What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
I have served 3 years as trustee and 6 years as Chair of this school district. I also have 7 years experience in other areas of governance. My focus is on social development and in the area of Nisga'a language & culture, literacy and math.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
I would work with other trustees in finding what works and what doesn't and build on that; always keeping up with and making use of today's technology to make learning enjoyable.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
I am in by accalamation for the District of Lillooet. This is my seventh year as a Trustee in Rural area B for School District 74 and I look forward to working with, and for, the people in the District of Lillooet now.

I believe the fact that I have 3 children who have graduated from our secondary school and 5 who are still in the system that this is the best way to be qualified for a trustee role. Their abilities are very diverse and range from modified IEPs to honour roll so I understand how our system works with these different levels.

If anyone in my area has any specific questions please contact me at my email address and I will do my best to answer them.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
I look forward to our continued working relationship with all of our education partners, including our students and parents, staff, Bands, First Peoples Education Council, CUPE, GTTA, GTAA, BCSTA, and the provincial and federal governments to name a few. Thank you all for your recommendations, input and support that have guided us in the planning and delivery of programs in our district.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
During my education career, I have held the positions of education assistant in Kindergarten and Seconday Library, Teacher on Call, Secondary Teacher, Secondary Counsellor and Department head of Student Support Services -responsible for Skills for Life, Counselling, L.A., ESL, Enriched-Gifted Program, Jr. & Sr. Resource Programs, Jr. & Sr. Alternate Programs/
I have served on PAC and DPAC, chaired BCTF's Rights of Children Committee. I am Past-President 2007-08 of Rotary Nanaimo Daybreak, belong to Canadian Federation of University Women, Probus, Retired Teachers' Association and sit on the Eldercollege Board -Vancouver Island University.
I am completing my first term as an elected School Trustee. During my first term I have served SD 68 Board of Education as Vice Chair, Chairperson, Education Committee, Chairperson - Multicultural and Race Relations Committee, Chairperson Ad Hoc Committee on Class Size and Class Composition, Teacher/Trustee Liaison Committee, Facilities Planning committee, Ad Hoc Committee -Vandalism, and Trustee Representative -Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
A school trustee must be Public Education's strongest advocate! If re-elected, I will continue to work against further erosion of funding for our classrooms and support services. I will work to foster strong leadership opportunities and sustainability, and I will work diligently to create an atmosphere of trust and hope.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
Former teacher and a businessman.
Elected to Nanaimo City Council, Nanaimo Regional Board
Chairperson, BCTF Right of Children Committee
Trustee Nanaimo-Ladysmith Board of Education for 15 years
Former Board Chairperson
Chaired Human Resources Committee, Business Committee, currenty Chairperson Audit Committee, Chaired Multi-Cultural and Race Relations Committee
Currently Vice Chair of Board of Education

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
I will continue to monitor the progress our students are making through the school Achievement Plans. It is important to monitor this progress as we have the highest level of poverty of any school district in BC. We must ensure that every available dollar is spent on delivering a quality education to our students.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
I am deeply committed to public education and the students we serve. I have taught in the public school system since I graduated from the University of Victoria in 1992. I completed my Masters Degree in the spring of 2006, with a focus on curriculum development and leadership in education. I spent four years teaching in the north, then returned to the Sooke School District where I am presently teaching middle school. Before becoming a teacher, I was an Early Childhood Educator so most of my working life has been dedicated to working with children and I see that service as a privilege.

I am a strong advocate for students and their families. Working with parents, teachers and community members, I take every opportunity to make the learning conditions for students in our public schools an issue being discussed in the public forum. I am deeply committed to improving learning conditions for all students and to preserving public education.

I believe that as a district, we must work to build a full partnership with First Nations Communities and families. We need to work together to actively advance the goals of the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement. I see my role as being one of listening to understand so the support I offer is effective and inclusive.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
Teachers are telling us that the makeup of their classes are not educationally sound. Learning assistance has been cut steadily and with fewer educational assistants and less integration support for our most vulnerable students, equality of access to education is being lost. Years are passing and children are missing out on being able to reach their potential. For our most vulnerable children, this loss of educational opportunity is profound. I would work with other trustees to advocate for the support for students that was in place before 2002. It is time to file a budget that reflects the true learning needs of students in our district.

We have seen schools closed and school lands sold off. Our schools and lands are not the assets of one generation. They belong in the public domain and should never be given over to private school enterprises, nor should they ever be sold or leased. The founders of our country left us these lands in trust so we could educate our children and help them become contributing citizens capable of critical thinking and rational discourse in a free and democratic country. Public schools are for ALL of our children, the most vulnerable and the brilliant, the rich and the poor and all the children in between – that is what the public education system is supposed to serve and that is what these lands and these schools were set aside for. I would honour that trust and invite other trustees to stand with me.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
I have been a school trustee for 5 terms and prior to that a parent advocate for students for a total of 25 years. I was founding President of a school Parent Advisory Council, President of our District Parent Advisory Council and have worked in schools as a Secretary and Special Education Assistant. My children graduated from our district and I hold a B.A. Degree. My experience as a trustee includes: Provincial Councillor; Vice-Chair of Board; Chair, Human Resources; Board rep to BC Public Sector Employer's Assoc.; rep to Coquitlam Foundation and various District Review and Advisory Committees. I am a qualified Orton-Gillingham Tutor. I have a lifelong interest in education - it is the foundation of our social and economic future. Our children are important as are those who most influence their lives: parents, teachers, support staff, administrators. If each child develops a love of learning, self-motivation, responsibility, respect for self and others we will have prepared them well.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
Our board of education is comprised of 9 school trustees and we represent 5 different municipalities: City of Coquitlam, City of Port Coquitlam, City of Port Moody and the Villages of Anmore and Belcarra. We are truly an amalgamated District! Trustees need to work together to reach the best decisions for all students and I will continue my work in that regard. I am currently our board's representative to the BC School Trustee Association as our Provincial Councillor so can represent our board at the Provincial Table and bring back the perspectives of other Trustees across the province.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
As a 40-year Cowichan Valley resident, longtime volunteer/activist and writer and former education reporter, I have seen tens of thousands of children mature into contributing adults. I have written enthusiastically about the public school system and worked in it as a communications specialist.

I’m an experienced trustee. Over the past 28 years, I’ve served 15 years on the board. During that time, I have served as board chair, vice chair and chair of several district committees. Currently, I lead the Education Committee, which during the past three years has supported, among other things, proposals by Koksilah parents and teachers and the Cowichan community to improve First Nation students’ experiences in school.

Serving as a trustee has been frustrating at times, but overall I cannot think of another job I find as interesting and as satisfying.

I’ve proved that I’m an advocate for all students and have helped the board lobby the provincial government for realistic, sustainable funding to support our students.

Highlights for me during this past term have included supporting parents at four schools that faced possible closure, improving opportunities for First Nations students, expanding trades and pre-school opportunities and visiting and working with communities and schools. As well, I have supported literacy as a member of the district’s Family Literacy Committee and as a founding member of Literacy Now, Cowichan.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
There is work to be done if we are to improve opportunities, success and achievement for the Valley’s kids, success that translates into employable adult contributors to our society. This can be achieved through a better funding formula, expansion of programs that work for kids, and strong relationships between the board, communities and educational partners.

Lobbying government for realistic, sustainable funding is a must. We have to convince the provincial government that per student funding is not working, and that government needs to increase funding to districts to support students and cover escalating costs.

I’ll work with trustees and communities to preserve and improve educational opportunities for students. This includes laying the foundation for success through optional full-day Kindergarten and pre-school opportunities, expanding alternate and adult programs, as well as increasing trades training and providing space for the popular and growing French Immersion program.

As well, I will encourage trustees to speak out in support of reduced class size, adequate staffing for children with special needs, restoration of student support services, community schools and establishment of acceptable maintenance, custodial and clerical services.

If elected, I will continue to work for our children and our schools and with trustees, communities and educational partners to improve opportunities and success for all our students.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
I first ran for school trustee in 1991 for S.D. # 60 and have continued to run. It has been my experience that trustees must have the ability to listen, gather information and make sound decisions that enhance the learning opportunities of all students.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
I will continue to work with my branch, the Northern Interior to promote northern issues that are of concerns. It is also my commitment that as a member of the BCSTA I can and will continue to work with all boards to ensure that student achievement remains our number one goal. I will continue gone to the BCSTA academys as the networking and workshops are very important in the role trustees play.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
As a former adult education instructor, I understand that a school trustee is an elected public servant–entrusted as a steward of our public education system to ensure excellence in public education. The choices we make today impact the future of public education in this province.

In order to achieve quality stewardship, trustees must ensure through policy and advocacy that the quality and funding of public education is not eroded.

I have a proven record of advocating on behalf of our school community for public education. As many of you are aware over the past two years I have been a non-partisan advocate to all levels of government around the public education issues that have most deeply affected our community.

I have also advocated at the municipal level, to City Hall, to amend our Official Community Plan’s zoning to protect public school lands from sale to private interests.

I have done these things in response to community input that I and my running mates, Chris Johns, Dan Hall and Barb Smythe received in February 2008 at our own public consultation meeting, held in response to the lack of consultation around threatened school closures much of the public felt they had received from the district.

Since that first public consultation, I have been in ground-floor discussions with PAC chairs, teachers, students, parents and community groups listening to concerns and suggestions around public education and public education funding.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
Striving for excellence in public education is not a solo endeavour; we must work together as trustees to achieve that goal. I have a lot of experience at the board level from my pre-family days working for a large crown corporation in which over half of my time was spent sitting with stakeholder boards and committees. I’ve found that the key to working with others in board situations is respectful, open dialogue. But it isn’t enough to work with other trustees; you need to engage with the public, who are the real stakeholders of student achievement.

Improving communication with parents and school community is a key part of any democratic process in our schools. In order to achieve that central tenet you need consistent, respectful and accountable leadership.

I also believe that we need to make it easier for the public to become involved in public education. There is nothing in SD5 policy which limits either the number of delegations or the time each delegation is allowed to present yet currently no more than two delegations are allowed to present, for 10 minutes each, at any given board meeting. The public should also be empowered to speak to issues before they are voted on by the board rather than having to wait until question period at the end of each public board meeting.

If trustees are open and accountable with each other as well as the public, I believe we can make great strides toward improving parent, student and teacher morale and achievement.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
Since being elected in 2005, I have been very proud of the leadership roles that the board and I have played. I was honored to be elected by my fellow trustees to the role of Vice-Chair in 2006.
Since this time
-We have made a comprehensive submission to the Provincial Standing Committee on Finance.
-We played a Provincial leadership role when the Ministry of Education wanted to change the funding structure part way through the year: A decision that was ultimately revoked.
-We spoke out at our Annual General Meeting in Prince George about the concerns we had with the Bill 33 legislation and class size and composition.
-and we positively acknowledged the Minister of Education for her decision to fund Summer School Programs.
These pro-active examples by the Board have created a very credible position with the Ministry of Education.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with all of the different stakeholders and community partners.

The culture of this district is to put the needs of the students and student achievement ahead of any other agenda and the open consultative process that has been developed works very well. It gives the district the ability to explore its strengths and acknowledge its weaknesses.

There is nothing more rewarding than watching students find success, self-esteem and confidence in a program that "we" have developed.

I say "we" because these programs are not brought to fruition overnight or by one individual. They are born out of communication, collaboration and the educational leadership we have in our teachers and support staff.

It will be very important, over the next decade, to continue with the succession planning that has begun; to guarantee that we don’t lose the educational knowledge as people retire and that this knowledge is passed onto the new professionals entering our system.

It is also important to ensure that we are achieving high standards for student safety and student comfort within our schools.

So in short it all about putting all of the pieces together to give our students, our children the educational resources and life experiences they need to make their way in this ever changing, complex environment.

What in your experience and qualifications prepares you for the role of school trustee?
As a long-time advocate for public education, I have worked individually and with groups to ensure our schools have the staffing and resources they require to meet the learning needs of all students. I’ve served on my children’s school PAC executives and I’ve represented the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council on the Vancouver school district’s recent Educational Facilities Review - Phase I and the Emergency Preparedness and Planning Committee. I’m also a member of the school district’s Special Education Advisory Committee. I coordinate a networking and advocacy group called Vancouver Parents for Successful Inclusion (vpsinclusion.net), and have played key roles in Families for School Seismic Safety (fsssbc.org), the BC Society for Public Education (bcspea.ca) and Vancouver Save our Schools.

I attended Vancouver public schools and am the proud parent of a 25-year-old graduate from Sir Charles Tupper School in Vancouver, who is now beginning her own teaching career in England. My two teen-aged children attend our local public secondary school.

I’m a graduate of Point Grey Secondary School in Vancouver, the University of Victoria (BA, Political Science) and Langara College (Certificate of Journalism). I’ve worked in public relations and communications and (several years ago!) worked in communications for the Richmond school district.

What steps will you take to work with other trustees to improve student achievement?
I will effectively advocate for a renewed investment in Vancouver schools and provide leadership to restore public confidence in the Vancouver school system.
I will strive to increase services to ensure we meet the learning needs of every student, in inclusive and welcoming schools.
I will ensure school district decisions are made through authentic, respectful engagement with parents, students, community members and education partner groups. I will ensure there is transparency and that all parties have access to information.
I will protect student access to comprehensive neighbourhood schools.
I will work with parents, the community and partner groups to improve deteriorating learning conditions by exploring ways to reduce class sizes and increase support for students with special learning needs.
I will continue to advocate for seismically safe schools, effective emergency response plans and safe school environments free from bullying and harassment.