I have lived in the City of Trail for 50 years. I have two daughters and grandchildren living in the area. Before retirement, I was employed as an administrative services supervisor with a Ministry of the Provincial Government. During this time, I was also a job stewart for BCGEU.
I was a trustee on the former Trail School Board and on the Kootenay-Columbia Board of Education since the amalgamation of Trail and Castlegar School Districts.
My record proves my commitment to the role of trusteeship. I will continue to devote my time and energy toward benefitting our students. My voice at the board table is strong in supporting students’ needs. My passion is for youth and education. I have the time, energy and enthusiasm to continue these tasks on behalf of students in our district. I sit willingly on any committee I am appointed to.
I have spent numerous hours away from home on various provincial committees as the Board’s representative and I will continue to do this work. I feel it is important to support our provincial associations. I have also sat at bargaining tables with our CUPE and KCTU members.
The past two years have been stressful for the district due to labour disputes. Now that we have negotiated five-year contracts for our employees, it is important that we work on improving and building relationships.
Another challenge is implementing the Education Plan from the ministry referred to as personalized learning for the 21st entury. This plan changes the way we deliver services, courses and resources to our students. The emphasis is based on passion, purpose and personalization in their courses. This will require more resources and support for our teachers and students. I fully support this new direction of choice in the curriculum. Recognizing that students learn differently and have unique learning needs, I believe this will provide opportunities for each child to reach his potential.
As boards, we have the autonomy to deliver educational plans best suited for our communities. With funding being provided on a per student basis and our continuing decline of students, it is very important that we persist in lobbying the government for additional funding.
Another priority is strategic planning. This planning would have to encompass the education plan and have the involvement of all stakeholders. I have the knowledge, experience and time to meet the challenges ahead of us to advance our district. This requires good judgment, fiscal responsibility and commitment. These are my strengths and I will continue to work toward making our district one of the best in the province.