A solid, well-rounded education is inarguably the first step in creating a productive and successful society. The foundations it provides pave the way for further education, such as college or trade school, by helping students recognize their areas of strength and discover topics of interest from an early age. The curriculum structure for such a critical aspect of life is individually placed into the hands of states, each having unique student standards. The North Carolina Board of Education and its responsibilities are not an everyday thought for most students, but they are for the board’s student advisor Ian House (‘26).
House has volunteered for the NC Board of Education since August of 2024. He provided a rundown of the program and its purpose, sharing, “The North Carolina State Board of Education is the body charged in our state with supervising and administering the public school system.” The board possesses a huge responsibility, overseeing all 115 school districts, over 200 charter schools and all the 2,500 public schools in North Carolina. Additionally, they set statewide policies that schools are legally required to follow. The board settles graduation requirements, helps play an important role in dictating the standards that determine course curricula and influences sports.
Despite its many focuses, the board has an overarching goal of ensuring that all students are in a good position to engage in the post-secondary goals of their choosing while becoming productive members of society. House is a student advisor on the board and represents over 1.5 million students in NC. Being a student himself, the constant access to student input allows him to easily convey majority opinions and wishes that would otherwise be left unheard.
The past few months during which he has fulfilled his role have allowed him the opportunity to interact with many different people. “I’ve met with a lot of students across the state. I’ve heard a lot of concerns. I’ve even met with some of the faculty here at Green Hope and heard more education concerns,” House shared when discussing his position. Additionally, his role has allowed him to speak about class rankings, the use of name image and likeness, and the implementation of cell phone policies that are intended to benefit both students and faculty.
House’s experiences on the board have allowed him to create his own initiative called NC Student Voice Connect. NC Student Voice Connect intends to unite North Carolina public school students with education policies through short anonymous digital surveys. “Surveys are regular once every month, and they usually focus on a certain education issue. The results from the survey are given to the NC State Board of Education,” Ian shared. The surveys are anonymous, incentivizing students to leave unfiltered thoughts with the intent of improving schools firsthand.
Although he is relatively new to the NC State Board of Education, House remains incredibly thankful for all it has offered him, and plans on using his position to continue making an impact. “I value board membership because I see it as a way in which I can serve my community, serve my fellow students, and give back to what is best for students,” he said.
House hopes to extend NC Student Voice Connect to all school districts in North Carolina, allowing him input from students all over the state. Additionally, he hopes to see policy change through the use of his surveys that benefit both students and teachers for school years to come.
