School Board Not Irrelevant
Published in The Daily Courier
October 25, 2011 |
|
When I read Ron Seymour’s column (Who cares about the irrelevant school board?), I was surprised that he believes school boards are irrelevant bodies with no authority.
It’s undeniable that elected school boards have very real responsibilities. School boards help ensure our children obtain the best possible education, enabling them to be responsible, productive citizens following graduation.
Seymour argues that the provincial government makes all the important decisions about public education since it holds the purse strings, enacts laws, and establishes regulations.
This is ridiculous. Important decisions are made by school boards.
School boards work within the financial and regulatory constraints placed upon them to ensure local interests and values are incorporated in the schools’ operations. It’s impossible for the government to fully understand and appreciate the unique community interests and values to do this themselves
If you think about it, schools are really the heart of every community. They’re places of knowledge sharing where our children learn about and explore different life paths. Schools are places where our children get inspired to do great things.
Obtaining a K-12 education is a right that citizens should not dismiss or be denied.
Citizens should govern school districts to ensure that our children have access to and achieve their very best through the education delivered in the classroom.
Elected trustees are our caretakers, and are accountable to parents, taxpayers, the community, and the province through their election every three years.
They work as a team to make important and difficult decisions. It’s these decisions that guide and support our educators to deliver quality public education that reflects the community’s needs and improves student achievement.
Given the prominence school boards play in educating our children, it’s critical to emphasize the importance of choosing who represents us.
School trustee candidates seek election on the merits of their skills, perspective, experience and ability to listen - school board involves responsibilities that are above simple politics. It’s these attributes that will contribute to informed decisions that impact our children today and in the future. It’s a calling that deserves more recognition by the public during election time - it is about our future.
Over the next three years, our school district faces challenges, such as refreshing its long-term strategic plan, reviewing the facilities plan to ensure it meets student needs, identifying approaches to sustained improvement to graduation, literacy, and numeracy rates, and addressing the 21st century learning initiative rooted in personalized learning.
These are not small issues nor small responsibilities.
This is why I am running for school trustee. I offer a unique skill set developed through professional experiences in education management, business, politics, and not-for-profit organizations.
There’s no doubt that our children’s education is paramount and I will serve with leadership, energy, and a fresh perspective.
Mr. Seymour, I’m not running for something I think is irrelevant. Our children’s future is too important to be abdicated to bureaucrats in Victoria. I’m running as an advocate for our children who have the right to quality public education.
Chris Gorman
Kelowna, BC
Candidate for School Trustee
It’s undeniable that elected school boards have very real responsibilities. School boards help ensure our children obtain the best possible education, enabling them to be responsible, productive citizens following graduation.
Seymour argues that the provincial government makes all the important decisions about public education since it holds the purse strings, enacts laws, and establishes regulations.
This is ridiculous. Important decisions are made by school boards.
School boards work within the financial and regulatory constraints placed upon them to ensure local interests and values are incorporated in the schools’ operations. It’s impossible for the government to fully understand and appreciate the unique community interests and values to do this themselves
If you think about it, schools are really the heart of every community. They’re places of knowledge sharing where our children learn about and explore different life paths. Schools are places where our children get inspired to do great things.
Obtaining a K-12 education is a right that citizens should not dismiss or be denied.
Citizens should govern school districts to ensure that our children have access to and achieve their very best through the education delivered in the classroom.
Elected trustees are our caretakers, and are accountable to parents, taxpayers, the community, and the province through their election every three years.
They work as a team to make important and difficult decisions. It’s these decisions that guide and support our educators to deliver quality public education that reflects the community’s needs and improves student achievement.
Given the prominence school boards play in educating our children, it’s critical to emphasize the importance of choosing who represents us.
School trustee candidates seek election on the merits of their skills, perspective, experience and ability to listen - school board involves responsibilities that are above simple politics. It’s these attributes that will contribute to informed decisions that impact our children today and in the future. It’s a calling that deserves more recognition by the public during election time - it is about our future.
Over the next three years, our school district faces challenges, such as refreshing its long-term strategic plan, reviewing the facilities plan to ensure it meets student needs, identifying approaches to sustained improvement to graduation, literacy, and numeracy rates, and addressing the 21st century learning initiative rooted in personalized learning.
These are not small issues nor small responsibilities.
This is why I am running for school trustee. I offer a unique skill set developed through professional experiences in education management, business, politics, and not-for-profit organizations.
There’s no doubt that our children’s education is paramount and I will serve with leadership, energy, and a fresh perspective.
Mr. Seymour, I’m not running for something I think is irrelevant. Our children’s future is too important to be abdicated to bureaucrats in Victoria. I’m running as an advocate for our children who have the right to quality public education.
Chris Gorman
Kelowna, BC
Candidate for School Trustee