In your opinion what is the most critical issue facing the school board at this time and how do you plan on addressing it?
The most critical provincial issue facing public education in the Comox Valley and province-wide is centralization of funding, curriculum and many daily operations in the school and classroom. There must be a move toward bringing public education policy development back to the local level, using a process that recognizes the role of professionals and includes parents, students and the broader community. This will lead to a more balanced approach to responsibilities and controls between the school board and the provincial bureaucracy.
All politics is local. Public education is political. Public education is too complex to be controlled and changed by a select few individuals or groups from Victoria. Trustees must make sure that all citizens can participate in identifying needs and developing detailed policy suggestions that will benefit students in public education.
School trustees must have high expectations of students and teachers.
Teaching and learning are complicated and sometimes messy processes of students, parents and teachers working together. Trustees must work with teachers, students, parents and support staff to provide classrooms where students can do their best.
This consultation can be achieved by trustees working with students, teachers, support staff, parent advisory committees to include them in the process of developing and implementing policy.
It’s time for a bottom up approach to the management of public education. We have had enough of the top-down approach.