I am writing this petition as a student who has personally experienced the inequitable and dismissive treatment by the administration at Brockport High School in New York. Sadly, my story is not an isolated one; I am but one among hundreds of students who feel disrespected and undervalued by those in power at our school.

For many of us, school should be a refuge, a place where we feel safe, supported, and empowered to learn and grow. Yet, for countless students at Brockport High School, it has become a source of anxiety and stress due to the way we are treated by the administration. Complaints are often ignored, disciplinary actions seem arbitrary, and there is a lack of genuine understanding and empathy towards the concerns and needs of students.

Statistics have shown that a positive school climate significantly boosts student achievement, motivation, and well-being. According to a report by the National School Climate Center, schools with supportive climates see improved student outcomes, increased attendance, and decreased incidents of bullying and violence. Clearly, the administration needs to prioritize the mental and emotional health of its students to foster a nurturing and inclusive environment.

 Faculty at Brockport high school are very censored on what they can say to the students. Our school district is more worried about keeping our grades and attendance high, but all we see are consequences of not doing so. We should be offered inspiration, care, guidance, support. We should feel free to work in places that make us comfortable and make class changes when we feel uncomfortable or to stressed in our invirerment. Higher end staff state that these are “not possible” but they are infect possible. Our staff just doesn’t want to make the effort towards us. We are often judged based on our grades and not our personality’s, teachers who want to help their students often cannot offer further support as they can’t legally do so.

our school uses pass systems restricting our time in the bathrooms and not letting students use the bathroom until another student is back. Although I can see how this could be necessary for children skipping classes. Little action is taken to punish students who have been out for awhile. Some students may be using the restroom and take longer or have an upset stomach, while others are using their time to make poor choices. My point is, you don’t know. You are not legally allowed to refuse a bathroom to a student. We have the right to use the restroom. If a student is skipping class? Then that will affect their grade, their learning, their choosing to make a poor choice. You cannot change someone who isn’t willing to change. But you can let students who are about to pee themselves use the bathroom. Our pass system can be hard to use at times for what? Security hardly pays much attention to where we are going, and I don’t blame them. They are humans that understand we are humans to. We have rights, and we don’t want to be monitored wherever we go. School is a place we LEGALLY are required to show up to. We do not choose to have our bathroom rights taken because some students make poor choices. 

I now want to get into the mistreatment by staff towards students. I will first use a personal example that I have recently experienced myself. I am a quiet student who has started reading since the state phone ban has begun. I was in my study center and I ask my study center teacher if I could read my book in the hall as I always do. I like reading in the hall because it is a quiet environment and helps me, who has severe adhd focus. My study center tends to get loud so I cannot focus and even do my work if I’m in a classroom that is loud. My study center teacher told me I could as she usually does because I’ve never done anything to make her not trust me. I bring my water bottle, my breakfast, and my book out in the hall with me right next to me study centers door. I read my book. Then all of the sudden I am interrupted by a staff member I’ve never met in my life. She says to me “Do we wanna talk about why we’re in the hallway?” Me confused thinking that she thinks I was being a bad student I say “oh, I come out here to read quietly during my study center, my teacher said it was okay.” She responds by saying “no, you can’t do that. You need to get your stuff and get back into your classroom.” Mind you I’ve never met this women in my life, she’s never met me. She didn’t even know my name and chose to speak to me in a manner that was highly inappropriate as a staff member speaking to a minor. I so “oh, okay” and head inside. The women goes inside my study center and speaks to my teacher telling her I’m not allowed to do that. (By the way I am, I’ve asked many teachers and they said it’s allowed if it’s approved by the teacher in which class you’d be in). My teacher seems confused but agreed to her because I’ve been told she was the department manager? So basically her boss who seems to think she’s the queen bee. After she left my teacher was like “I’m sorry she kicked you out, if I would’ve known I wouldn’t have said u could go out their.” And I felt pretty bad for her because like she was just trying to be nice and let me get some peace and READ IN AN ENVIRONMENT I CAN FOCUS IN. 

This next example starts back on the first day of school 2025, all students knew phones were being banned. But we were not aware of the official rules and when we were allowed to use them. I have my phone in my hand walking into the building, as I did the year before that. All the sudden the PRINCIPAL is yelling at me to put it in my bag. I quickly put it in my water bottle pocket because students are flooding in on the first day of school and we’re all in a rush to get inside and get to our classes. Security guards are everywhere, there’s a line to get into the office for how many people had detention. For simply walking into school with their phones in their hand, not knowing the full rules. Because who even reads emails over break? Hello? Break is break, not to think about school. Before the first bell even rung students were getting introuble for something they didn’t know they were doing wrong. Students report that security was dragging a kid to the office for having his phone. You are legally not  allowed to aggressively put your hands on a minor at all. That is a form of child abuse. If can talk about how it used to not be a rule, but guess what? Neither was the phone ban and administration has taken up to the next level with how they treat students. 

There are many other examples I have that needs to be changed in school. But I started a few concerns because nobody wants to read a whole book about how Brockport needs to treat their students and teachers better! 

Please sign this petition to demand a change in the way Brockport High School treats its students, ensuring a brighter and more equitable future for everyone.