Student Advisory Council
What is the State Student Advisory Council?
The SSAC is a group of students elected by their peers from schools throughout Massachusetts who are an advisory council to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). The SSAC supports the interests of all K–12 students in Massachusetts by building and promoting critical awareness around priorities issues of concern to students, and by helping advance the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) educational vision and strategic priorities through the lens of students.
SSAC is composed of five Regional Councils and the State Council. According to the state mandate, every secondary school can elect two representatives to serve on a Regional SAC. Each Regional SAC elects delegates to the State SAC.
The State SAC serves as a communication network to share educational information among all students. The State SAC discusses and reflects on the impact of identified priorities within each region to understand issues holistically for students across the Commonwealth and then formulates state level consideration and recommendations to present to BESE.
The student elected Chairperson of the State SAC serves as a full voting member of the Massachusetts Board of Education.
The chairperson represents the needs and the ideas of all students in Massachusetts and is a communication link from the Board to the SSAC. To facilitate education, students must be thought of as participants in, not merely recipients of, the educational process.
What is the purpose of the SSAC?
To facilitate education, students must be thought of as participants in, not merely recipients of, the educational process.
Students want to have a say in decisions made about their education. America's democratic system is rooted in the belief that all citizens who are affected by the system have a voice. The SSAC communicates student views to those who make decisions about education.
Schools need students with leadership skills. The SSAC gives students leadership training and experience to fill this need.
How can interested people receive more information about the Student Advisory Council?
Student Advisory Council
Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education
135 Santilli Highway
Everett, MA 02149
sac@doe.mass.edu
Last Updated: April 8, 2025