District Equity Council
For more information, please get in touch with Erin Gockel, Director of Enrichment Programs and Teacher Development, at egockel@fms.k12.nm.us or (505) 324-9840 ext. 1604.
Student Voices: FMS Students Are Leading the Way
Since 2022, Farmington Municipal Schools students have been proving that leadership starts with listening, especially to young people. Across a series of Equity Council and Student Voices events, students from elementary through high school have been gathering to reflect, connect, and advocate for change in their schools.
At the most recent District Equity Council meeting, all eleven schools with a Student Voices group shared their work using the New Mexico Public Education Department's Equity Storytelling Tool. Each school reflected on where it started, the goals it set, and the vision it carries into next year. Their stories centered on amplifying student voice, building leadership skills, and creating change through advisement.
From Kindness Campaigns to Lunch Buddies: Advisement Projects Making a Real Difference
Advisement topics range from increasing kindness and improving attendance to launching a Lunch Buddy program, promoting tutoring awareness, and using school-wide surveys to track growth in belonging and safety at FMS schools. Sponsors were honored with "Rising to Excellence" coins in recognition of their steady commitment to these student groups.
Superintendent Cody Diehl also spent time with our students from Animas, McKinley, and Esperanza elementary schools at the recent Student Voices conference, calling it a powerful reminder of why student input matters in shaping meaningful, relevant learning. He noted that nearly every student who lined up to share reflections in front of their peers was a genuinely moving moment. Alongside an Equity Council event for middle and high schoolers, he pointed to this work as proof that FMS is investing in student voice and leadership at every level, and thanked the district's Curriculum and Teacher Development staff and Local Partners for making it possible.
That momentum carried through two additional gatherings. At the "Student Voices: You Are An Influencer!" event, students from Esperanza Elementary, Tibbetts Middle, Farmington High, and Rocinante High came together at Central Office for workshops built around growing leadership skills and advocacy. Students created their schools' "Rings of Culture" to visualize shared goals, took part in "Vision Boarding for Success" to celebrate achievements and build on future aspirations, and joined a "Dance and Movement" session focused on wellbeing.
District Equity Council Resources
Our Equity Council applications are available at the end of each school year for vacant council seats.
