Mr. Murphy on HHS Democracy

Hanover High School is a great school, but it could be better.  Hanover High School is a democratic school, but it could be improved.   The democratic governance of the school could be improved by including quarterly town meetings of the school, establishing a truly independent judiciary, expecting the principal/president to deliver a yearly state of the school/union address, and  creating a staff senate to complete a typical bicameral legislature.

There should be quarterly town meetings that involve the entire school.  At these meetings, the Council could report to its constituents, solicit input from the student body, and showcase some of the rich talent that lies within the school.  By reporting directly to the school, the Council could publicize its achievements and negate allegations that it never does anything.  The meeting would also put pressure on the Council to see that they do respond to school needs.  By having an open mic for a limited time, it would give the students the opportunity to speak out so that their voices may be heard.  And the town meeting would also include performances that would give students the chance to shine before their peers.

The Council takes pride in modeling the American governmental structure, and they present a diagram that shows the three independent branches of the American government:  legislative, executive and judicial.  In the Hanover case, however, the judiciary is not independent and is tied to the Council.  If we were to truly model the United States government, the president (principal) would nominate members for the Judiciary Committee, and the nominees would be approved by the legislature.  The members of the Judiciary Committee would not be members of Council, but truly independent.

Each year, the President of the United States delivers a State of the Union Address to the Congress in which he talks of past achievements and future goals.  I believe that this also happens in most colleges.  It would be a good idea to have the principal of Hanover High School talk about where we are and what she hopes to accomplish in the coming year.  It would be good to state a program that hopefully draws the community together in pursuing a common goal.  I hope our state of the school address, contrary to the national address, would include measurable goals, so that we may be held accountable.

The most significant change that I propose is the addition of a staff senate.  When the original American Congress was created, it was divided into two houses. The House of Representatives was more the people’s house, with more members, lower age qualifications and shorter terms.  The Senate was created with fewer members, a higher age requirement and a longer term of office.  It was believed that with age comes some wisdom and that with longer terms you have more experience and continuity.  I think that there is a difference between approaches taken by staff and those taken by students, and this should be reflected in the two houses.  As in the national legislature, the two houses would be equal, and for a law or rule to pass, it would have to pass both houses and be approved by the principal/president.  I think that with a two-house legislature, more issues of more substance would be raised.  The Council would not lose any power, since its assent would be required for the passage of any measure. I think that everyone would gain and that the Hanover governance model would more accurately reflect the American government model.

By accepting these reforms—town meetings, an independent judiciary, a state of the union, and a bicameral legislature—the Council Reps would be more accurate when they speak to the ninth graders each year and pull out their well-worn poster of the Council modeling the American government.