Gorham School Committee’s Anti-Racism Committee, created in 2021 and composed of parents, staff, students, community members and school committee members, has a goal of listening to and learning from students and their perspectives to inform the committee’s work. To that end, at the request of the Anti-Racism Committee, GHS Student Council members worked with district administrators to develop and administer a voluntary survey of their peers to learn their thoughts on school culture and climate in Gorham.
Over 1200 students grades 5 thru 12 took the voluntary survey, approximately 70% of all students in that grade span. Questions asked students to rate their response to statements with a scale of strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree or disagree, agree, strongly agree.
Students who rated questions strongly disagree/disagree were given an opportunity to explain further their opinions. While 82% of students noted there were lots of ways in which to be involved in school outside of classroom activities, 12% of students do not believe their peers are demonstrating the Code of Conduct which includes respect, honesty, courage, compassion and responsibility, while participating in co-curricular activities.
21% of students do not believe their peers demonstrate the Code of Conduct in the classroom, and 35% report the same failure of their peers when using social media, texting or other online platforms.
One surprising result was that for nearly every question, 20%-40% of the students answered neither agree nor disagree, raising questions for those reviewing the results. Did students genuinely have no opinion, were they apathetic, unsure of the meaning of the question or the answers, or not feeling empowered to provide a response? Additional follow-up with volunteer focus groups will try to dig into this more.
Student perceptions of whether their voices mattered in their school varied, however suggestions for ways to improve student experience in Gorham Schools focused on listening to students more, better support for student mental health, and more strongly addressing issues of bullying. Students suggested providing more mental health awareness and support, focusing on understanding and appreciating differences, and ensuring all students feel safe and supported.
Students from the GHS Student Council were present to review the survey results with the Anti-Racism Committee at their January meeting. In response, the Anti-Racism Committee is planning their 3rd annual Community Eat and Learn Event for March 10, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at GHS. The event is open to all parents, students and staff, and will focus on the power of empathy in an education setting, and what we can all do to build empathy in ourselves and our community.