RE: Upcoming civic election as it relates to the voting of school trustees
The time has come once again to vote for our local leaders.
As voters, we are tasked with not only getting out to vote (that’s the easy part) but with getting to know our candidates and their platforms (not as easy) and their competency to carry out a very important role in our community.
With options for both mayor and councillors, trying to decide how to cast our votes can be challenging. And, then there are school trustee candidate options. Did you remember about that part of the election? How prepared are you to make an informed decision when it comes to choosing our public education leaders? We urge you to do your homework.
Our district staff and students need you to do your homework. Being a school trustee is an incredibly important job. Trustees establish our district’s strategic direction, they approve and oversee our school district’s financial decisions, and they are also the employer of the school district superintendent. This is no small task done within a policy model of governance, which is not for the faint at heart.
Our trustees need to be informed (not opinionated), they need to be team players (personal issues do not outweigh decisions that benefit the district as a whole), and they need to be leaders (ensuring that schools are safe, inclusive, and supported spaces for all students so that they have equal opportunity to reach their potential).
We urge you to attend a School Trustee Candidate Forum on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Vernon Secondary School (VSS) Theatre. There are 12 school trustee candidates running in School District 22 (one has been acclaimed).
Come and find out if they are up to the job so you can make educated choices on Oct 20. For more information on what trustees do, visit bcsta.org.
The Vernon School District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) Executive Members:
Kelli Sullivan
Gladys Fraser
Max Russmann
Jessica Machinsk