The MCPS Student Member of the Board is the student body’s voice within Montgomery County. As such, it’s important for the SMOB to communicate and be aware of issues that students are plagued with. The 47th SMOB, Praneel Suvarna, has done an excellent job during his first semester in office. While other SMOBs focused on trivial issues, like strawberry milk in the cafeteria, or unblocking games on Chromebooks, Survarna has done an exemplary job in communication and policy.
Starting off his term, Survarna focused on our drug & vaping issues, helping budget in order to equip every MCPS security guard with Narcan to fight the fentanyl epidemic and installing vape detectors throughout school bathrooms.
He then continued advocating for mental health initiatives, meeting with the Mental Health Advisory Committee (MHAC) to implement and increase the presence of therapy dogs throughout schools.
Many students’ demands are for things that actively harm their learning experience, but Survana has passed policies that genuinely address students’ unspoken issues, accomplishing not what students ask on a surface level but rather passing policies that improve students’ learning experience and mental health.
During the January board meeting, Survana discussed the student ID policy with the MCPS Board. Instead of expressing opinions heard through word of mouth or arguing based on personal beliefs, Survana instead questioned the method of data collection the Board was getting its information from, arguing that the inconvenience and inefficiency of ID problems were a symptom of a much larger disease – a lack of communication between students and teachers.
Reforms concerning the student ID policy were a big goal of the previous SMOB, Sami Saeed. Instead of excessively pushing his own goals, Survana made sure to express his frustration with the Board that Saeed’s policy wasn’t getting pushed, which set an example for all SMOBs to follow – to work together with others, making sure helpful policies actually get passed.
Perhaps the most unique thing Survarna has done is direct communication through social media. During the blizzard this January, a major source of news for high school students was the Instagram account MoCo Closures. Survana’s username was seen frequently in the comments section of posts that kept students updated, explaining the reasoning behind closures, two-hour delays and openings, explaining the extent of his power. He made it clear that it was not a board decision to keep schools open or closed; instead, what he could do was provide communication channels between students and the county. Transparency is one of the key abilities of a good leader & representative, and Suvarna’s honesty showed his integrity and ethics.
