Shawnee Senior Serving On State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council

Shawnee Senior Serving On State by David Dinsmore Superintendent's Student Advisory Council

Like many high school seniors, Hanaa Saidi is trying to define exactly what her future will look like.

The teachers and administrators at Shawnee Public School, however, know what she brings to the present, and that’s why superintendent April Grace nominated Saidi for the 2021 Student Advisory Council working with the office of state superintendent Joy Hofmeister.

“It was an honor for me to put Hanaa's name forward for the advisory council,” Grace said in a press release. “Her experience in student council and our band program will give Hanaa a unique perspective when engaging in rich conversations as part of the council.”

Saidi knew another local student who served on the council last year and became interested when she received an email from Grace talking about her possible nomination. She said she did some research into the types of discussions and input the state advisory council conducted.

“I knew that was something I wanted to be a part of,” Saidi said. “I was so honored when I got the email. I was so excited. I ran home and told my family”

Some of the issues that piqued her interest was a focus on how local and state politics shape each school district, Saidi said. She liked the idea that she could contribute ideas that could help her fellow Shawnee students but also students across the state as well.

Saidi joins 96 other Oklahoma high school students for the sixth consecutive iteration of the group convened to assist Hofmeister and the Oklahoma State Department of Education in discussing and defining policy matters using student input.

“Students have a lot to say about their education, and it is critical that we listen to them,” Hofmeister

Hanaa Saidi is representing Shawnee Public Schools at the state level through the Student Advisory Council established by state education superintendent Joy Hofmeister’s office. Saidi also serves as the local student council president at Shawnee High School.

said in a release. “The direct insight we receive from our students is incredibly valuable, and each year I am encouraged by the thoughtful reflection and fearless vision of these brilliant young leaders.”

In speaking with Saidi about her experience in Shawnee schools, it does not take long to realize how much it has impacted her and the motivation she has to see it grow and thrive.

“I love our school district, and I’m so excited to represent them,” Saidi said in an interview prior to the state advisory council’s first virtual meeting in late January.

One of the top highlights within Shawnee Public Schools that Saidi said she looks forward to sharing is its backpack program, which coordinates and distributes backpacks of healthy foods to those in need.

“There’s an ongoing need for good nutrition for our students,” Saidi said. “It’s something that I think every school should have … and more people should be involved in it.”

In addition to sharing some of the good things she has experienced within Shawnee public schools, Saidi said she is looking forward to hearing about what other schools are doing to improve the experience and outcomes of their students. She looks forward to getting a glimpse into other districts and see if there is anything she can bring back to make Shawnee Public Schools stronger.

The state advisory council is not Saidi’s first foray into getting involved and helping influence policy for her school. She is serving as student council president this year and has held other positions like chair of student relations. On a state level, she has represented Shawnee at state high school leadership events hosted at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.

She has served as drum major and section leader for the Pride of the Pack marching band. A member of the National Honor Society, Saidi also gives her time to the local BancFirst student board of directors.

“School has always been not necessarily a getaway but somewhere I have always succeeded and somewhere I have fun,” Saidi said. “I like to learn. I like being around people.”

After graduation this year, Saidi will attend the University of Oklahoma, and she said she is looking at a couple of different fields of study she would like to pursue, among which include public administration and political science.

In addition to her family’s excitement about her nomination, Saidi said she has received a lot of encouragement from her teachers and faculty at Shawnee High School, whom she credits along with her other teachers since moving to Shawnee Public Schools in fourth grade with giving her the ability to be in the position to serve on this state council.

The 2020 Student Advisory Council last met virtually in June, where students voiced their challenges about learning amid a global pandemic and how racism impacts the classroom experience. Other past discussion topics have included the importance of personal financial literacy, increased awareness of student mental health needs and how trauma can impede student success.

Feedback from the Council has been instrumental in state-level initiatives to provide teachers more professional development in trauma-informed instruction, replace endof-course high school testing with the ACT or SAT and pilot Individual Career Academic Planning.

The second meeting of the Student Advisory Council will happen later in the spring with planners eyeing a physical meeting at the state capitol pending restrictions in place as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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