Was I unreasonable to rig the school council election?

[Coffeeandteach]

I can tell you who will win when I look at the list of candidates. Every year it annoys me that some lovely, often overlooked, somewhere in the middle child will put themselves forward and read a thoughtful speech (written all on their own, at school) but never wins. They lose out to either the most popular or the most able child.

The child who got the most votes today had a speech that consisted of only, "I should win because I am the most popular."

I broke. I rigged it. The lovely, overlooked, somewhere in the middle child was announced the winner and she was delighted (and will do a great job).

YABU- You are the Putin of teachers. Shame on you!

YANBU- Sometimes you have to help the little guy

I am going against the grain here and have voted YABU. You shouldn’t be rigging an election, what does that teach the kids. If there is a problem with the system and the wrong kids are repeatedly voted in then sort out the system. It sounds like the right kid got in but for the wrong reason. If I was that kid and found out what you had done I would be mortified. Please sort it out for next year and don’t do this again.

WaltzforMars
If you’re still reading (sorry I can’t quote!)
😄love I’ve written them weirdest comment ever’ 😂
I should have said I despair at other teachers who choose the same children for everything!

YANBU-this happened to both my daughters; both mind their own business quietly plug away and are both studious types. Popular in their own circles but just so-so across their respective classes.

It always ends up a popularity contest but then I think that school is like that generally. The quiet ones who come in do their work and make no trouble get overlooked regularly.

Reading the manifestos anonymously before the vote is so simple and genius! Definitely do that.

DD spotted in about Y2 that is was always the most popular candidate, and that she would never get it I think they did at least only allow a child to do it once so it wouldn't always be the same one, but thank you for evening out the odds.

I do like the 'read manifestos anonymously' idea though, more schools should do that.

My dd once had an evil teacher like you who tortured my DD simply because she was pretty and popular and smart. My dd is also usually and frequently the ONLY child who always stands up to the bullies; who helps the SEN kids; who handholds the suicidal kids at her school and alerts the appropriate professionals. Being popular doesn't preclude being a smart useful member of society. Luckily, in our case, the teacher was fired for bullying enough students that they could no longer ignore the complaints (and she was a crap teacher anyway). Shame on you for your disgusting behavior and for having no shame about cheating the students out of their choices. You have cheated and lied and somehow you and so many other posters think this is ok because....? As someone earlier said, if you don't like the system, then change it, but lying and cheating is abhorrent, especially from a person who by virtue of her position and credentials is supposed to be a caretaker and example of appropriate behavior and ethics to the students that she has just lied to and cheated.
Is it so difficult to imagine that a popular child might be that way because they are nice and people like them? And in any case, what is the point of the student council? If it's to represent the students and get things done on their behalf, is it possible that the studious child who has no friends might not be the best person to put in this role.

This happened in my daughters school, a child who really wasn't able but was "brave" to put himself forward got the role. He hasn't done a single thing, he is afraid to speak at meetings, he is afraid of his own shadow and instead of giving him confidence because he won it has just made him a bit smug. The other kids know that nobody voted for him and it has just made a mockery of the whole thing.
My DD didn't run in case anyone thinks it is sour grapes.

Typical left wing namby-pamby fascist. Rigging votes and silencing the majority... Labour did the same in birmingham!

@AppleKatie

I don’t blame you OP but yes I would do as a pp suggests and change the process for next year-

Kids votes worth 1
Staff votes worth 2
SLT votes worth 10 😆

Or similar... but make it a bit more transparent.

Agree with this!

But meanwhile, well done you! These popularity contests are awful, and yes I know they reflect real life - e.g. presidential elections - but there is no need for young children just coming out of their shells to be exposed to such nastiness! They are told to write a brilliant manifesto, and put their hearts and souls into it (well, some do) - only to realise there is no point because the alpha kids will win every time. Heartbreaking.......

I'm not saying all alpha kids are rubbish - I'm sure the OP had a good handle on whether the 'popular' kid in this case was likely to do a good job, and decided not.

FWIW, my DD was the popular one and got voted for everything - but I'm also sure she put every effort into representing her school to the best of her ability. I assume OP is saying that the child in question here wasn't going to put themselves out and would not have made a good student councillor.

YABU. Elections should never be rigged. Instead set requirements for the speech and advise that candidates can be disqualified for not meeting the criteria. Work with the school to elect a 'sub' leader who can step in to fulfill obligations if the elected student can't. Other than that I wouldn't interfere.

Popular kids run for the school council now? They didn’t when I went to school... they were far too cool for that lol.

For those complaining about popularity contests....what do you think a general election is? Honestly?

I think it's a good thing, but being that this kid is popular, had it ever crossed your mind that they may ask why they weren't voted for by certain members of the class and then when they get told people did vote for them, it could cause you issues. In my experience it's always the popular kids who's parents are the most irritating and pushy too.
I genuinely hope your nice gesture doesn't bite you on the arse OP
But as the geek who never got voted I applaud you

Not read the whole thread, but good on you! I absolutely hate the peer voting process at school for these things.
One of my daughter's years the school bully ended up head girl, head of school council and head of all teams, as she told everyone that they had to vote for her or else.
Other years it's the popular one, the one who says in their speech that they will organise it so they have no school on Fridays (clearly Boris' lies have had an impact!) and the rich one who showered everyone with gifts and sweets leading up to election.
I really don't understand why schools do this - in my day (oh I sound old!) it was decided by the head, deputy and other teachers, and was based on hard work, effort, kindness and willingness to help out. Having children who always wanted to be head girl / boy but never stood a chance, it's a sad lesson to tach at an early age. None would have been upset to be beaten by a worthy candidate, but to be beaten by quite devious and manipulative children in some instances is galling for them

So delighted you did this. My kid lost because their competition promised doughnuts and milkshakes once a week and got all the kids votes. School let her win, apparently that’s ‘democratic’, and then told her she wasn’t allowed to do what she’d promised. So unfair, I wish they’d had someone like you in their corner to give them a chance.

I recognised the other children from seeing them playing the main parts in school plays or being picked to stand up at the front of our weekly 'well done'assembly.

I agreed with your intervention until I read this.

You based the decision on very flimsy info. Getting parts in the school play and being rewarded for doing well does not = 'popular kid'. The fact that the child simply wrote 'I'm the most popular' says a lot but your reasoning is totally flawed.

At DD's primary school, the school plays, well done certificates, and similar were part of a set of tools to help bring out/give confidence to the quieter, shyer, less conventionally academic students who needed it, as well as justly rewarding those who had achieved.

I get your concept but not how you came to the outcome.

You don't know these children yet. Have a new election each term. First term - go with the voters. After that, use your fair evidence based judgement.

When I read the above, I wondered how popular you were at school... From your posts, you come across as anti popular just for underlying simplistic reasons.

Popular children can also be the friendliest, highest achieving and caring individuals too.

I think if the child can say something like "no school on Friday", " Donuts and milkshakes" etc in their manifesto and teacher don't say/do anything, then the system is already broken.

@pandafunfactory

You didn't rig it. You excluded a candidate who had no respect for the process. Good management. Hopefully taught the popular kid a lesson too, they should have put the work in.

NRTFT but I agree with this. I would have overtly disqualified the popular-but-arrogant child for the laziness of that speech.

I thought of all y'all as I ran my class election today Didn't need to rig it as it turned out, the kids voted for someone who will hopefully really shine. I think most teachers will leave it run and only step in if necessary.

I used to do it all the time when I was a teacher in the 90s ...welll done you !

I see why you did this OP. My child is a fairly sensible middle of the road junior pupil, polite funny and nice but not the super popular one. For being house captain last year all candidates wrote why they thought they should be captain, my child wrote a genuinely great piece with no prompt from us. Children were then invited to an interview with previous year house captains from year above. Then the school team discussed and decided. There was no vote process. In prev years there was always 1 boy, 1 girl-this year they said that was no longer a rule. They picked one girl, and then also another girl who had hardly been in school, often had issues for various reasons etc. They gave her house captain role. I understand it was to help and encourage that child to attend more, with a role and some pride. But My child (and potentially others for the role)was genuinely so sad that they'd been overlooked. It didn't teach my child much other than sometimes genuine effort will be overlooked. I tried to gently explain to my child that perhaps the picked child would benefit more....but mine (and other kids) just didn't get it. The injustice was quite clear to the kids.
I'd have done what you did.

In a class of 30 only 1/6 can be a school councillor if you change it each year. So most kids won't get a chance. I think parents can get way over invested in who does or doesn't get picked for things.

I would probably have done the same.

Myself and my husband play "guess who's got the starring role" every time at plays etc and it's always the same people.

I pointed out to my daughters teacher last year that my daughter was very upset at not getting a head teacher award - ever - now everyone supposed to get one per year. The teacher was genuinely shocked and said to me "it's because she's so good and no bother she's been overlooked and she doesn't show off like some of the others." I just wish the ones in the middle would get notice taken of.

i was ready to give abuse over this, then i read that you rigged it for the greater good and my heart just melted.

You did the right thing (and i would too). It's never fair, the same people get in every year and not because they are good at it or want to do it but because they are the ones with enough minions to do their bidding.

I was the over looked kid, so are my kids. Give it your all, write a passionate speech, stand for a cause you believe in and Ol' Billy Jenkins gets the post for the 5th year because he has enough henchmen to swing the vote. He doesnt care about the post, wont go to the meetings, just wants more stuff to be able to list on his 'stuff i've done' section. It's the same with the school fair competitions - best programme cover goes to - the same kids that always gets it because their senior school sibbling always does it for them. Best homemade cake goes to - the kids with the mum that is the professional baker... best decorated tree goes to - the same kid that one the last 3 years because his nan always does the most earth shatteringly perfect creations.

It's all just a popularity contest and i hate it.

Good on you for standing up for the 'little guy' all us middle of the road kids salute you xxx