Meet One of America’s Youngest Elected Officials: School Board Member Mike Floyd
“I am a public school product, Pre-K through high school. I don’t advocate for private schools. It’s in our interest to advocate for public education for everyone and not just those who can pay upwards of $40,000 a year.”
In fourth grade, Mike found his voice advocating for change in his district’s food contract. As is the trend once students have a message that needs to be heard and realize their potential to make change, they don’t stop. The petition started by a fourth-grader garnered 400 signatures that year.
By the time Mike was in eighth grade, the students had the leverage they needed to create change; the petition had risen to 1,600 signatures. Lawyers took interest and they were able to negotiate with the school administration.
His junior year of high school, students were being sent to In-School Suspension(ISS) instead of being allowed to attend class for unreasonable offenses.
Mike and his peers worked to gather 6,000 signatures to fight and change the policies sending students to ISS for minor infractions like dress code violations and tardies.
Yet, there is always more work to be done.
Senior year, Mike ran for school board and won a seat on the Pearland ISD School Board through the power of a vast student network called Glenda Dawson High School.
Now approaching his fourth month as a school board member (after being sworn in May 2017) Mike’s goals include pushing student policy, bringing students into policy issues that affect them and promoting civic engagement.
“People underestimate youth and continue to do so, much to their folly. If I had not been in a public high school during my campaign with 2,500 students, I wouldn’t have won. They underestimate students.”
Among the supporters of Mike’s opponents were the Congressman and State Representative of his district. But, Mike says students were an untapped resource that caused incredible change this past school board election.
“The power that young people have lies in 1.) new ideas and 2.) the advantage of the element of surprise from being overlooked.”
Being overlooked is a challenge that Mike also faces as a student advocate.
The “step back and let the adults handle it” attitude prevails even while it’s no secret that present leaders have a track record of dropping the ball. Not showing initiative, ignoring crises (or even causing them) because constituents are ignored can no longer be the norm in Pearland.
Mike, he’s different. He understands the need for representing students unlike the previous school board politicians.
Youth voice is important because understanding other’s circumstances requires empathy.
Mike will be sticking around town to fulfill school board commitments while still becoming a member of the University of Houston class of 2021, where he will pursue a degree in political science and government.
When asked about the college transition process, he said, “I can’t speak for how my process was different because I don’t know what it was like for someone from a private school.”
What struck me most about Mike was his readiness to admit that he needs to learn and listen. Self awareness and advocating for always learning more are a natural part of being a student.
Quite frankly, more school board members need to acknowledge that schools, and their school boards, are for students.
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Student Voice is in pursuit of student representation. To learn more about this campaign, read this Medium post or follow along on Twitter.
*This post in no way supports, endorses or materially opposes any political candidate, member or party. Views expressed by subjects of Students of America posts are their own and do not represent the views of STUDENT VOICE, INC.
