The Merritt Herald sent a short questionnaire to each of the candidates in the upcoming general election and will be publishing their answers on this website in the days leading up to the general vote on Nov. 15. TNRD Area M and N voters will elect one rural school trustee on Nov. 15, 2014. General voting stations will be available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Merritt Civic Centre, the Quilchena Golf Course and at Nicola-Canford Elementary School.
1. What is the role of a school trustee?
The role of a school trustee is to oversee School District 58 administrators and ensure that they maximize student achievement within a given budget. Trustees are mandated to function as a board and cannot perform individual tasks without a majority agreement by the board. It is critical that all trustees work collaboratively and make every effort to influence the entire group to focus on improving student achievement for the whole district population. Trustees are elected and therefore must listen to and communicate with the voters to ensure their concerns are being heard and addressed. The students in School District 58 are comprised of a diverse group of people. It is through this diversity that both opportunity and challenges arise. Each diverse group has unique challenges and needs that must be acknowledged and met. Our provincial economy appears to be continually challenging school boards to function with tighter budgets. This increases the demand for school boards to be even more critical of spending habits and ensure the taxpayers are getting the best “bang for the buck.”
2. What do you see as top priorities for School District 58?
The top priorities for School District 58 are to scrutinize existing spending and look for opportunities to better utilize resources to enhance student achievement. Also, the key to a great school district is to have great people employed by that district. School District 58 is one large system. If there are weaknesses in the system, the whole system suffers. It is the school board’s responsibility to ensure that the management team is performing to a high standard and is following the guidance offered by the board. In addition, every effort must be made to improve student results and six-year graduation rates. Creativity such as demonstrated in Kamloops with a science and technology school and a fine arts school are examples of efforts that can be made to improve student engagement. School District 58 might be too small to go that far, but changes must be made that will work for the students in our district.
3. What areas of education need to be addressed in Nicola-Similkameen?
Enormous opportunity exists for students to move beyond secondary school into a world of academic and vocational prospects. It is the responsibility of School District 58 to prepare children with all the tools necessary to achieve success. Children must have the basics – reading, writing and math – in order to ease their way forward. Provincial exams indicate there is lots of room for improvement in School District 58. Often, the socio-economic circumstances in School District 58 are alluded to as having a major impact on the school system. If that’s true, then it is that much more important to seek out creative opportunities to increase student engagement. Student engagement can be improved by acknowledging our diverse culture and creating specialized programs that will allow students to flourish. For example, there is a large First Nations group of students. By continuing to integrate First Nations culture into the school system, greater understanding, greater acceptance and increased engagement will improve student achievement. The recent announcement of a new trades training building at NVIT further demonstrates the need for School District 58 to offer programs that will work to prepare students for a smooth transition into vocational programs. In order for any positive changes to take place, teachers must be involved. There are many opportunities through professional development to have teachers enhance their critical role in making those changes. New and improved teaching methods and programs are continually being developed and teachers must be encouraged and supported to learn and utilize these training programs. A strong and dedicated staff is essential to create and implement programs that will capture students’ attention and motivate them to want to stay in school.
