(12/21/2023) On Dec. 18, Anoka-Hennepin Superintendent Cory McIntyre visited with the Blaine High School (BHS) Student Voices group for his second of many student roundtable discussions scheduled throughout the district. 

Superintendent McIntyre values student voice in the decision-making process and in ensuring the district is providing a safe, welcoming and positive school environment.

The hour-long sessions aim to gather student perspectives on the high school experience. To guide the discussion, both Superintendent McIntyre and the Student Voices group, which is a mix of students from each grade level at BHS, came prepared with questions.

Topics included:

• How student groups and activities are funded and why are there disparities between different groups.
• What courses should be required and what classes have been useful or memorable.
• How the teacher-student relationship is and how staff support students.
• Areas where the school or district could improve.
• The possibility of increasing passing time.
• How the student’s favorite teachers have impacted them.
• What the students are most proud of at BHS.
• What students are hearing regarding teacher contract negotiations.

There was a resounding sense of pride for how much the teachers and staff at BHS supported and cared for the students. One student said, “The relationships with teachers helps me to feel safe and welcomed.”

Student Voices at BHS consists of a diverse, multi-grade level of students who represent the student body as a whole to discuss and share the perspectives of students to help build and maintain relationships with the administration and staff at BHS. The group meets monthly to discuss student-generated topics providing the students opportunities to ask questions for clarification and seek additional information to share with their peers.

McIntyre stayed after the session to speak one-on-one with students and accepted a list of additional questions that weren’t covered in the roundtable discussion. View photos from the visit.

Dr. Josh Delich, associate superintendent for high schools; Becky Brodeur, associate superintendent for middle schools and student services; and Nate Manaen, director of student services, also attended the student roundtable session to hear from students at BHS.

For the first meeting in the roundtable series, McIntyre met with students from Anoka High School on Dec. 15. Similar events are planned for next month at Andover, Champlin Park, Coon Rapids, Sandburg Regional and Anoka-Hennepin Technical high schools and the Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP).