Serious Election Learning and Serious Election Fun at MTS

BY ANDREW DAVIS

While national polls swing back and forth, I can say with complete certainty that the 2024 election will bring a Murray Presidency to Mount Tamalpais School. On November 5, our students will vote for either the Savannah Banana Party candidate or the Party Animals Party candidate. Both presidential hopefuls are Murrays—twin siblings in the 8th grade.

In my welcome email this August, I emphasized how we’re using the 2024 election to develop our Habit of Critical Reasoning. My mantra for this season has been, “The goal is to grow through this election season, not just get through it.” In planning, I joined our school leaders and teachers in considering three things: what we want students to know about elections, how we want them to feel about their interactions around the election, and what we want them to be able to do as citizens in a democracy. The election and impending Murray Presidency stems from our goal to help students know how a presidential election works in the U.S.

To make these fundamentals come alive, a team of teachers and I have created a school-wide election simulation. The 8th and 5th grades formed two political parties: the Savannah Banana Party and the Party Animals Party. Each party has an 8th-grade presidential candidate and a 5th-grade vice-presidential candidate. Their platforms? A free-dress theme, a special snack, and an absurd costume I have to wear on “Inauguration Day,” Friday, November 22. I’m a little nervous because if the Savannah Banana Party wins, I’ll be donning an Oompa Loompa outfit, and I’m not sure the orange face paint will wear off in time for Thanksgiving.

To deepen the learning experience, we’re simulating key elements of the U.S. election process. Students will register to vote, and only registered voters can participate on election day. For younger students, registration and voting will happen during class. Older students, however, will need to find time to register and will only be able to vote during recess, much like adults who often have to navigate busy schedules in order to cast their ballots. To keep things realistic, some older students may even face long lines at the polls. We want to teach, in an age-appropriate way, the complexities of voting.

The final touch is our very own MTS Electoral College. Our 5th-grade students are creating an electoral system that mirrors the 538 electors in the U.S. We’ll have about 100 electors split evenly across grade levels, plus 438 electors divided by enrollment. All but one grade level will use block voting (where the winner takes all), but we’ll add a Maine-style twist at one grade with homerooms getting 25% of electors and the overall grade-level winner taking 50%. We’ll announce the results, both the popular vote and Electoral College, on Monday, November 11.

While the students may get wrapped up in the party rivalry, everyone at MTS will benefit. First, we’ll all enjoy a fun free-dress day, a special snack, and me in some ridiculous outfit. More importantly, our students will gain a deep understanding of how elections work.

Regardless of how you feel about the current state of democracy, I trust you share in my hope to raise children who are informed citizens who understand both how elections work and how to participate in a democracy. Our strategic plan calls on us to instill the Habits of Critical Reasoning and Conscientious Citizenship. While heady words and a big task, we are bringing the MTS Mission to the task. With an MTS Electoral College and voter registration, there will be serious learning – Learning is Revered. With either an Oompa Loompa or Vector (from Despicable Me) costume on Inauguration Day, there will be serious fun – Education is Joyful. 

As many of us look ahead to holidays with our families, you may also consider reading my recent Grandparents Day remarks for advice on talking about the election. For now, though, I need to give my family a heads-up that I may look like I’ve had a bad spray tan at Thanksgiving!