Directing the School’s Actions

Communication and Collaboration are Crucial for School Changes

Heba El Sahn

Throughout the history of Schutz, students have always had a big role in the decision-making done by the school. These experiences have set a mark in our minds and got us to carry around the expectation that we will always be approached when action is about to be taken. With that being said, it was quite troubling when students felt how little influence they have on the new and "modernizing" changes at school.

A couple of years ago, Schutz held a series of meetings dedicated to strategic planning and focusing on matters that need altering to better the school. After many hours of discussing and weighing out pros and cons, it was decided that the school needs to transform its general "look". This, taken into action, would mean that Schutz’s logo and website will have to be modified.

Students were invited to go and rank their favorite logos on display in the auditorium a few months ago. They submitted their forms and waited for the results to be announced, but surprisingly none was. A short time afterwards The Gate’s reporters asked for updates on the topic, but they were told that this information is confidential and should not be shared. When it concerned the new website designs, however, Schutz students were not even allowed to see them. The only group who had this privilege was the Information Technology class, but the rest of the students do not have a say in which design should represent their school.

Many students found the sudden halt of communication disturbing. They are reassured, however, to note that everything right now is on standby. So, the school is not taking any vital decisions that they were not informed about. The logo is currently being created by six different graphic designers. The school cannot pressure them to go any faster since they are doing this as volunteer work. The website is still in progress and everything is in the hands of the designers too. Also, the school’s newsletters The Gate and The Lighthouse are there to give the Schutz community updates on anything taking place.

Good communication between the students, the administration, and the Board is essential for the improvement of the school. We should always say what we are against or what we want to see happen because we are the most people affected by the change. This is what we are able to do to aid in directing the happenings at school. We must also have confidence that any action taken by the administration and the Board is for the benefit of the students.