My Story
My name is Jaden Jackson, and I am a student at Advanced Technologies Academy High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. I launched this youth council because I’ve seen how deeply public policy, especially education policy, but also healthcare, economic policy, and social policy shape the everyday lives of young people. These issues have shaped my own experiences, and they impact students and families across Nevada in ways that are impossible to ignore.
Across the state, our public school districts are facing major challenges. Budgets are tightening, staff are being surplussed, and access to specialized educational services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and social-emotional support remains limited. Many schools do not have the professionals and resources they need to serve their student populations.
Another major concern is transparency. Decisions about school operations and student services often happen without clear communication. Families are left confused about sudden program changes, funding shifts, or staffing cuts issues that should be approached with openness and consistent community engagement. This connects directly to governance and public-administration policy, where stronger accountability systems and community-inclusive decision-making processes are urgently needed.
I’ve also seen how policies around curriculum flexibility, and academic support affect students on an individual level. Many students are expected to fit into one standardized model of learning, even when they need more time to learn, smaller class sizes or different types / methods of instruction.
At the same time, students and families are navigating rising rates of diagnoses of neurodevelopmental conditions, broader mental-health needs, and widening academic gaps. These are not just education issues; as they intersect with public health policy and insurance and healthcare access.
These issues are personal to me. I experienced speech delays when I was younger. I learned to read at a young age with excellent fluency however, comprehension and verbal communication did not come easily to me. I did make progress with extra support that was found outside the school district. This support came privately outside of school hours and at a financial expense. Looking back my past and even current day experiences has made me realize how funding policy, teacher-workforce policy, and broader economic decisions directly influence what support students are eligible to receive.
Nevada consistently ranks near the bottom nationwide in public education, K-12 academic performance and per-pupil funding. That gap doesn’t just show up in classrooms, it affects access to advanced coursework, mental healthcare, extracurriculars, and safe, well-maintained campuses. These outcomes reflect broader state-budget policy, tax policy, and long-term investment planning, which play a major role in determining how much support schools and students ultimately get. And yet, despite being the people directly affected, young people rarely have a comfortable platform to stand on to influence any of these policy decisions whether in education, health, economic opportunity, or community development. Our youth need to actively participate in shaping the policies that define our education system, our overall wellbeing, and our future.