On Jan. 27 Varnum High School Senior Kamryn Brewer and her fellow members of Oklahoma’s student advisory council met virtually with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister. Hofmeister and her student advisory council discussed how the student learning experience has changed since COVID-19 and the current mental health state of Oklahoma’s students.

The Oklahoma State Board of Education included $18.2 million in the OSDE budget request for a school counselor corps for the 2022 fiscal year. The ratio of students to counselor is 412 to 1.

When asked about her takeaway from the meeting, Brewer said, “Many high school students feel very strongly about the push for mental health awareness among schools and the toll that has been taken on students' mental health due to the pandemic. Virtual learn ing has made it hard for students to feel motivated to learn and in some schools, as students expressed, prohibited them from getting the help/support that they needed. While all of the effects of the pandemic are proving to be a setback, the large majority of students were very happy with how their teachers/instructors went above and beyond to help them in whatever ways they can.”

This is the sixth year that Hofmeister has gathered a group of juniors and seniors to assist her and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Ninety-seven students have been appointed to Hofmeister’s Student Advisory Council to suggest how public education can recover from the learning loss and other issues over the past year.

Brewer will represent Varnum Public Schools on the student advisory council through the rest of the 2020- 2021 school year.