To recap, I started this blog early in 2010 in the lead-up to the fall election and my arrival on the Louis Riel School Board. It shows the most recent 24 months of posts and my journey as a trustee.
Here's a bit of who I am:
- past Chair and current vice-Chair of the Louis Riel School Board
- Chair of the Louis Riel Endowment Fund Committee (Riel-Evate)
- past vice-President and current Region 5 Director on the Manitoba School Boards Association Executive
- member of the Provincial Education Funding Model Review Committee
- member of the board of directors of Dakota Community Centre
- column contributor to the Community Review East
- employee of the University of Manitoba
I've lived in River Park South for 30ish years. I'd say the path to the school board started in the library at Ecole St. Germain where we met as a parent council waaaaaaaaay back when.
This is what I believe about being a trustee: school trustees must understand elected governance, remain visible and engaged in their community, stay informed on current and emerging issues, and demonstrate commitment to the work and effectiveness in the role. It's been my mantra, approach and promise to the LRSD community since day one.
The LRSD community is flourishing because of investments that must be protected, including:
- full day kindergarten, mental health wellness for students and staff, and our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Initiative
- the use of data to inform conversations, decisions, directions and the monitoring of progress
- concerted efforts to reduce the achievement gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students
-endeavors with a goal of mitigating the impact of poverty on student engagement and success.
What does that 'protection' look like? Advocacy efforts directed at government for funding that is adequate and sustainable, transparency and accountability in decision making on the part of your school board, and finding and making opportunities for engagement with students, families, staff and public.
