3 Students Vie For Open Ed Board Seat

Making classroom lessons more relevant and engaging, increasing student pride in school facilities’ good repair, and boosting mentorship programs for K‑12 students across the district.

Those top the list of priorities of the three New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) students who are now running in an election for a soon-to-open student rep seat on the Board of Education.

The school board candidates include Hillhouse sophomore Hsiu-Mei Chow-Yen, Wilbur Cross sophomore John Carlos Serana Musser, and Coop sophomore Laila Kelly Walker.

This past Friday, all three candidates met in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall and via Zoom for a community forum at which the students talked about their goals if elected to one of two student representative seats on the Board of Education. The forum also gave each student an opportunity to introduce themselves to their peers in the runup to this Friday’s election. 

Current Board of Education student representative Dave Cruz-Bustamante, who is a junior at Wilbur Cross, moderated Friday’s forum. The winner of this year’s election will take the seat of Hillhouse senior Ma’shai Roman, who is set to graduate at the end of this school year. 

Focus On Facility Pride

Kelly-Walker, who grew up in the Hill and currently resides in Fair Haven Heights, shared that she is running for a seat on the school board because ​“I wanted to make a positive impact on the district.”

She is Co-op’s sophomore communications officers for student council. 

When asked how she would work to represent all roughly 20,000 NHPS students, Kelly-Walker said she would make connections with teachers, staff, and district leaders who work with student organizations. 

Kelly-Walker described herself as driven, focused, and assertive when necessary. She said if elected she would balance when to be and not be assertive to voice her passions about board challenges. 

When asked what she enjoys about her school, Kelly-Walker said she loves that performances bring the school together. 

She said she hopes to push for more teacher training in cultural competence to make students feel more comfortable when taking Hispanic or African American history courses. 

“A lot of the times some of the teachers that might be teaching these courses aren’t fully aware of the community that they’re teaching to,” she said. ​“Now when I look around and I see many different students, I see many different faces. We’re within the inner city, and in order to truly connect with your student you have to have cultural competence.” 

She added that to address bathroom facility concerns that are often raised by students, she would work to build a campaign around student pride with school facilities. 

“Often times you walk in and there’s no soap. So, have a student report that to the custodian, make those connections,” she said. 

When asked how she will make change without having a formal vote on the school board, Kelly-Walker said she would encourage student power and have students speak more often at board meetings. 

“If the board is able to hear all of our voices then that will have an impact on their decisions,” she said. She added that she is motivated to run for the school board seat to support students wanting change and to improve the district.

Kelly-Walker recalled her transition from middle to high school as a challenging time. ​“I feel like if we try to make the transition for students a little easier then students would be more motivated and they would just feel more comfortable in their school environment,” she said. 

Mentorship. Mentorship. Mentorship

Chow-Yen shared she is running with the goal of making change in the schools and around making sure everyone feels included and is receiving quality resources. 

Chow-Yen is the Hillhouse student council’s sophomore president. 

When asked how she would work to represent all NHPS students, Chow-Yen said she too would connect with staff. 

She added that if elected she would want to connect high schoolers with middle and elementary students for mentorship opportunities 

Chow-Yen described herself as driven and dedicated. This would help her bring the community together. 

“I’m really an open book when it comes to my personality so putting that into what I do is being very open with people,” she said. 

When asked what she enjoys about her school, Chow-Yen said she loves that the building is like a community with strong pride and has a lot of different programs, including culinary programs. 

Chow-Yen said at her school, bathroom use is an issue because students are made to wait to limit the bathroom occupancy at any given time. 

When asked how she will make change without having a formal vote on the school board, Chow-Yen said she would her use the elected role as an opportunity to get school communities together to share their point of views. 

“Being able to get us all to come [together] as a community might get them to change their minds so they can hear the voice of all of us,” she said. 

When asked what motivates Chow-Yen to run, she said she wants to work hard on the community and make sure schools are quality places for students like her sister, who also attends NHPS. 

As a student with ADHD who is on a 504 plan, Chow-Yen said she has faced challenges with getting support from her teachers and would like to advocate for others in similar situations.

Building A Supportive Community

Serana Musser, who grew up Wooster Square, said he is running to improve the student experience in the district. 

“I am passionate about becoming a part of the positive force that’s needed to address many problems in our schools communities,” he said. 

Serana Musser is a member of Cross’ student council. His parents are both educators, one of whom also works in NHPS. 

When asked how he would work to represent all 20,000 NHPS students, Serana Musser said he would connect with students, hold various conversations, do surveys and outreach activities, connect with existing organizations, and use social media to empower student voice. 

Serana Musser described himself as diligent, responsible, self-reliant, and community-oriented, which would help him if elected. 

When asked what he enjoys about his school, Serana Musser said he enjoys school dances because they serve as an example that ​“school can be more than just a place for learning but also a place where you can foster friendships, have fun, and be a part of a supportive community.”

Serana Musser said he feels there is a lack of qualified permanent teachers. He said he has two classes this year without a permanent teacher. 

“I feel like many students are in danger of not being properly educated in the skills and knowledge needed to prosper in society,” he said. ​“And we can improve this by joining other associations pursuing the same goals.” 

In regard to poor bathroom conditions, Serana Musser said he would push for more resources like toilet paper and soap. 

When asked how he will make change without having a formal vote on the board, Serana Musser said he would encourage students to apply pressure through protest. 

When asked what motivates him to run, Serana Musser said he wants to see his peers come to school with good friendships and support like he has.

Serana Musser recalled being diagnosed with severe anxiety in the sixth grade and this caused him to struggle with putting himself out there to make friends and try new things. 

He overcame this by trying out new opportunities at his school, like student council and the soccer team. 

"A Healthy, Well-Funded, & Nurtured NHPS"

“What does a healthy, well funded, and nurtured NHPS look like to you?” Cruz-Bustamante asked all of the candidates. 

Kelly-Walker said increased student power, expanding mental health resources for students, more access to technology, better bathroom facilities, and inclusivity of students. 

Chow-Yen said more built-in mental health days rather than just brief activities, more class trips to colleges and trade opportunities. 

Serana Musser said teachers should be allowed to create their own curricula to make class instruction more engaging and relevant. 

Friday’s meeting concluded with a community Q&A.

“What is the most important thing about using empathy in your student environment?” one student asked. 

Kelly-Walker said learning from each other is important to her. Chow-Yen said she aims to be relatable and connect with others by sharing her differences. Serana Musser said he would prioritize expressing all student concerns to the board. 

“What is a fun fact about each of you?” another student asked. 

Kelly-Walker shared that she sings and is left handed. Chow-Yen said she plays three instruments and runs long distance track. Serana Musser said he plays soccer. 

Students will be able to vote for one of the three candidates on election day, Friday, May 19, at their schools.