SD78 School Board elections: Trustee candidate Q&A
Gary Lewis
Q1: What experience do you have that will make you a good trustee for SD78?
I am 64 years old and am retired from a 40-year career in Education. My teaching experience includes 35 years in the BC public school system; 19 years in Revelstoke and 16 years as an administrator in Hope. Most recently I was deeply impacted by two years spent in Huizhou, China as a principal of the English department in a school of 2000 students.
I have been married for 43 years and we have seen our four children through their educational experience.
Q2: What are the two most pressing issues facing SD78? How do you plan to address them? (be specific)
I’m not sure of the order in which I would rate the top two pressing issues facing SD78. Concerns in this area include a school board working well together, continuing education for our students as they graduate, improving the local university courses that we offer, and offering more trade courses. Additionally, with our city’s increasing population, we may need to consider building another elementary school. And as always, attracting the best teachers possible to our school district will lead to success. I feel that it is very important to work closely with all community partners. Simply said, “everyone pulling together to improve the achievement of all learners.”
Q3: How do you plan to listen to parents and students about the issues they care about? (be specific)
Listening to the parents who we represent as trustees is foundational to our position and to the decisions we make. Parents and students need to respect one another so their concerns can appropriately be brought forward for discussion. I will work within the boundaries of the job description to best support all parents and students.
Q4: The SD78 board has faced a number of controversies over its last term, including a letter to former education minister Mike Bernier stating the board was “severely dysfunctional” and requesting a special advisor to review SD78’s governance, two censures of a trustee - one of which cost the school district $48,000 and allegations from the censured trustee about bullying, a disrespectful workplace and a lack of transparency on the board. Given this, how do you plan to instill trust in and build a healthy workplace culture on the SD78 board?
Building trust will require time and effort. A transparent approach to what we are doing at the board table is necessary. In my time as an administrator, I encountered some difficult and challenging situations. My policy was to face things with honesty and integrity while acknowledging that my decisions wouldn’t necessarily be approved of or accepted by everyone.
It is imperative that trustees work collaboratively and in a respectful manner. Isn’t this what we expect of our students? We must set a good example for the children and we can learn from them as well!
Q5: What is your position on the implementation of the SOGI 1 2 3 program in SD78 schools?
Regarding the implementation of the SOGI program, I feel that an open forum should be held, ideally including a speaker who is knowledgeable and properly educated in this program. This is where ideas and concerns could be discussed and debated, and questions answered without fear of anyone feeling disregarded or ridiculed. It will be necessary to respectfully hear and evaluate all opinions and viewpoints, and any dispute should be reviewed without communicating personal bias. We are all in favor of what is best for our children and we believe in their protection and their rights, and for justice to prevail.