Selph has new perspective with Board-Ed term
As Hardin Valley Academy Class of 2019 graduate Hannah Selph finishes her term as a Knox County Board of Education student representative, she walks away with a new perspective on the Board and school policymaking.
“I was really able to see, broadly, how the school system works and how much work and thought goes behind things,” Selph said.
For example, the Board just looked at the budget for the upcoming school year, and she saw firsthand “how much work the school superintendent and staff put behind it,” she said.
“It was really interesting, as a student who was directly affected by those decisions, getting to see that at the largest and most complex level,” she observed.
“The school board just cares about kids, and they just have a passion for that,” Selph added. “It’s really heartening and encouraging, as a student, seeing that there are so many adults in charge who really care about us.
“They all are so nice and welcoming. It’s hopeful, and it’s inspiring.”
Selph, 18, daughter of Jim and Joelle Selph, ends her school board term in June, making way for a rising senior, Noah Kelley of Karns High School.
In addition to her service on the Board, Selph was one of nine nominees chosen for HVA’s Hawk Award — the most prestigious award the school annually presents during graduation ceremonies.
She plans to pursue a career in educational policy.
“That’s always been a passion of mine through different other experiences, so I really wanted to see what the school system and school policy looks like at our school board level,” Selph said. “That was one reasons I decided to apply for the position in the first place.”
She applied when she was a junior in 2018, one of 16 applicants.
“A committee, made up of the chair of the school board, a community volunteer, a high school principal, the director of secondary schools and the previous student (representative), did a blind read of all the applications,” Selph recalled.
The committee narrowed the candidates to four before Selph was chosen. She started serving in July 2018.
“Basically, the student representative (is) given the privilege of being given all of the materials that the school board members are given, and we are allowed to speak, but we serve in non-voting capacities,” Selph said.
Two policies — cell phone use at school and social media — were two on which she was outspoken.
She explained the initial policy stated a parent or a teacher had to be in charge of any social media account related to a school.
“But, I brought up the point that, for different school organizations, like if I’m a club, we might want to have a social media (account), and often it’s a student that’s in charge of that social media,” Selph said. “Now, the policy that’s implemented states that with parental, teacher or administrative oversight and permission, a student can be involved in the social media process (of running the media).”
”So, it’s really just about having a younger student’s perspective, especially on issues that are more relevant to us,” she said. “The student representative position allows for the school board members to get some thoughts and direct access to a student opinion.”
She encouraged students to consider serving on the Board.
“If you’re interested in politics, education or if you care about other students in your county and education you and your peers receive, this position could be for you,” Selph said.
“It’s really just a way to connect and get involved in your school system because the decisions that the school board makes directly affect all students in Knox County,” she said. ”It’s really a good way to get involved early, get experience, insight and perspective about what’s happening in the school system.”
Selph said she saw “how intricate everything is and how the policy works and all the discussion that goes on at open meetings, at policy review meetings and then transfers to actual board meetings,” she said.
And, she saw how community insight goes in behind all the decisions and how school board members interact with their schools, with their community members, their parents and administrators.
