A trusted voice for St. Paul Education

As we approach election day on October 16, I thought I would share my speech from the Town of St. Paul forum that took place on October 4. You can also watch the video of the forum here.

Good evening, Mr. Moderator, fellow candidates, and community members.

Thank you to the St. Paul and District Chamber of Commerce for giving trustee candidates time to speak this evening, and thank you to those who arrived early to listen.

Some of you might be wondering what a school trustee does. As a member of a board, we set policy, approve a budget, and evaluate our one employee – our Superintendent. But primarily we are here as an advocate for students. In my 10 years as a trustee, I can truly state that each decision we make focuses on students first.

Parents have told us class size is important. We continue to have one of the best student-teacher ratios in the area. Staff has told us they need student supports in the classroom. We continue to fund our Family School Liaison program, with assistance from our municipal partners. These items are just some of the ways our board supports students each year at budget time. 

Trustees also act as a bridge between the school, home, and community. We advocate for students, we engage our parents and staff, and we act with all levels of government to ensure our community receives the education it deserves.

We receive the majority of our revenue from the provincial and federal government and have strict guidelines on how this money is spent. In fact, almost 80 per cent of our 55 million-dollar budget goes towards employing over 600 staff in our region. Our Superintendent is in charge of these staff. As Trustees, it is not our job to meddle in the day-to-day operations at our schools. We can raise concerns brought forward by students, staff, and parents, but ultimately, it is the superintendent’s job to evaluate and monitor our school communities. And it is the board’s job to evaluate the Superintendent annually.

I have mentioned recently that I am concerned about the elimination of locally-elected school boards. Our local residents elect school boards, but the provincial government has started interfering with our role as a board.

For example, in the last couple of years, school boards across the province have been forced to revise or replace their existing policies and submit them to the government for approval on a strict timeline. Our policies are our tools we use to govern. We have never had to submit them for approval to the government before now. It makes me wonder what will happen next.

I am also concerned about the growing disparity between rural and urban boards. School divisions are funded on a per-student basis. Rural boards are experiencing a decline in enrolment, as people choose to move to larger centres and sprawling suburbia.

We were pleasantly surprised when the provincial government recently announced it would now assist in playground funding for new schools. However, when we read the fine print and asked why two of our new schools in the division are not eligible for funding, the answer was, it had to be on a new school site. In small, rural communities we are usually left with no choice but to build on existing sites due to the lack of serviceable land available. Again, rural communities are being left out.  

We have a lot of challenges facing our local board in the coming months and I believe it will take trustees with experience to face these challenges. I have been a trustee for 10 years. I started this position when my children were preschoolers – they are now enrolled in the French Immersion program at Racette Junior High School.

I have always worked hard and have gone the extra mile to get the work done that needs to be done on our board. When policy needs to be written or revised, I take my time to research each item and then present it to the policy committee. When the board needed to work on its communication to the public, I took the extra time to write Trustee Reports after each board meeting so that we were all on the same page. I am proud to say we now have the staff in place to enhance some of our communications – something I personally advocated for since I was first elected.

I am actively engaged on our board, as well as in the community. Again, when a job needs to be done, I do it. I was instrumental in upgrades to the St. Paul Elementary playground as a member of its fundraising council for close to five years. I have been a team manager in soccer, hockey, and baseball. My husband and I have successfully operated a small business together since 2009.

I am passionate, organized, efficient with my time, and dedicated to our local community. I am a vocal advocate for Catholic schools and will continue to stand up for St. Paul Education. I would be honoured to continue serving you as your Trustee for Subdivision D.

Thank you.

Putting my name on the ballot

I am asking my constituents for their support in electing me to another term as trustee with St. Paul Education Regional Division No. 1. Over the past 10 years, I have learned so much and have grown both professionally and personally in my role as a trustee. I hope to use this knowledge and growth to serve my constituents and continue to make students my number one priority.

I know I mentioned a year ago that I would not be seeking another term. Perhaps I spoke too soon. Over this past year, I grew concerned about the attack on locally elected schools boards, especially in other parts of the country where they are considering reducing or eliminating school boards like they did to our health authorities in Alberta. We all know that decision did not bode well for Albertans. Local voices are needed when it comes to decisions that affect our communities.

I am also concerned over the growing movement in Alberta to eliminate Catholic schools. My children attend a Catholic school and I wouldn't have it any other way. Our school division is unique in the province, having both Catholic and non-Catholic schools in one division, and I want to preserve what our community voted on over 20 years ago. What we have works for our local division and I continue to stand for what our community wants.

My two children are in grades 6 and 9 this year; and, although I believe a trustee doesn't need to have children attending school to make informed decisions, a parent's perspective adds another element to our role as governors.

I believe in St. Paul Education. We have made many important changes to how policy is made and reviewed, and in how we are communicating with our staff, students, parents, and our communities at large. Our goals are strong and our mission of working together to inspire and empower our students to succeed is sound.

On October 16, I ask for your support. 

Are you #ReadyForHer?

Last week I wrote a blog about the Top 10 things I've learned as a trustee. This week I want to focus on the push to have more women running in the upcoming municipal and school board elections across Alberta in October. There is currently a group of female politicians touring the province to talk about their experiences as local representatives. The "Ready for Her" campaign examines the barriers to women entering politics and how some women have overcome them.

Now, I must admit, when the Bank of Canada unveiled their new $10 banknote for Canada 150 celebrations last week, I did not recognize the woman that was pictured among three men. The name sounded kind of familiar, but I didn't know who she was until the newscaster mentioned that Agnes Macphail was the first woman elected to the House of Commons in 1921. Women didn't even have the right to vote until 1916 in the four western provinces, 1917 in Ontario, and 1940 in Quebec. Women weren't allowed to hold a seat in the House of Commons until 1919. Can you imagine what it was like for her to enter those chambers full of men? She knew she was starting a movement; only, it became stalled along the way. Hopefully, her face on the $10 bill will awaken new possibilities.

Even though our House of Commons reached a new record high of 25 per cent women elected in the last federal election, it still doesn't represent the 50 per cent of women in the country. In the 2013 municipal elections, only 26 per cent of the elected seats went to women. There is no specific data for elected trustees, but I suspect the number may be higher based on the trustees I see at provincial school board events. 

When I decided to run as a school board trustee, I was a stay-at-home mom with two children, aged one and four. I felt disconnected from my community after leaving the full-time workforce and wanted to serve in some way. With the support of my family, I knocked on doors every day during the month-long campaign and beat the male incumbent by 15 votes. I still remember the phone call at close to midnight that election night. After many recounts, I was declared the winner. Now what? I had my first meeting two days later and needed to find a babysitter. 

I must say, finding childcare has been the most challenging part of becoming an elected official. It's not like it is a regular 9-5 job. Every time an extra meeting came up outside of the regular schedule, or if a meeting was running late, I was stressed. And since most of our meetings are during the day, it meant hiring someone to look after my pre-school children. Luckily, I found some sitters with flexible schedules that didn't require me to pay for a whole week or month of daycare. Board meeting days and times are voted on each fall at a board organizational meeting, and I do know of many school boards and councils that have their meetings in the evening. However, school tours obviously must take place during the day. Since women remain primarily in charge of child care and domestic labour, support in these areas is needed for women to enter politics. 

We need our elected bodies to be representative of our diverse communities. Politics is becoming more progressive. There are still some "backroom-dealing politicians" out there, and there always will be, but overall, I believe people want to see change. Are you ready to put your name forward this fall?

Top 10 things I've learned being a School Trustee

When municipal and school board elections take place this October, I will have served as a School Trustee for 10 years. I have accumulated a lot of knowledge throughout my tenure, but when you are overseeing a $55 million budget, 4,000 students and over 600 staff, there is still a lot to learn. To encapsulate some of the most important things I've learned, I have created a Top 10 List:

1. Students are number one. Every decision we make as a Board comes down to the basic question: how will this affect students? Although parents, staff and our communities are equally important when making decisions, we are advocates for our students, and all of our students. Even though I am elected to Ward D and serve St. Paul South, once elected to a board, I am here for all students.

2. Policy is key. Trustees are elected to govern. And to govern, we need a set of guidelines, or policies, to assist us in our decision-making. I have been on the Board's Policy Committee for most of my 10 years on the board. I admit I am a policy geek and I believe a board cannot function without strong policy. Our Board reviews all of its policies every year and will add new ones where it sees fit. We only have 22 policies which can be found here. As governors, we should not be meddling in day-to-day affairs at our schools. We are here to govern our school division as a whole based on the policies we have created.

3. Communication is crucial. People want to know what is happening at our local schools. The local news media has always been very supportive is getting the word out to our communities, but it is important to have information and consultation with all audiences, internal and external. I have also been on the Board's Communications Committee throughout my trusteeship and have consistently stressed the importance of communications, not only with the public, but with our staff, parents and students. We follow a Communications Plan and we recently hired a part-time social media communications person to inform our communities in the digital world. Although we must legally protect privacy in some cases, our school division has all of its financial information, policies and, and day-to-day news on display, and we regularly consult parents, students, and staff to guide us in our decision-making.

4. You don't have to be an education expert. There are former educators on school boards across the province, and we have a former principal on our board, but the majority of trustees on our board are parents and community members who have a passion for education. As I mentioned earlier, when you are elected as a School Board Trustee, you are there for students and you are there to govern. You may already know about the education goals and strategies set out as a division, as well as the education philosophy of the Superintendent's office. There is a lot to learn as an elected official, but you don't need to know it all at the start.

5. You are a politician. Even though some trustees don't like to call themselves "politicians", that is what you are once you are elected. You are there to lobby the provincial government and to network with other trustees and elected officials, both locally and provincially. Some trustees are more into politics than others, but once you are a School Trustee, you are expected to take a political role to a certain extent.

6. You are responsible for a budget. Our school division operates a $55+ million budget with the majority of the money coming from the provincial government. About 80 per cent of that budget goes to staff wages and benefits, with the other 20 per cent going towards items such as technology, textbooks, transportation, building maintenance, and utilities. Although the Board approves a budget once a year, the numbers fluctuate and budgetary decisions are required throughout the year.

7. The Superintendent is your only employee. The Board hires its Superintendent and conducts annual evaluations set out in policy. The Superintendent oversees all of the 600+ staff across the division; therefore, the relationship between the Superintendent and the Board is vital. Our Board has a strong relationship with our current Superintendent's office and we believe that we are part of a team with our local principals.

8. Planning is important. A Board is responsible for setting division goals and conducting strategic planning via public consultation. Our Trustees regularly attend local school council meetings, we invite our Alberta Teachers Association reps to our monthly board meetings, and we sit in on monthly principals' meetings. We also rely on local and provincial survey information and feedback from our students, staff, parents, and communities. All of this information is used to create our division goals and our Three Year Plan that is submitted to Alberta Education each year.

9. Be prepared for a lot of reading. In order to make informed decisions, you will be doing a lot of reading as a trustee. Daily emails, reports, following news media, and general research will keep you busy.

10. It will take up more of your time than you think. Even though there are only two official board meetings per month, depending on the committees you select, and the daily email correspondence and communication with your communities, be prepared to be "on call" every day. There are also association conferences and business meetings throughout the year, so plan to be away from home from time to time. And don't expect to be paid a lot of money. You will receive an honorarium for meetings you attend, compensation for travel, and a small monthly stipend, but you have to be in it for the passion, not the paycheque.

January is exam time

While most of us are thinking about the beginning of a new year and our resolutions, our students are busy with their Diploma, Final or Mid-Term Exams. And although these summative exams are a one-time test making up only a portion of their final marks, they are still important. This is why it is important to help our children learn the best study techniques.

Many of our schools have access to online practice exams and teachers quite often provide practice and study exams before the Big Day. It is up to parents to provide the support and structure required to enable their children and ensure they are prepared. For those feeling extra stress or anxiety, there are supports at the school as well.

Back when I was a high school and university student, I learned how to study on my own, but I still suffered from exam anxiety from time to time. I learned some breathing techniques to calm myself down before the exam and I also asked for extra tutoring time from my teachers or through private tutors. That is what worked for me, but having a discussion with your child and finding out what is best for them is the first step. You also may need to have a discussion with the teacher to find out how the two of you can assist your child. The teacher is there to see your child succeed, and once your child has left the K-12 system, the same opportunities don't always exist.

Throughout the year and each term, parents and students for Grades 7 and up can keep an eye on their marks and attendance via the HomeLogic online student assessment system. Login information is available through the school. The more you are involved in your children's school and in their learning, the better chance they have at success. Good luck to students writing exams!

A voice at the provincial level

Once or twice a year, school boards across Alberta have a chance to meet together in assembly to discuss and bring forward resolutions to the Alberta government on matters pertaining to the education of our students.

Our local Board of Trustees and administration is heading out to two separate conferences today. The first is the Annual General Meeting of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association (ACSTA), followed by the Fall General Meeting of the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) on Sunday evening until Tuesday.

St. Paul Education is a member of ACSTA in support of the Catholic students within our division. We also have a director from each member board that meets four times a year at ACSTA directors' meetings. I have been honoured to serve as our Board's director since 2014. The Fall General Meeting gives Trustees a chance to deepen their faith and conduct business pertaining to the Association. You can learn more about ACSTA and this year's AGM at their website, www.acsta.ab.ca.

On Sunday, we start all over again with the ASBA Fall General Meeting. Some committee members may have separate meetings Sunday afternoon, but we all join together in the evening for the opening ceremonies and the celebration of teacher excellence with the Edwin Parr Awards. These awards recognize first year teachers who have made a positive impact on their students. It is truly inspiring to hear from these passionate educators who are dedicated to students.

On Monday, all 400+ trustees from 61 boards from across Alberta join again for a full day of business meetings. The event is webcast through the ASBA website. You can also view the proposed policy positions that we will be voting on at: www.asba.ab.ca.

These associations are the voice of a collective and our voice at the provincial level. It is important that boards meet to discuss the issues they have in common and lobby the government. Each board is unique and advocates for their own students, but as associations, we can accomplish major change across the province. An example is the weighting of provincial diploma exams. Two years ago, at a Fall General Meeting, trustees at the ASBA voted in favour of changing the weighting from 50 per cent to 30 per cent. The government subsequently reduced the weighting to 30 per cent after further consultation with parents, teachers and students.

Change can happen when we join together in support of our students.

Board tours construction projects

One of the best parts of being a School Board Trustee is to tour our schools. While our school tours usually involve meeting with staff and students, our tour on Wednesday, October 26 was strictly bricks and mortar.

We started off the day with a trip to Myrnam where the Village is working towards developing the area as an education hub. St. Paul Education has granted the Village of Myrnam the opportunity to subdivide a portion of land next to Myrnam School to construct the Myrnam Construction Trades Education Centre (CTEC). The Board of Trustees initially approved Phase One which includes building a 36' x 40' temporary structure to the east of the school which includes a paint booth, heating room and a larger room which contains a large table saw and router. Trustees were impressed with the structure and the equipment in place thus far. They hope to be up and running the program within the next couple of months.

Phase Two includes building a much larger structure on the west side of the school, where the subdivision process is currently in place. This larger structure will include a large building facility and classrooms. All of the funds for these projects is being provided by the Village of Myrnam. St. Paul Education has agreed to assist with staff and programming. However, post secondary programming is also being explored with institutions in the area.

Trustees also traveled to Two Hills to tour the new Mennonite School construction. Although the construction has been delayed numerous times due to some unforeseen site conditions, Trustees were pleased the see the progress made within the last few months. The classrooms are large and bright and the main entrance and gymnasium are impressive. The K-12 school will have a capacity of 550 students and will replace the existing school which is on the same site as the new school. It is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by September, 2017.

School Boards do not build their own schools. In fact, about 80 per cent of our $55 million budget goes towards the salary of our 650+ employees, who are there to serve all of our students. The money to build schools comes directly from the Alberta Government. The government is also the construction manager of most school construction projects. To see the school projects across the province visit their website at: projects.alberta.ca.