Sandy Sharma: Vancouver school board requires new trustees with common sense

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      Our future is our children. For the betterment of our children’s education and parents, on November 19, Vancouver voters need to vote for change and vote for Sandy Sharma, a proud member of the NPA Common Sense Team.

      Vancouver requires new NPA Vancouver school board trustees with a common sense approach to provide the stewardship needed for an efficient and effective running of the VSB.

      It is time for change. Children should not be used as “pawns” in the school system. Children need to receive a quality education. Parents need a passionate voice advocating for their children.

      We need to educate the next generation to compete in our complex global economy with skills that will enhance the image of Vancouver.

      For the past three years, I have provided strong leadership and parent representation by advocating for transparency and accountability in the public school system.

      Therefore, I support the addition of new schools in underserved areas, new technology in classrooms, personalized learning for students, increased resources for all students including ESL and special needs students, additional teacher-librarians, and multilingual learning.

      As a professional and a businesswoman, the lack of transparency and accountability at the VSB is troubling. VSB has a half a billion dollar ($500,000,000) budget, yet the current Vision-COPE board of trustees does not want an independent audit committee.

      The VSB, in the recent KPMG audited financial statement for the fiscal period ended June 30, posted a surplus of about $9.8 million and the net increase in cash was $28.5 million.

      Based on the VSB financial statements, indications are that there is sufficient funding to provide our children with the quality education that they deserve.

      The current majority Vision-COPE trustees passed a motion on October 3, seeking more resources from the provincial government but Vision-COPE trustees have been silent about the surplus of $9.8 million.

      Since 2006, I have had extensive involvement with my school PAC executive as vice chairperson, cochairperson, and Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council representative. From 2008, I was an executive with the District Parent Advisory Council and a vice chairperson from September 2010 until July 2011.

      I have represented DPAC on various Vancouver school board committees including the Mandarin Bilingual Committee, Committee V—Finance and Legal, Committee II—Planning and Facilities, Learning Services Consultative and Assessment for Learning Committee. Children, parents, and taxpayers of Vancouver deserve better. Do not waste another three years.

      On November 19, vote for the NPA Common Sense Team that stands for transparency and accountability.

      Vote for Sandy Sharma as your NPA school board trustee.

      Sandy Sharma is a Non-Partisan Association candidate for the Vancouver school board.

      Comments

      2 Comments

      Tomkin

      Oct 18, 2011 at 10:36pm

      NPA transparency and accountability = non action [nothing to see] and underfunding legitimization.

      Spending more on children now - spending less on adults later. The Liberals under funding of education, and the NPA complicity, are bad for BC tax payers.

      PS. Sham on you Sandy Sharma for suggesting Teachers are using their students as “pawns” thats just bad campaigning.

      james green

      Oct 18, 2011 at 11:51pm

      As a former teacher for 20 years and a former school trustee the issue is not what teachers do to have the best pay and classroom conditions they can for themselves and their students. The issue is we as a society need to understand that teaching is one of the most important careers in our society and teachers must be paid well, classrooms must have all the amenities necessary to sustain an excellent education for our children including a reasonable class size and teacher support staff for challenged students and more much much more.
      We as parents must take responsibility for ensuring learning and knowledge is stressed in the home so when our kids hit the system teachers have the best possible chance of facilitating the educational sucess of students.
      So Ms. Shama, attack the problems and forget the us against them campaigning. The education of children is based on a triad of the home, the school and the students and there can be no adversarial approach taken by trustees.
      Lastly, please do not make adversial statements that use students as pawns to get elected.