As the vice chairperson of the Vancouver school board, I am proud of the accomplishments our Vision Vancouver school trustees have made over the past two terms. With the support of citizens, we will continue to provide progressive leadership and persistent advocacy for public education over the next four years.

I believe that Vancouver has one of the best public education systems in the country. The VSB continues to move forward with progressive policies to meet the diverse range of student needs in our school district. I am committed to strong neighbourhood schools, choices and options for students, and schools as community hubs.

The challenges and threats to our public schools have never been greater; yet there is reason for hope. Parents, teachers, school boards, students, and allies are standing up for public education as never before. As a trustee, I am proud of Vision’s advocacy for public education and adequate, stable, predictable funding. With our partner groups, we have worked to minimize the impact of provincial funding shortfalls on students by finding savings and efficiencies in the district. I am very proud of our success in securing more than $200 million to build new and replacement schools and to seismically upgrade many aging schools.

I am proud of our extensive community consultation, which engaged our community and resulted in saying no to school closures in Vancouver. We continue to work with the community to use school surplus capacity, enhancing school and community programming. The NPA trustees ignored the wishes of the community and opposed our decision to not close Vancouver schools.

Vision Vancouver trustees have established a culture of collaboration in the district, working with parents, teachers, district employees, stakeholders, and unions.

As an advocate of student leadership, I was honoured to collaborate with the Vancouver District Student Council to increase the student voice in the district. Ours was the first school board in B.C. to have a student trustee. And I am proud of the collaborative process we used to revise the VSB sexual orientation and gender identity and other equity policies that support diversity, safety, and respect for all students, staff, and families.

As a Vision Vancouver school board, we have accomplished a great deal together; however, we still have more work to do to make our public schools even better. Vision school trustees are known for their advocacy and leadership for public education—not just in Vancouver, but throughout B.C. If re-elected as a Vision school trustee, I will use my experience to continue to fight for adequate education funding for Vancouver students, while also creating innovative and practical solutions and opportunities.

I look forward to using the proposed annual $400,000 partnership grant from the City of Vancouver to reduce child hunger by doubling our breakfast programs. Our goal is to enhance and expand these programs, ensuring stable, long-term funding, and serving over 1,300 at-risk kids every day.

If re-elected, in addition to focusing on leadership and advocacy, I will concentrate my efforts on:

• Supporting student achievement, teaching and learning, and improving learning outcomes.
• Improving classroom conditions—including class size and composition.
• Keeping school properties open and public.
• Ensuring that seismic upgrades continue to be a priority for Vancouver schools and planning ahead for increased density, new school construction, and advocacy for new schools.
• Enhancing the existing culture of consultation and collaboration in the district.
• Providing sound fiscal management and responsible oversight.
• Fostering vibrant, inclusive neighbourhood schools—with access to choices and options.
• Working with City of Vancouver and park board to expand access to childcare spaces in Vancouver schools.
• Helping Vancouver become the greenest school district in North America.