We’ve all received the annual email from Dr. Johnson about the new year’s Principal Advisory Council. If you’re like the average LM student, you’ve opened the email, glanced at it, and moved on without any thought of what it meant. But what exactly is the Principal’s Advisory Council? Are they actually making a difference? While this year’s council and their accomplishments remain to be seen, the PAC has been around for many years and aims to serve their purpose well.
The Principal’s Advisory Council strives to provide “an opportunity [for any student] to have their voice heard at LM,” according to Dr. Johnson. It aims to form a diverse group of students from all grades and encourages them to speak up about concerns within the LM school community. The meetings are conducted in focus group fashion, with the staff presenting ideas to the council and seeking the opinions of LM students. They have covered a wide range of topics, including the student ID system, Lunch and Learn, and student parking. They meet monthly during Lunch and Learn in spaces like the Black Box or LGI. Meetings can be run like whole-group discussions or an administration presentation followed by voicing questions and concerns. Jasmine Chang ’26 assures that it is a “welcoming and friendly atmosphere.” The purpose of these meetings and the formation of this council is to raise the student body’s voice and have everyone feel heard in decisions that the LM administration makes.
Although this may seem very similar to Student Council, the PAC is actually quite different. LM Student Council is made up of elected officials that the student body themselves vote on and has a broader goal of improving the student body’s experiences throughout the school year. This ranges from school spirit to academics to extracurriculars. While the Student Council also aims to raise their voice with administration, the PAC meets directly with these faculty and intends to help “more students to build rapport with our building leadership team,” according to Dr. Johnson. Another difference is that students who apply for the PAC are picked by the admin team, not by their peers. However, the two councils share similar motivations and values, attracting students who strive to make changes within their school community and have their voices heard.
Most importantly, the Principal’s Advisory Council seems to have a positive impact on LM. Most past members of the PAC seem to be satisfied with the voice it gives them; “I’ve always felt that if I had a huge concern about LM, I would have been listened to,” says Simon Varki ’25. “Dr. Johnson does a really good job of actually listening to what the students have to say,” adds Piper Slogoff ’25. “The council uses all of our opinions to actually create solutions in LM,” Priyal Chhipa ’26 agrees.
However, other members share the concerns of how influential their opinions actually are. “I am unsure how much our opinions genuinely influence the decision-making behind the scenes, [or if] we are simply used as a gauge to see how students will react to different policies and ideas,” one student mentions anonymously. Joy Donovan ’23, who served on the PAC all four years of high school notes there was a change when it opened up to the whole school, rather than selected members. This change followed Dr. Johnson’s appointment and subsequent takeover of the PAC from Principal Hughes. She states, “I do think the old structure was more conducive to a dialogue.” In reference to the new model instated by Dr Johnson last year, she continues, “It just felt like a focus group for him to test ideas off of rather than a committee of people bringing up student issues.”
Despite these mixed views, the Principal’s Advisory Council is a true forum dedicated to the student body as a chance to speak on LM topics. The leadership shift from Mr. Hughes to Dr. Johnson has affected many school policies, and the PAC is clearly no different. As Dr. Johnson and the administration decide the roster for this year’s council, it seems like they have important footsteps to follow. Hopefully, the 2023-24 PAC will work towards a more empowering dynamic within and be able to offer their own ideas that truly reflect the opinions of the LM student body.
