Nevada consistently ranks poorly in education, and our students continue to pay the price. In our time of crisis in education, we must reevaluate who holds power and how decisions are made. AB 316, a beacon of hope for student voice, offered a clear step forward for students in Nevada. It would have created a student advisory position on school boards, ensuring those directly impacted by education policies had a voice in shaping them.

The bill received unanimous, bipartisan support from the committee, but Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fosset unilaterally decided to kill AB 316 despite the majority of committee members' support. In doing so, Assemblymember Torres-Fosset single-handedly silenced students across the state, denying them a platform to voice their concerns and shutting down opportunities for their input in the decision-making process. 

When our student advocates heard of AB 316’s withholding from the Assembly Education Committee, we reached out in the hope of working with Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett on amendments to the bill and collaborations to ensure its success. Despite claiming to value collaboration, she rejected repeated attempts to work with students on possible amendments and when provided an opportunity to voice specific concerns.  

Furthermore, when students and educators called and emailed her office regarding AB 316’s withholding, she failed to transparently explain her opposition to the proposal and address her dismissal of the opinions of the other 11 elected officials in her committee. As one of the youngest legislators elected, it is incredibly disappointing, even disheartening, to see that Assemblymember Torres-Fossett has locked the door of opportunity behind her by not supporting students in their ability to share their voice in civically engaged ways that make a meaningful impact in education broadly around the state.

Let’s be clear: Torres-Fossett shut the door on students sharing their voices and concerns in the education they receive and that their peers receive. She talks about equity, collaboration, and youth voice, but when it came time to act, she turned her back on every student, teacher, and parent fighting for a better future in education for Nevada. She does not work for the people of Nevada, but for the career bureaucrats within districts that have decided they know what's best for the school district, leaving students and their voices behind.

We urge the people, to see that Assemblymember Torres-Fossett has not led with the people in mind. In withholding AB316, she has put herself above students, teachers, the public, and the elected members of her own committee. 

Join us in holding her accountable. 

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