LYNNWOOD—Approximately 40 history students of Cedar Park Christian School on Friday, May 3, completed a field trip to Lynnwood City Hall where they took to the dais and directly participated in the democratic process with a mock student-led city council meeting.
“I think it is great learning experience for them to actually sit in the chair and realize why there is order,” U.S. History teacher Katrina Wiant told the Lynnwood Times. “Who you vote for in those council chairs are making the rules for our city and you have to live by that, including the taxes. So, I really appreciate Mr. Hurst taking this initiative with us.”
The 7th and 8th grade students participated in two mock City Council meetings where they heard testimony, debated, and voted on legislation. There was also an elected student mayor for each council meeting.
The agenda items for both student sessions were as follows:
- Proposed solutions to address speeding on local roads.
- How to address Graffiti within the city of Lynnwood?
- Are there too many apartments being built in Lynnwood?
- Should Lynnwood residents have to pay to use the Recreation Center?
The 8th grade student-led City Council voted to implement more speed cameras and hire more police officers to address speeding within the city of Lynnwood. The motion to have city of Lynnwood residents pay a lower entry fee for use of the Recreation Center than non-Lynnwood residents also passed.
However, a motion to hire painters to repaint the graffiti damage and buy more cameras to catch graffiti artists failed along with a motion to allow 100-story apartments in Lynnwood.
The 7th grade student-led City Council voted to approve incarcerated individuals to clean the graffiti throughout the city as part of their community service as a solution to addressing graffitiing Lynnwood. The councilmembers approved a mandate lowering housing prices and removing the entry fee for the Recreation Center for Lynnwood residents, but nonresidents should pay a fee; and all attendees, regardless of residency, are to pay for lessons.
The council rejected a motion to establish fake decoy police cars to deter speeding in Lynnwood.
“You guys did really good, give yourselves an applause,” Lynnwood Council President George Hurst told the students.
Hurst routinely speaks in classes at Cedar Park Christian School about U.S. History and local government. Wiant shared that on April 29, students voted and elected 14 council members and two mayors ahead of Friday’s exercise in democracy.
“This was wonderful, and I am really impressed with the student comments and discussions,” Council Vice President Julieta Altamirano-Crosby told the Lynnwood Times. “Council President Hurst and myself are thinking of doing more of this with the students. This is a great way to engage the youth and for them to learn. I truly appreciate the teachers and parents for allowing this.”
Hurst shared how impressed he was with the students balancing costs, resources, and needs. He intends to continue the mock City Council student-led sessions in the future.
“These kids had some great ideas,” Hurst said. “Some of them did their homework especially with the HVAC system with the Rec Center.”
“It was really educational and fun,” Yoanna a student at Cedar Park said.
Yoanna’s favorite part of the exercise was the discussion of solutions to address graffiti within the city.
Wiant shared that the students learned, firsthand, the process and motions to create laws and amendments to laws, including hearing the opinions of their peers on legislative topics.
Disclaimer: Lynnwood Council President George Hurst, Vice President Julieta Altamirano-Crosby, Executive Assistant to the City Council Lisa Harrison, in collaboration with Cedar Park Christian School history teacher Katrina Wiant carried out two mock student-led city council meetings. The motions approved by the students were nonbinding and were for teaching purposes only.
Author: Mario Lotmore
One Response
Come on people the 100 story complex being rejected is just a cover story so they could slip more traffic cams in without opposition. Because you probably think thank God they actually did right thing. So these traffic cams are no big deal. Your all being played for stupid by city council.