PAN Vancouver News

Parent Questions for VSB Trustee Candidates in the By-Election

9/19/2017

(pdf version)
There will be a by-election in Vancouver on October 14th to elect nine Trustees to the Vancouver Board of Education for a one year term.

There are 19 individuals who’ve put their names forward as candidates. Some are running as independents, some with existing political parties. Some names are familiar, some are less known.

The Parent Advocacy Network (PAN) believes citizens of Vancouver, especially parents of school-aged children, should cast a vote in the by-election. We also believe voters should do their due diligence and get informed about all the candidates to make an informed choice; informed about both the candidates’ platforms and experience, but also important is who they are and how they plan to effect change.

We are asking all 19 candidates these 6 questions and we will post their answers – DUE BY October 1, 2017 – (or their lack of response) on our website by October 4th to help voters make an informed choice.

Questions for Trustee Candidates

What skills would you bring to a trustee position and why should Vancouverites vote for you as an individual (leaving aside party affiliation)?
If elected, how will you promote an atmosphere of collaboration with advisor Dianne Turner, senior staff, and Board members from other political parties?
As an elected trustee, how would you envision the role of parent input with respect to decision making?
Explain your perspective on how the Board should work going forward with the provincial Ministry of Education.
What is your view on how the Board should work going forward with the City of Vancouver (i.e. in addressing the intertwined issues of densification and available school space)?
What do you see as the top three most urgent and important issues facing the Vancouver School Board, and how do you plan to address these?

2 Comments

Adi Pick link

9/27/2017 10:15:52 pm

Hello!
Below are my answers:
Questions for Trustee Candidates

1. What skills would you bring to a trustee position and why should Vancouverites vote for you as an individual (leaving aside party affiliation)?
As a former Representative on the Vancouver School Board’s Management Coordinating Committee and Valedictorian of the Magee Secondary class of 2014, I will bring to the Board of Trustees the unique perspective of a recent graduate of the Vancouver public school system. I am passionate about improving the education of our students. I really want to increase student and community involvement in the decision-making process. I think that if we’re dictating the lives and education of 54,000 students, we should unquestionably listen to their concerns and suggestions in the process. I am very approachable, open-minded, and relatively quick to respond. I have the time and energy to dedicate to going to student council meetings, PAC meetings, bringing back a district-wide student forum (last one was in 2012), and really put our students first.
2. If elected, how will you promote an atmosphere of collaboration with advisor Dianne Turner, senior staff, and Board members from other political parties?
Part of the reason I ran as an independent is because I am open to working with whoever else gets elected. I am keeping an open mind, and will put students first, as opposed to partisanship.
3. As an elected trustee, how would you envision the role of parent input with respect to decision making?
I really value parental input, and I believe that it should absolutely be part of the decision-making process. I am very accessible and approachable- you can reach me by email or Twitter, and I WILL respond. I will also try to attend as many PAC meetings and DPAC meetings as I can, to really hear and listen to parents’ concerns regarding the education of our students.
4. Explain your perspective on how the Board should work going forward with the provincial Ministry of Education.
With a new premier in power, who claims that education is his top priority, I will try and ensure he keeps that promise. The pace of seismic upgrades is unacceptably slow, and will work tirelessly to ensure we get more funding from the provincial government to certify that new and improved schools get built in a timely fashion.
5. What is your view on how the Board should work going forward with the City of Vancouver (i.e. in addressing the intertwined issues of densification and available school space)?
I believe that the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver School Board should have a pretty close relationship, as they have often intersecting issues. I think that the VSB needs to address the issue of catchment areas and school-density, and propose to build a new school in increasingly densifying areas, such as Olympic village.
6. What do you see as the top three most urgent and important issues facing the Vancouver School Board, and how do you plan to address these?
The number one issue I believe Vancouver students are facing, is unsafe schools. The pace of seismic upgrades is much too slow, and this needs to change. We have far too many schools that are considered ‘high-risk’ in terms of a big earthquake, which is utterly deplorable. After all, safety first!
The second most important issue in my opinion is the need to re-evaluate catchment areas and programs- our students’ education should NOT depend on waitlists and lottery systems. As mentioned above, I think that the VSB needs to address the issue of catchment areas and school-density, and propose to build a new school in increasingly densifying areas, such as False Creek.
The third urgent issue facing Vancouver students is the cutting of the Elementary Band and Strings program. Studies have shown that learning music eases learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas. Even Nobel Prize winner Bill Clinton once said: "I don't think I would have become President if it were not for my school music program". I think the positive effects of music are not to be underestimated. The band and strings program was a devastating loss to Vancouver students, which I will fight to bring back.

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Parent Questions for VSB Trustee Candidates in the By-Election

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