Number 3 and 4’s school has a student council which I guess is made up of a class president and vice president from each class, and they were holding elections for that this past week.
Number 3 has no interest in participating in these kinds of things. Number 4 wanted to run, although she had absolutely no idea what student council even did.
Neither do I really, although Number 3 told me that the student council is in charge of the school store, and Number 4 told me she’d have to attend a monthly meeting if she were elected.
Number 4 wanted some help with her speech.
She read me her first draft. It was pretty lame. A couple sentences saying
Vote for me.
If you do, I’ll make this class and our school better.
And I will help people.
So gave her a few pointers.
I told her to be specific. We talked about the school store. How would she make that better if she were elected?
I told her that people want to elect someone who goes to the meetings so they’ll get all the information and not miss out on anything.
Then she rewrote her speech.
I thought she did a pretty good job.
But she didn’t win.
She didn’t care; she wasn’t upset.
Neither was I.
Until she started pulling shit out of her backpack.
Bracelets.
Rings.
Bookmarks.
Photoshopped flyers with promises of pool parties and ice cream cones.
Are you fucking kidding me?
That shit?
I have a problem with that on many different levels.
I didn’t realize that was how the game was being played in second grade.
I didn’t send anything in with Number 4.
I don’t have any money to spend on crap, but I could barter for some pretty cool stuff.
I could have gotten free nail polish and lip gloss and gift cards and pony rides and a new bike and a free trip to the amusement park and a new car and 50% off of their college tuition and a trip to the moon.
I mean,
isn’t that where we’re headed?
I don’t have a problem with kids outdoing other kids in the birthday department.
If a mom wants to send in handmade, intricately decorated, look-at-how-awesome-of-a-mom-I-am birthday cupcakes,
go for it.
It’s your kid’s special day, after all.
But this class president bribery bullshit?
Keep your crap at home.
Let’s stick to basic politics and play dirty the old fashioned way.
With false hopes, empty promises, and, if you’re really desperate, a bunch of bold-faced lies.
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My daughter wanted to run for student council, too. I helped her organize her speech and she was really excited to do it. Her teacher sent home a note specifically stating that children should not bring in pencils, stickers, whatever. My daughter lost and she was upset, because two boys won. The two boys she was running against. I figured out how she lost…each kid in the class had to vote for two people…All the boys voted for the two boys and the girls voted for my daughter and one of the boys. That is how votes are cast in 2nd grade. I just felt bad that she was upset.
Unbelievable! I never would have thought about “buying” my kids election win. I was hoping that after the last few years to the recession, that parents would have realized that pointless spending on kid crap was not worth the money. Sadly, it looks like I am wrong.
I’m not a fan of how student council students are chosen. It’s very tough in the kids who don’t get chosen. In the high school, I believe, all students who want to participate can. I like that, but can understand that in elementary school, that could be a free for all.
My son came home so happy that he won, & I was happy for him, but so disappointed that one child didn’t make it. Only 3 tried. That’s tough.
All of that being said, both of my children were instructed to not bring in trinkets.
Wow! Unbelievable. But sadly, it sounds like the type of methods most politicians these days use in order to win. Empty promises and false hopes of change until they get elected and then their real agenda begins. It doesn’t make it right and that is awful that that is happening in elementary school. Shame on those parents.
My daughter’s second grade class will be holding elections for class president next week and just came home with a note from her teacher that reads “you may also bring in any other incentives that will help you win the vote like pins, treats, buttons etc…”) What message does this convey to impressionable 7-8 year old minds? The teachers are encouraging kids to bribe each other! I am just shocked. Can’t wait for Election day to see what crap she comes home with.