Role & Responsibilities - Student Members

For more than 40 years, young leaders have been representing their fellow students before Massachusetts school committees. They bring news and updates, issues of concern, and often their own views on matters before the school committee or to the public at-large.

Many student representatives subsequently run for other offices and serve with distinction, having learned and gained valuable experience on how political committees operate. Some have also won election to the school committees on which they served as student representatives before they graduated from high school.

Student representatives have been invaluable and knowledgeable contributors, participating in powerful discussions during school committee sessions. Many have had a great impact on decisions, altering outcomes with persuasive arguments, influencing the creation of district policy, helping set budget priorities, and representing student colleagues with distinction.

The Canton School Committees deeply values the importance of taking responsibility, civil discussion, respect for others, and good policy making. A key to success for any School Committee member, students included, is to understand what might be the best course of action for the long term, rather than what seems most effective at a particular moment. 

Distinction Between School Committee Members and Student Representatives according to Massachusetts State Law

Canton School Committee members:

• Are elected by the public
• Are registered voters who are 18 years of age or older
• Govern using parliamentary procedures which allow them to:
  -Speak when recognized by the chair
  -Propose motions or second motions made by others
  -Propose amendments to change motions
  -Vote on motions

• May preside at meetings of subcommittees which are advisory to the School Committee

Canton School Committee Student members may:

• Speak freely during the meeting
• Join subcommittees
• Propose motions and have school committee members introduce it to the School Committee
• Propose amendments and have school committee members introduce it to the School Committee

If you are interested in sharing your voice, getting more involved and/or learning about becoming a Canton School Committee Student Representative, please reach out to your Student Reps!