Carolyn Reimer - School District #23 Candidate

[Jo]

This thread is for Carolyn Reimer, candidate for School District #23.

[adlucem]

What a great choice for school trustee Carolyn Reimer would be. She is an individual of integrity, honesty, reliability, compassion, intelligence, dedication and accountability. The list goes on! Carolyn Reimer gets the job done. She is a team player. She listens with respect to varying opinions and uses sound judgment, while taking numerous perspectives into consideration. Carolyn has shown that she is committed to exploring any and all options in providing equal educational opportunities for ALL children that would help to ensure continued success throughout students’ lives. School District #23 would be extremely fortunate to have Carolyn Reimer as part of their team.

[goforit]

My vote for School Board Trustee will definitely go to Carolyn Reimer. Carolyn has what it takes to help to make sure that every child in Kelowna is set up for personal achievement and success in their chosen careers. I love that she would work together with Okanagan College and businesses in our community to provide opportunities to students to achieve successful long term career goals. This is definitely something that our community needs. We not only need our kids to graduate, but to have a direction when they are out in the work force.

[ramsy]

Great person for School Trustee! Truly cares about all the kids. Carolyn Reimer has my vote!!!

[Snick]

I'm going to have to agree with the previous writers. As a current school trustee, I know Carolyn has the skills to navigate some of the more complicated issues using her valuable, common sense and thoughtful, positive attitude. Carolyn is well-respected as our PAC president and we would all be well-served with her on the Board of Education.

Good luck, Carolyn!!

Shelley Nicholl

[CarMa]

Well, I was at the forum, tonight, and I was not impressed with Carolyn's notion that Boards of Education formalize their roles as fundraisers. Her idea of creating bursaries for the impoverished families will not address the underfunding that the rest of us will be left to deal with.

I'm a middle class parent and I'm tired of the number of fundraisers in which I am asked to participate (4 this year so far) in order to make up for what the government won't finance.

I don't want to see School Boards holding lotteries for million dollar homes to pay for new schools and lower class size -- the way charities have to pay for specialized hospital equipment.

And how can Carolyn claim she will lobby for more government funding AND formalize fundraising at the same time? These are counteractive positions. As one candidate said, practise will become policy -- fundraising will become a revenue budget line and governments will fund even less. Not a direction I want to go.

[onestop67]

Well, I was at the forum, tonight, and I was not impressed with Carolyn's notion that Boards of Education formalize their roles as fundraisers. Her idea of creating bursaries for the impoverished families will not address the underfunding that the rest of us will be left to deal with.

I'm a middle class parent and I'm tired of the number of fundraisers in which I am asked to participate (4 this year so far) in order to make up for what the government won't finance.

I don't want to see School Boards holding lotteries for million dollar homes to pay for new schools and lower class size -- the way charities have to pay for specialized hospital equipment.

I am not directing this at the candidate but to the message. CarMa, if there is simply not enough government money to increase budgets, then it is not there. One thing I will give Campbell credit for is getting our provincial finances in a much healthier state than when the NDP were spending money we simply didn't have.

I would rather see BC Lotteries or private school district charities raise money, IF there are people willing to take on the work. If you don't want to volunteer that is fine, you have a busy career and family, can't fault you for not having 28 hours in your day. But I see alternative ways to raise money as a better solution to seeing taxes raised.

In tight financial times, one must be flexible and creative to keep things rolling.

[CarMa]

I understand what you're saying, onestop, but I don't want to get too political in a candidate's thread.

But fundraising has a limited "pie", just like government taxes/spending. Which charities, who don't receive government funding, will suffer because public education now needs to siphon the major charitable donations?

I don't mind some fundraising at the school level. Carolyn pointed out that some of the activities bring the school community together -- like family fun night. PAC's have always done this. But cutting a cheque for wrapping paper and chocolates, to companies that have a captive, "I'm doing it for the school" audience, doesn't create a culture of school spirit... just consumerism. Especially when we reward the kids for selling, and take valuable school time to hold assemblies to promote the product and in distributing/collecting the materials.

Got a product you want to sell? Mark it up 20%, sell it through the schools, and give back the 20%.

[spunky7]

CarMa, while your concerns regarding fundraising are good ones (I often feel the same way, believe me), we need to be realistic. Canada, along with the rest of the world, is falling into an economic recession. Some believe that we still have lower to fall if we follow suit with our neighbours to the south. Time will tell. The fact is there is no new money. We are fortunate to hold onto the funding that we currently have for education. We can lobby the government until we are blue in the face, but that has not helped us much in the past few years so who is to say that it will get better now that we are even further into an economic recession? We need other options and we need people on the board who are willing to EXPLORE those options. No one is forced to accept the ideas, but we need someone to put them on the table anyway... that is what a board is about.
I recognize that fundraising is undesirable for many (if not most), and that most people’s attitude might be “we shouldn’t be paying for our kids’ education… that’s the government’s job,” but this is not a perfect world and we are not experiencing perfect times! We need to become proactive and start to come up with good ideas until the government is more willing to give up money to the school systems. I do not feel it is a counteractive position to work on two things at the same time (that is, lobbying the government while exploring private funding).
As far as your point on fundraising having a limited “pie,” that may be true, but the same is said for the government funds. There needs to be a bit of both, not one or the other. We need someone who is willing to tackle all those issues and use some common sense in coming up with viable solutions. There is money in Kelowna. We all see it every day. If the school board can come up with ways to tap into that and help with education, then KUDOS to the group of these smart intelligent, open-minded thinkers.
My apologies for using this thread for the discussion!!!!
May the best candidates get a seat on the Board of Education - Carolyn, you have my vote!!!

[CarMa]

Don't apologize for the discussion. I think this issue is what makes Carolyn stand out from the rest. For many of us, her point of view moves us closer to privatization --- taking away the responsibility of the provincial government to fund public education.

I send my child to public school and I expect it to stay that way.

First they asked PACs to help with field trips.
Then they asked PACs to pay for entire computer labs.
Then they asked PACs to pay for crossing guards.
Then they asked PACs to pay for playgrounds.
Then they asked PACs to pay for playgrounds AGAIN when the safety standards changed.

How much will they ask from us next?

What happened to the "Advisory" in PAC? Just call us PFCs.

[spunky7]

I have my children in the public system also. Wouldn't it be great if there were no financial issues for the schools?
I have the impression that most candidates at the forum last night were saying over and over "I'm going to lobby for more money from the government." What a novel idea. Good luck with that. In the meantime, why not try to come up with other alternatives. Explore new ideas. I would challenge the new Board of Trustees to get a little creative and offer more detailed suggestions.

[Chmmr]

I have my children in the public system also. Wouldn't it be great if there were no financial issues for the schools?
I have the impression that most candidates at the forum last night were saying over and over "I'm going to lobby for more money from the government." What a novel idea. Good luck with that. In the meantime, why not try to come up with other alternatives. Explore new ideas. I would challenge the new Board of Trustees to get a little creative and offer more detailed suggestions.

I agree. It is quite clear that the government is not going to be forthcoming with these masses of money that the districts need, and with that being the case, it is time to mek due and figure out what we have to do to ensure the best education for our kids.

[CarMa]

International Education is a way to bring money into the school district. The current Board has started this and intends to see it grow.