What Tweens Should Know About Running as a Middle School Officer

The Responsibilities and Duties of Student Government Positions

Middle school students talking with teacher in classroom

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One of the upsides of attending middle school is the opportunity to get involved in student government, or other leadership roles. If your tween is thinking about running for student council, it's good to know a little about the job she may be elected to carry out.

Duties of Middle School Officers

Let's explore some of the duties middle school officers might have so you can help your tween know what to expect and make a decision. Keep in mind that these duties might be different from school to school, though they are generally similar.

Class President

The middle school class president often has more responsibility than the other officers. It is an interesting and challenging position, and it offers an excellent opportunity for building leadership and social skills.

The president presides over all government meetings and works closely with the school administration and parent boosters. The president also makes sure that the other class officers perform their duties and responsibilities. In addition, the class president may represent the school at functions outside of school, such as school board meetings or in the community. 

Class Vice-President

The vice-president is responsible for taking over the duties of the president if they are unable to or has to resign due to a move or a change of school. This also means that the vice-president may oversee meetings or functions if the president is out of town or sick from school. 

Additionally, the vice-president is often in charge of decorating for school functions. They may also recruit volunteers and delegate responsibilities to volunteer committees.

Due to the variety of tasks, students who enjoy both leadership roles and have good organizational skills are great candidates for vice-president.

Class Secretary

The class secretary's main responsibility is to keep track of records or minutes from meetings, functions, projects, and activities. This is a good position for students who are detail-oriented, organized, and good at communicating.

Secretaries also tend to be in charge of communicating news to the student body, boosters, sponsors, and to the school administration. If the student government sends out a newsletter, the secretary will most likely be responsible for that activity. 

Class Treasurer

The class treasurer is responsible for the money of the class. Students with an interest in money management and who are organized make great candidates for treasurer.

Treasurers make sure that class projects or activities stay within the class budget and that any bills are paid and accounted for. The treasurer also keeps records of financial transactions and communicates the budget and account balance to the administration and the other class members. 

Class Historian

The class historian is in charge of documenting the year by taking pictures, writing stories for the school newspaper, and creating a scrapbook of class activities, functions, milestones, etc. The class historian also attends government meetings and supports other members of the student government. 

If your student shows an interest in journalism or photography, this may be a good fit.

Class Committees

In addition to the student government officers, various committees may help plan and execute a variety of functions or activities throughout the year. For example, some schools have a decorating committee, a food committee, or an activities committee.

Volunteering for a committee is perfect for tweens who want to be involved but aren't ready to hold an office. It's also a nice way for kids who are busy with other activities to take part in student government.

A Word From Verywell

If your child takes an interest in student government it's a good idea to encourage it. Getting involved gives your child the chance to learn how government works and to make a difference at his school. It's also a wonderful way to learn leadership skills and to learn how to work with others. All of these skills can be quite useful in the future.

1 Source
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  1. Kuh GD, Lund JP. What students gain from participating in student government. New Dir Student Serv. 1994;1994(66):5-17. doi:10.1002/ss.37119946603

By Jennifer O'Donnell
Jennifer O'Donnell holds a BA in English and has training in specific areas regarding tweens, covering parenting for over 8 years.