Phoenixville High School Student Panel Talks Equity With Patch

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Discussion rages in school board meetings and on social media over the Equity and Inclusion policies established in recent years by many school districts — including most districts in Chester County — but not much is heard from the students.

High school students are at the center of debates about equity and how it is understood and practiced locally. Phoenixville Area School District invited Patch Editor Marlene Lang to host a panel discussion with student leaders from Phoenixville High School, and to let the students speak.

PASD's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion statements, initiatives, and training are posted on its website. On the page, the District tells families, "At PASD, we want to ensure our students feel safe, valued, and welcome in our schools. Part of our responsibility is to ensure that all students learn about race, culture, and other differences as well as the importance of treating others with dignity, respect, and empathy."

In a half-hour talk with Patch, the student panel shared their understanding of equity, how they see it played out in their classrooms, school community, and in the wider American culture. They talked about the online "echo chamber" that causes division by only feeding us our own already-established ideas, and about the importance of working to see life through the eyes of other people who are different from you and with whom you might disagree.

The panel included members of the H.O.P.E. Club, Debate Club, student representatives, and class officers. Present on the panel were Allison Miller, Scout Woronko, Clair Meacham, Abby Walton, Ananya Jojodia, Leo Serini, James (Tre) Davis, and Kedaar Vyas.

Here is the video of the Student Equity Panel talk with Patch.

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