SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Students in Cochise County can once again voice their concerns and opinions when it comes to changes being made in their schools, thanks to the recent reinstatement of a student advisory council, courtesy of the Cochise County Superintendent of Schools.
Superintendent Jacqui Clay said the council existed years ago, but was disbanded due to the COVID pandemic. Now, 15 students from different schools across the county are on the council.
Their first task was to identify topics affecting students and education. At the top was bullying.
"I see a lot of bullying, like every single day,” Greta Sorenson, a student on the council, said.
Tackling bullying, while not a new concept, was eye-opening for Clay.
“All the schools across Cochise County, that was a common denominator,” she said. "We have to figure out the sweet spot in this dance where we move forward."
Clay said bullying has changed over time. It's not just happening at schools. According to stopbullying.gov, 21% of 12 to 18-year-olds who reported being bullied said it was online or by text.
"That kid is bullied at school, and it continues on," Clay said. "When they go home, they can never escape it. So really, bullying has evolved.”
Sorenson and fellow Student Advisory Council member, Veronica Jimenez, said the new trend is profiles being created on social media that are used to make fun of students in the school.
“When I reported it, they didn't do much about it," Sorenson said. They just left the account. But when I saw, I just didn't think it was right, because people shouldn't say bad stuff about them.”
She and Jimenez say the effects these posts have on students can be harmful for mental health and can make kids not want to come to school. Now, the group working to educate themselves on how to help their peers, while Superintendent Clay finds training for educators.
"If we change the culture regarding bullying, it may create a place where we don't have it as much,” Clay said.
Clay said her team recently hired someone to provide training about bullying to educators, administrators and staff. They received grant funding for the position.
Bullying is just the first topic the council is tackling, but they have a list of others they hope to implement.
For now, these conversations are solving one problem — giving students a voice.
"If we get more people around the entire district, we solve more of the problems that (are) going around in the county,” Sorenson said.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
