Kelowna School Trustee Candidates

[hype14]

Trustee Baxter is right in saying that all of the candidates were at the Rutland forum except for Mr. P...I also noted that Sharlene was the first candidate to arrive and had IDEAS pages on her table right from the start asking the public what they would like Trustees to focus on over the next four years (a sign to me that she would be more likely to listen to the public); Lee arrived right at 7pm and left before 8pm, leaving an ideas page on his table; Chris left not long after Lee...Only about 5 of the candidates (Sharlene, Scott, Rolli, Murli, Lee Ann) stayed through until only a number of candidates for City Council/Mayor and volunteers who set up the event were remaining.

[wlee271962]

Hi everyone. Good discussion, don't pull any punches. I just wanted to provide a little clarity on the Rutland Forum and not being able to stay for the whole event. I actually arrived at 6:40 with my brother, helped him set up and then talked to the other council candidates. I made a point of trying to meet all the school trustee candidates before the forum started as well. I was only able to stay until just before 8:00, as I had a previous commitment that I had made four months earlier. I was enjoying the forum very much and wished I could have stayed to the end. I found the energy there to be quite inspiring and hearing directly from concerned citizens was a real eye opener. Thanks to all of you that show up at these functions. - Lee Mossman

[KGT]

Some trustee responses to 2 question from Richard Knight.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/ ... mment-area

I sent two questions to all school trustee candidates from Lake Country, Kelowna and West Kelowna recently.

Some of the responses were short; some were long. But I’ll only give partial responses for some for brevity sake.

1. Aside from the current legal dispute between the BC Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government, what are your views on class size and class composition?

Nicholas Aubin: “I believe that class size and composition is something that should be looked at by all partner groups. I want to establish meaningful communication systems and relationships with our partner groups by including them in collaborative discussions...”

Joyce Brinkerhoff: “…The matter has been in the courts since prior to my term as a trustee. I have respected the court process and as a board, we have not discussed the issues … To be honest: to both of your questions I would have to plead “I do not know enough to make a definitive comment, but I would like to know more and am currently researching the area…”

Rolli Cacchioni: “Having taught a four-grade split with identified students, and numerous classes over 30 during my teaching career, I agree with smaller class sizes. I also agree with decisions made at the school/ class level with regard to staffing specific classroom situations.”

Julia Fraser: “… I believe the most pressing problems in our school district are resources and class size and class composition. In order for School District 23 to continue towards achieving success, schools will require more resources. I believe there should be reduced class sizes and consideration given to class composition, especially in the vulnerable schools….”

Chris Gorman: “Class size, composition, and the teacher are all important to maximizing learning in the classroom. Where there are challenging class size and composition issues, the school district makes every effort to ensure additional support structures are in place.”

Lee Mossman: “Class size and composition are perhaps the most significant factors in allowing teachers to provide the time and interaction that meets the needs of all the students. The needs of all children should be considered. If 70 per cent of a teacher’s time is spent with three or four children, then the needs of the other children are not met. It’s ridiculous to think that one teacher can effectively give the quality of one-on-one interaction with 35 kids…”

2. What are your views on the actual legal dispute, namely: a) the government ripping up the BCTF contract in 2002; and b) the government's claim to have the right to set policy regarding staffing levels?

Nicholas Aubin: “I am committed to supporting our students and schools, the teachers who are entrusted with teaching them every day and contributing to our centres of learning that inspire innovation and creativity. I feel I can make a difference in my community. As an incoming school trustee candidate, I believe we have the ability to influence change and have an effective voice for our community...”

Joyce Brinkerhoff: “…Certainly my over-arching philosophy is to treat all people with respect and dignity. When this mutual respect is fully practiced — even those times where circumstances or finances dictate less than our favourite option, we can still work together…”

Rolli Cacchioni: “…decisions on educational services are best made at the school/class level. With School Planning Councils, an excellent opportunity is afforded for principals, teachers and parents to make these close to home decisions … I do believe that negotiated agreements produce the best work place environments.

Julia Fraser: “… The tragedy of this unfortunate, protracted dispute is that our children are caught in the middle. It really isn’t about the BCTF and a hard-nosed government, determined to spend as little on education as possible to maintain its self-proclaimed bottom-line. It’s about all those children and youth in the classroom to whom we will rely on to grow our economy into our retirement and take care of our planet for future generations…”

Chris Gorman: “The new Education Fund is helping school districts address challenging class size and composition issues.”

Lee Mossman: “The government cannot act arbitrarily in terms of policy and law in labour negotiations. They are bound by the laws of the land as we all are. Staffing levels are to be negotiated “in good faith” by both parties. When the government decided to act outside of those parameters it violated B.C. labour laws…”

Of 14 people surveyed, only six responded. That’s surprising given the common notion school trustee elections are pretty much ignored. I must say, though, there are markedly more forums than I’ve seen in the past.

I’d like to thank my respondents for answering my questions. And I wish you all luck in the election on Saturday. But before I go, I have two other questions:

1. We have heard for at least a decade the government is under-funding education. The government counters with figures that show that it has put more money into education. The problem revolves around costs being downloaded to school districts. Trustee candidates often say they would lobby the government for adequate and sustained education funding. My question to incumbents is what have you been doing for the last decade? Why are you promising this again? To new candidates I ask, what do you propose to do about this?

2. My second question originates in 1998. A collective agreement was imposed on trustees by the NDP because they were opposed to giving the BCTF the right to bargain class size at the primary level. Then on July 31, 2013, the provincial government replaced the board of directors of the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association with an administrator. This board included elected school trustees. On what basis do you believe you really have any influence to effect change?

Richard Knight is a retired educator living in Kelowna.

[wlee271962]

Hi Richard
Here are my answers:

1) The failure of conventional lobbying to make significant results in increased funding is inevitable in the current political landscape. It is unreasonable to expect a School Board, PAC or education delegate to directly influence government in any meaningful way. The problem is that different approaches and tactics are not explored to find better results. One does not simply go to the government ala Oliver Twist and ask for "more". The result will always the same. No!

What needs to happen is a coordinated series of discussions (lobbying) by all stakeholders with government, service groups, community groups, political parties, municipalities and districts, and every level of government. Putting respectful pressure to bear from any and all angles will eventually lead to some action. It may be as simple as changes in tax structure and revenue generation. Changes in the system itself or perhaps some ground breaking initiatives. The point is, if you don't try you will definitely never make a difference. It may not happen next year or the year after, but maybe it happens in the third year. By having open respectful dialogue we open the door to finding solutions where there were none before.

Or, you vote the current party out of government and work towards funding goals with the new government.

2) I believe the answer to the last question contains some of the same ideas and approaches but I will expand further to the point on the influence to effect change.

In my 15 years of experience in bargaining, mediation and arbitration I can tell you there is no problem too big to overcome. In my experience with conflict between two parties with competing interests, the best chance for success is to be well prepared and know what they are willing to compromise on and what they will never yield. The art of the deal is not to convince the other side to agree with your demands, it is to work with them,(sometimes painfully slowly) to find the end resolve that both sides would be happy with. Working toward a common goal is much more likely to have a positive outcome.

That is of course, an over simplification of a much more involved and thought out strategy when going into any negotiations but I find it has paid off in fostering progressive negotiations with good resolves.

Thanks for taking the time to get the info you need.

Lee Mossman

[KGT]

Interesting how different the Castanet results are compared to reality.

[Lady tehMa]

One of the four I voted for got in. I am glad it was Rolli though. As for the rest, I hope they try again next time.

Aubin, Mossman, Pagliocchini - you had my vote. Good luck for the next time!

As for those who got in, may the term go well and congratulations.

[George+]

Uh...

Lee Mossman did win as trustee.

[Lady tehMa]

Uh...

Lee Mossman did win as trustee.

Last night it showed Joyce Brinkerhoff as having beaten him out . . . well that IS pleasing news. :)