State School Superintendent Richard Woods has selected 110 Georgia students to serve on his 2015­2016 Student Advisory Council. Of those 110 Georgia students Kimberly O’Brien from Bay Springs Middle School was selected. Throughout the school year, these middle and high school students will meet with Superintendent Woods to discuss the impact of state policies in the classroom. Members of the Student Advisory Council will also discuss other issues related to education, and will serve as the Superintendent’s ambassadors to their respective schools.

“Students feel the impact of our decisions every day.” Superintendent Woods said. “If we are going to develop child­focused, classroom­centered policies, we must hear directly from students. We can only improve their educational experience by bringing them to the table.”

Members were selected from a pool of more than 1,500 students who applied to serve on the council. Students were chosen based on the strength of their essay answers, which focused on their ideas for public education and ways their own educational experience could be improved. The students selected represent charter, virtual and traditional public schools in every RESA district in Georgia.

“It will be refreshing and valuable to hear feedback from these students, as well as their ideas for education in Georgia,” Superintendent Woods said. “This is a great group of students with smart, varied ideas for the future of our educational system. I look forward to working with them and I’d like to thank every student who took the time to apply and share his or her thoughts.”

Meetings of the Student Advisory Council will be held September 28, November 9 and March 28 for middle school students, ?and October 1, November 12 and March 31 for high school students ?at the Georgia Department of Education’s offices in Atlanta. The council will also hold two virtual meetings.