SD78 School Board elections: Trustee candidate Q&A
Lori Izawa
Q1: What experience do you have that will make you a good trustee for SD78?
Actively participated on SD78 committees (Careers & Transition, Policy Development, Education, Budget, and Gifted/Enhanced Education) as a parent rep; attended board meetings, education forums, student events, and district wide Pro-D workshops - involved with schools (Parent Advisory Council (PAC)/District Parent Advisory Council(DPAC)) for years working collaboratively with stakeholder partners.
Q2: What are the two most pressing issues facing SD78? How do you plan to address them? (be specific)
1. Ensuring Trustees continue to be considered equal education partners with the Ministry of Education so they may advocate for their district as they assist in meeting the challenges of implementing new curriculum while meeting the needs of vulnerable students in a safe and meaningful learning environment. (Safer Schools model)
2. Ensuring ministry funding is adequate and equitable.
Any applicable challenges would be addressed by the Board of Trustees – a corporate entity.
An individual trustee cannot act on their own accord or on behalf of the board unless so authorized, appointed or designated. It’s about respectful teamwork.
Q3: How do you plan to listen to parents and students about the issues they care about? (be specific)
Trustees have an opportunity to hear about concerns & achievements directly from parents & students when invited to attend school PAC (Parent Advisory Council) meetings and school events, or out in the community. Note: There’s a process in place for addressing concerns. How matters are resolved will vary by situation.
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?
As a witness at SD78 board & committee meetings, the Board accomplished much despite impediments to initiatives intended to benefit students. Opportunities were made possible through democratic process. The Board fulfilled a responsibility and obligation in addressing a valid employee complaint, there was respect and productivity around committee tables, and transparency and accountability were prevalent. My vision is a Board that builds on the positives achieved by the current one – a fresh start, a fresh outlook, bringing a measure of knowledge, experience, integrity and respect, and staying focused on students’ needs for a meaningful education experience.
Q5: What is your position on the implementation of the SOGI 1 2 3 program in SD78 schools?
SOGI 123 is a resource available to teachers and parents – not a program. Multiple resources enable people to be well-informed rather than misinformed.