by Several Warrior Staff

Students in all grade levels were asked by the school administration last month to complete an electronic Student Voice Survey to provide feedback on engagement, classroom community, student well being, and equity at Sherwood. Certain questions asked students to rate their stress as a result of being back in the building and list factors that contributed to their stress. Other questions asked if students felt included as a part of the school community, and what Sherwood can do to create a more inclusive school environment. The Student Voice Survey aims to call attention to important topics regarding students’ well-being and opinions on inclusivity. Sherwood’s administration next must share the findings of the survey, and take action based on those results.

The survey was posted as an assignment to complete in homeroom or in social studies classrooms, depending on grade level. The purpose of the school survey was not explained, and there were no follow-up discussions about the survey. While the survey aimed to help voice students’ opinions, many students did not take it seriously, viewing it only as another random survey that they’ll never hear about again. Without any follow-up on the results of the survey, it will continue to serve as a forgotten assignment with no purpose. The students who took the time to answer truthfully and share their experiences with their mental health or suggest how to improve equity in the school community deserve to see the survey results and that administrators will actually do something about the issues.

Most students, especially after some recent events, would likely agree that some changes need to be made to improve the inclusivity and equity at Sherwood. This survey seems to be the administration’s way of assessing and hopefully addressing problems with intolerance among Sherwood’s student body. However, without any information about the results from the survey and without transparency about what actions are being taken behind the scenes, it’s difficult for students to feel like changes are being made. By releasing the results of the survey to the community, Sherwood leadership could show that they are willing to be held accountable and involve students in the process of solving potential problems revealed by the survey.

Issues involving stress and mental health at Sherwood are very important to students, especially since these issues are rarely taken seriously in a high school environment. Even knowing that other students are having similar experiences could be helpful for struggling students. This could be an opportunity for Sherwood leadership to show that they really care about the mental health of students, and even more importantly, show that they are willing to take concrete action to support students’ wellbeing.

The way the Student Voice Survey was prefaced, it seems like it was meant to be more important or different than other yearly surveys students participate in. Timed with the return to in-person school, this survey appeared to be administration’s way of showing they care about their students. Questions asked students to rate their stress level, and a follow-up question asked if the students would like to be contacted by their counselor. It is understandable that many, if not most, students at Sherwood are moderately to extremely stressed for various reasons; however, a counselor visit may not be the way for them to combat that stress. If responding to students who selected “yes” for that question is the only concrete action the school is planning to take following survey results, then the Student Voice Survey is ineffective in conveying to students that administration values student voices.