeting, the Board of Education and its legal counsel indicated that they
would need until our next meeting (tonight) to study carefully your many requests and
navigate the challenges introduced from outside agents that at times obfuscated the
mission at hand and failed to accurately represent the appropriate, productive, and
ongoing dialogue that was taking place directly between student leaders and school
district administrators. On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to thank Dr.
Grosshandler for his continued collaboration and communication with the STAND
student representatives and their families. I’d like also to acknowledge the student
representatives of STAND, primarily Anna, Peter, and Maddie.
To the STAND student leaders: The Board of Education encourages you to develop your
club, hold regular meetings, and enjoy the positive feelings that result from working to
improve your community and deep-diving into the political issues of our times with your
peers. STAND (if it so chooses) may appear in the yearbook and within lists of clubs and
activities, may participate in our student activity fairs for incoming students, may
advertise its meetings using the multiple media formats available at the high school
(bulletin boards, announcements, etc...), and may hold its meetings in a classroom
provided at Pt. Pleasant Beach High School.
The Board of Education votes on the superintendent’s recommended appointments for
all volunteer and paid positions in every aspect of the district’s operations, and it
maintains its previously articulated position that the building principal will provide
assistance and supervision for STAND. And to address another specific question raised
during our last meeting, after contacting several admissions directors at prestigious
colleges and universities, we can confidently assert that you have no barrier to including
your participation in STAND on a college resume.
We are certain that this structure articulated tonight will not inhibit this highly motivated
group of students from pursuing their passions. Within a school organization, the
superintendent bears responsibility for the safe and effective operation of the district,
and both he and the Board of Education are guided by policies and regulations, both
local and federal, which are put in place with strict adherence to law—both state and
federal. The Equal Access Act, the same pathway that the Young Democrats suggest its
future student leaders should take when creating a subchapter of their organization in
schools, has explicit provisions—rules that are echoed in our own policies about student
initiated clubs and organizations. We have concluded—in conference with counsel—
that to maintain our compliance with the Equal Access Act and our Board of
Education-approved policies and regulations, we must contain our involvement with the
STAND organization to the elements identified in this statement, and we will not be
sponsoring the group. You are more than welcome to identify yourselves as Pt. Pleasant
Beach H.S. students, but you should not represent yourselves as a PPBHS sponsored
organization.
The Board has expressed previously its support for student engagement--for becoming
involved in the profound issues that affect our community, and indeed our country. It is
our hope that this message delivered tonight is greeted in the manner it is intended—as
an endorsement that reaches to the extent of what is appropriate for a Board of
Education.
We wish you good luck with STAND. Thank you.