County Council Youth Town Hall

Last night I attended the Montgomery County Council Youth Town Hall Meeting-- a forum where students in Montgomery County have the opportunity to directly address County Council members about youth-related issues. I attended as a Press Correspondent of the Student Advisory Council, run by Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) John Mannes, and a Public Relations General Deputy of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association.

I expected to only see my friends in SGA at the meeting, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of students from Burtonsville Elementary School, as well as members of the Gandhi Brigade, S.T.E.P. (of the MoCo Recreation Department), and even a MoCo resident who attends a private school in Virginia. It was great to see such a diverse group of students present at the meeting, though it was a decrease from the approximately 400 last year to this year's 100. Despite the small turnout, council member Valerie Ervin was "impressed that [we] decided to participate."


The SMOB, John Mannes, kicked off the Q&A with a very complex question about the county's allocated funds for education. Though the council insisted that they exceeded maintenance of effort levels, Mannes showed proof that the "local funding of public education is down ten percent in the last decade."

A Student Advisory Council Press Correspondent brought up another large issue. The Shady Grove Bus Depot may be removed and north county school buses will have to be stored in school parking lots. This would potentially cause a morning parking lot traffic problem and limited parking spaces for the schools' night time events. The Council politicked their way out of the question. President Roger Berliner was also condescending towards the young lady who asked the question.

Concerned students also asked the council questions about the achievement gap and support for minority students. Council member Valerie Ervin, a former Board of Education member, stated, "The socioeconomic future of our country depends on [the success of Latinos and African Americans]."

The Youth Town Hall was a great opportunity to discuss important issues with the County Council; however, it would have been more effective if they had answered questions honestly.