Only 30% of eligible youth (18 and older) voted in the last municipal elections. Let's double that this time!!! Or triple it! YOU CAN DO IT!!
All you need is two pieces of ID to register at the polls. Make sure one of them has your home address on it.
Voting Day is November 19th from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. You can go to any poll and register, but I'm sure your parents will have a voting card delivered to the house stating which poll is yours. If you voted in the last election and haven't moved, you will be on the list!
You can vote earlier if you'd like...I know I am!
The first advance poll is Saturday, November 5th, 8am to 8pm. Ladner-Municipal Hall; Tsawwassen-Long House Gallery; North Delta -N.D. Recreation Centre AND Seaquam Secondary School.
There are two more on November 9 & 10 same times...same places.
I've spent a lot of my life working with and teaching and directing many of you over eighteen'ers. I've known many of you since you were in elementary school. I hope all of you are not in this 30% bracket!!! Get on the phone...FaceBook...Twitter...tell your friends to get out the vote, if not at the Advance polls then on November 19th. Everywhere in B.C., people will be going to the polls to exercise their right to vote. So should you!
If you're not sure who to vote for...do some research. All local newspapers have small bio's and contact information. Ask questions. If you don't want to vote for the full number of candidates, you don't have to. Voting "less" won't spoil your ballot. Voting "more" will spoil your ballot.
They are making it easy for you to get out there and vote by holding 3 advance polls as well as General Election Day.
No excuses!! VOTE! Make me proud!!!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
En Francais or English....
I can remember when I went to school there wasn't any other language but English taught at the primary level. One couldn't embark on a new language until they entered secondary school and the choices were pretty slim. We could study Latin or French. Parisian French (we were told). Unless one was going to be a priest or a pharmacist, Latin didn't do much for you at all. French was very basic. It was all about grammar and not conversation. Needless to say, the languages classes were not bulging at the seams!
How the times have changed. When my daughters were in school, there still wasn't "immersion", but they could take language classes. But they weren't offerred in the schools, they had to go to extra classes on the weekend at another school in the district. Both my girls jumped at the opportunity and were enroled in basic German and French. It didn't last long as winter was over and when the nice weather came (in Ontario), no kid wanted to be "in school" for half a day on a Saturday!
Now we jump to 2000 something. My granddaughter started elementary school and my daughter decided that she should be in French Immersion for all the reasons that we want our children to have as many tools as possible when they face the real world several years later. We all enjoyed listening to her little French accent as she would speak to us in French and thought how wonderful it was going to be for her when she finally ventured out into the land of careers!
Then she got to Grade 3. Multiplication Tables! Need I say more? She struggled so much that homework sessions were filled with angst and tears...for both my granddaughter and my daughter. To say they were both frustrated would be an under-statement. That summer, she came and stayed with me during the week and I promised to help her with her math so that when she went into Grade 4, she would be up to snuff. I got all the exercise books I could and we would sit at the dining room table and agonize over the problems and exercises. Her cousin, visiting from the States and a year behind her, was going through these exercises with no problem at all. This only added to Ems' frustration and led to stomping down the hall and flopping on the bed in tears. It was horrible! And it didn't have to happen. So...why did it, you may ask?
Well, after long discussions with a PhD in Math and Physics, I began to understand that Math is a language in its own. Have you ever tried to read calculus or algebra equations? Unless you understand the "language", you can't do it! So, here we have a child whose first language is English, in a French immersion class, speaking and learning her second language trying to understand yet another language...math! It was so difficult for her to do. I spoke to several parents facing the same dilemna with their children in French Immersion. When it got to the math, they all started to have problems and the whole concept started to unravel. It made no sense to me!
I spoke to a teacher who was quite adamant that French Immersion be JUST THAT! No English whatsoever. Everything has to be in French. When I asked her why math couldn't be taught in the child's first language I was met with a strange look! My way of thinking is that the teacher's job is to teach the subject to the child and to do the job right. They have to make the child "get it". And if they can't, they had better figure out how to accomplish this. Whether it means discussing with the parent and working together to find a way or longer sessions after school with the child until they grasped the concept. But that wasn't happening. The parent was told that Em's was having difficulty and that she had better do something about it! They offered summer school to her...just what every 8 year old wants to do! The problem was that because everything was being taught in French, including the numbers, that the child couldn't grasp it. All it would take is to teach it in English. It worked when we did it with her...but it wasn't good enough because she had to translate everything into French. I think you might be able to see how frustrating it was for everyone!
Well, Ems did finally grasp math and excelled at it and is now doing really well in school. She no longer has anxious moments or bouts of frustration that lead to tears and everyone in the family breathes a lot easier. We aren't afraid to ask her how math is anymore! So how did they finally solve the problem? She was taken out of French Immersion. That was the only way the school/teacher felt Ems could learn math! Is that right? I don't get it. She is losing her French as she no longer uses it. No one in the family speaks it enough to have conversations with her. The friends she now has also do not speak French. She enjoyed the French classes until it got to the dreaded math. And because of that stumbling block, she had to "drop out". What did that teach an 8 year old? That if you can't get something and it proposes a great difficulty to you just drop-out. The teacher and the school should have persevered and worked with that child until she understood how to do the math.
As far as I'm concerned, Ems didn't drop-out...her school and her teacher did. I can tell you that she doesn't attend school in Delta. I would like to think that our French Immersion schools do not operate in the same fashion as Ems' does. French Immersion is an excellent way for our children to expand their education and open doors for them in the future. They are learning Canada's other National Language. That is wonderful. But they shouldn't be made to feel that it's only for people who grasp the concept of math in French as opposed to those that struggle. Maybe it's time for the program to be re-worked....
How the times have changed. When my daughters were in school, there still wasn't "immersion", but they could take language classes. But they weren't offerred in the schools, they had to go to extra classes on the weekend at another school in the district. Both my girls jumped at the opportunity and were enroled in basic German and French. It didn't last long as winter was over and when the nice weather came (in Ontario), no kid wanted to be "in school" for half a day on a Saturday!
Now we jump to 2000 something. My granddaughter started elementary school and my daughter decided that she should be in French Immersion for all the reasons that we want our children to have as many tools as possible when they face the real world several years later. We all enjoyed listening to her little French accent as she would speak to us in French and thought how wonderful it was going to be for her when she finally ventured out into the land of careers!
Then she got to Grade 3. Multiplication Tables! Need I say more? She struggled so much that homework sessions were filled with angst and tears...for both my granddaughter and my daughter. To say they were both frustrated would be an under-statement. That summer, she came and stayed with me during the week and I promised to help her with her math so that when she went into Grade 4, she would be up to snuff. I got all the exercise books I could and we would sit at the dining room table and agonize over the problems and exercises. Her cousin, visiting from the States and a year behind her, was going through these exercises with no problem at all. This only added to Ems' frustration and led to stomping down the hall and flopping on the bed in tears. It was horrible! And it didn't have to happen. So...why did it, you may ask?
Well, after long discussions with a PhD in Math and Physics, I began to understand that Math is a language in its own. Have you ever tried to read calculus or algebra equations? Unless you understand the "language", you can't do it! So, here we have a child whose first language is English, in a French immersion class, speaking and learning her second language trying to understand yet another language...math! It was so difficult for her to do. I spoke to several parents facing the same dilemna with their children in French Immersion. When it got to the math, they all started to have problems and the whole concept started to unravel. It made no sense to me!
I spoke to a teacher who was quite adamant that French Immersion be JUST THAT! No English whatsoever. Everything has to be in French. When I asked her why math couldn't be taught in the child's first language I was met with a strange look! My way of thinking is that the teacher's job is to teach the subject to the child and to do the job right. They have to make the child "get it". And if they can't, they had better figure out how to accomplish this. Whether it means discussing with the parent and working together to find a way or longer sessions after school with the child until they grasped the concept. But that wasn't happening. The parent was told that Em's was having difficulty and that she had better do something about it! They offered summer school to her...just what every 8 year old wants to do! The problem was that because everything was being taught in French, including the numbers, that the child couldn't grasp it. All it would take is to teach it in English. It worked when we did it with her...but it wasn't good enough because she had to translate everything into French. I think you might be able to see how frustrating it was for everyone!
Well, Ems did finally grasp math and excelled at it and is now doing really well in school. She no longer has anxious moments or bouts of frustration that lead to tears and everyone in the family breathes a lot easier. We aren't afraid to ask her how math is anymore! So how did they finally solve the problem? She was taken out of French Immersion. That was the only way the school/teacher felt Ems could learn math! Is that right? I don't get it. She is losing her French as she no longer uses it. No one in the family speaks it enough to have conversations with her. The friends she now has also do not speak French. She enjoyed the French classes until it got to the dreaded math. And because of that stumbling block, she had to "drop out". What did that teach an 8 year old? That if you can't get something and it proposes a great difficulty to you just drop-out. The teacher and the school should have persevered and worked with that child until she understood how to do the math.
As far as I'm concerned, Ems didn't drop-out...her school and her teacher did. I can tell you that she doesn't attend school in Delta. I would like to think that our French Immersion schools do not operate in the same fashion as Ems' does. French Immersion is an excellent way for our children to expand their education and open doors for them in the future. They are learning Canada's other National Language. That is wonderful. But they shouldn't be made to feel that it's only for people who grasp the concept of math in French as opposed to those that struggle. Maybe it's time for the program to be re-worked....
Friday, October 28, 2011
A gloomy day but there is light at the end of the tunnel...
Sitting in a cozy house while the rain pelts the windows and the wind shakes the remaining leaves off the trees, I can't help but think of my two daughters and their families. One of them is in San Jose del Cabo, Baja South, Mexico basking in the warmth of sunny, clear days and white sandy beaches and the other is enroute to the happiest place on the earth, Disneyland. And here I sit...in cold, damp, wet, windy South Delta! So...where's this light at the end of the tunnel??
Actually, it's everywhere! How fortunate we are to be in this little oasis of the planet. Yes we have this typical "winter" weather that we have to deal with but we also have amazing natural wonders surrounding us daily. The mountains, the ocean, the miles of dykes and trails to explore. I have some amazing pictures of magnificent eagles taken on the dyke at the bottom of 17th Ave. in Tsawwassen that are admired all over the world by my friends and family who do not have the fortune to live here. I especially love our resident Heron (one of many) that sits in the ditch at the corner of Hwy. 17 and 56th Street watching the cars go by...I call him our traffic counter! We are truly very lucky.
We are also very blessed to have the Southlands in our neighbourhood but not necessarily the confrontation that it seems to evoke in the community...for years! Yes it is privately owned land and yes there are those that want to see this land developed as well as those opposed. But how does this proposed development impact our schools?
So, how does the Southland development and School Board Trustee go hand-in-hand? Well, with the development of 900 houses, chances are more children will come into the community. This will benefit the declining enrolment crises we've been told is predicted. Will it mean another school will be built in the Bounday Bay area for those children or will it mean they will be bussed to other schools in the district. Many of which are bulging at the seams. One may get the impression that because we hear "declining enrolment" that our schools are sitting half empty. They aren't. More children in the district, means more schools. Surrey is faced with that problem right now and they are valiantly trying to get more money out of Victoria to build these schools. It's like pulling teeth.
We are already strapped financially with funding from Victoria in its present state, how do can we expect them to hand over more money (that they say they don't have) for new schools? Can we re-open Boundary Bay school that was closed three years ago by the present school board of trustees, and if so, is it big enough? What about Delta Manor? Can that be restored to being a school again? And we all know that Tsawwassen Junior School is gone! Where is that sale money anyway??
Funding from Victoria is based on "bums in seats". We get X amount of dollars per child. The amount is increased if the child is special needs or First Nations. With the addition of, hypothetically speaking, 1800 more students (2 per home), how much money is that generating? It won't be enough for a new school! But with that many new students (presuming the status quo is in place), won't a new school be warranted? How will we deal with the same problem that Surrey is facing? We will still fall short of the population in schools in the larger cities? Is it fair to be penalized by the province because we live in a smaller populated area (with or without the 900 extra houses)? Shouldn't our children have the same opportunities as those in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey? Do those schools have more programs for the children and better facilities because they get more money? How can the province guarantee that every child in British Columbia has equal rights? What a quagmire we have in allocating dollars to our children's education!
I have always said that there should be no cuts to budgets that are deemed education. I would rather have a bumpy highway than closed programs in the schools. Having said that, I would like to tell you about the people of San Jose del Cabo. In this little, quaint, 17th century Mexican town there are three schools. A high school, an elementary school and a branch of the University. The schools are jammed with children and young adults...all of them in uniforms. Every child is in school. The schools are open in the evenings, sometimes for classes for adults or for celebrations or just get-togethers for the kids with music, dancing and lots of laughter. On the weekends, Saturdays are open for business in the school and the only day I've seen them all closed is Sunday. They use their schools not only for education, but for the community. A gathering place. I walk past the high school many times during the day and I always hear laughter and chattering in the yard. When school is dismissed, you hear the same thing and see them as they wait for their busses to take them home. What you never see is groups of kids just "hanging around".
This is a third world country. This town is very small and not very rich. Every child has a uniform as I mentioned and every uniform is pristine. The main highways are paved and the tourist areas are kept immaculate. The gardens are beautiful. But when you drive into the core of the city you find the cardboard houses (yes cardboard), the tin shacks, the one room adobes with eating areas outside under a tarp where all the families share their meals together. The streets are sand. They are not paved. But the people are amazing and the most friendly I've met in a lot of my travels in the U.K, Europe, the USA and Canada. Even with all the poverty they experience on a daily basis, these people laugh, sing and dance (literally) in the streets (city centre square on weekends). AND...every child is in school. Learning. Socializing. Accepting. The streets can wait...the children have to be educated. This spoke volumes to me. Especially when I come back here and see what we have and realize how lucky or, maybe, spoiled we are in Canada...in Delta. This small town knows the importance of an education for everyone and they make sure everyone is getting the education they deserve to have to make them a better citizen of the planet. Many of these children will probably move to a bigger metropolis or another country. But they will be better than their parents and their grandparents and have more opportunities because they are getting a good education...a solid foundation for their future.
Isn't that what it's all about? So when I say that I can put up with bumpy roads, cracks, whatever...some weeds in the boulevards...roads not plowed if it snows (mine never is, by the way)...or garbage pickup every two weeks (why not), there is a reason. I can't easily swallow the billion or so dollars being spent on a sports facility in Vancouver when the schools across the province are crying for more funding. As much as the Olympics 2010 was received by the world, I had and still do have, problems with the money that was spent and that isn't coming back to us as we were told it would. Wasn't Montreal a lesson for everyone? Just think what all those dollars could have done had they gone into the education of B.C. children.
I would like to see collaborative meetings where trustees, councillors, mayors and provincial government all discuss "spending" in education. Where do we put our tax dollars...our hard earned dollars that we are giving to them to spend for us. We don't have a say. We can't be at those meetings. The only way you are represented at these meetings is through your elected officials. It's not just about being able to balance a budget or having experience dealing with multi-million dollar budgets in corporations. It's about having the people around the table with the questions and the wherewithall to come up with the solutions. Again...it's teamwork. It's about all levels of government being able to respect one another and sit down together and find the solutions and put them into action. Those are the people who should be elected on November 19th. I know I am one of those people. Hopefully, there are others (and I know of some) out there as well. Choose wisely...your children's future depends on it.
Actually, it's everywhere! How fortunate we are to be in this little oasis of the planet. Yes we have this typical "winter" weather that we have to deal with but we also have amazing natural wonders surrounding us daily. The mountains, the ocean, the miles of dykes and trails to explore. I have some amazing pictures of magnificent eagles taken on the dyke at the bottom of 17th Ave. in Tsawwassen that are admired all over the world by my friends and family who do not have the fortune to live here. I especially love our resident Heron (one of many) that sits in the ditch at the corner of Hwy. 17 and 56th Street watching the cars go by...I call him our traffic counter! We are truly very lucky.
We are also very blessed to have the Southlands in our neighbourhood but not necessarily the confrontation that it seems to evoke in the community...for years! Yes it is privately owned land and yes there are those that want to see this land developed as well as those opposed. But how does this proposed development impact our schools?
So, how does the Southland development and School Board Trustee go hand-in-hand? Well, with the development of 900 houses, chances are more children will come into the community. This will benefit the declining enrolment crises we've been told is predicted. Will it mean another school will be built in the Bounday Bay area for those children or will it mean they will be bussed to other schools in the district. Many of which are bulging at the seams. One may get the impression that because we hear "declining enrolment" that our schools are sitting half empty. They aren't. More children in the district, means more schools. Surrey is faced with that problem right now and they are valiantly trying to get more money out of Victoria to build these schools. It's like pulling teeth.
We are already strapped financially with funding from Victoria in its present state, how do can we expect them to hand over more money (that they say they don't have) for new schools? Can we re-open Boundary Bay school that was closed three years ago by the present school board of trustees, and if so, is it big enough? What about Delta Manor? Can that be restored to being a school again? And we all know that Tsawwassen Junior School is gone! Where is that sale money anyway??
Funding from Victoria is based on "bums in seats". We get X amount of dollars per child. The amount is increased if the child is special needs or First Nations. With the addition of, hypothetically speaking, 1800 more students (2 per home), how much money is that generating? It won't be enough for a new school! But with that many new students (presuming the status quo is in place), won't a new school be warranted? How will we deal with the same problem that Surrey is facing? We will still fall short of the population in schools in the larger cities? Is it fair to be penalized by the province because we live in a smaller populated area (with or without the 900 extra houses)? Shouldn't our children have the same opportunities as those in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey? Do those schools have more programs for the children and better facilities because they get more money? How can the province guarantee that every child in British Columbia has equal rights? What a quagmire we have in allocating dollars to our children's education!
I have always said that there should be no cuts to budgets that are deemed education. I would rather have a bumpy highway than closed programs in the schools. Having said that, I would like to tell you about the people of San Jose del Cabo. In this little, quaint, 17th century Mexican town there are three schools. A high school, an elementary school and a branch of the University. The schools are jammed with children and young adults...all of them in uniforms. Every child is in school. The schools are open in the evenings, sometimes for classes for adults or for celebrations or just get-togethers for the kids with music, dancing and lots of laughter. On the weekends, Saturdays are open for business in the school and the only day I've seen them all closed is Sunday. They use their schools not only for education, but for the community. A gathering place. I walk past the high school many times during the day and I always hear laughter and chattering in the yard. When school is dismissed, you hear the same thing and see them as they wait for their busses to take them home. What you never see is groups of kids just "hanging around".
This is a third world country. This town is very small and not very rich. Every child has a uniform as I mentioned and every uniform is pristine. The main highways are paved and the tourist areas are kept immaculate. The gardens are beautiful. But when you drive into the core of the city you find the cardboard houses (yes cardboard), the tin shacks, the one room adobes with eating areas outside under a tarp where all the families share their meals together. The streets are sand. They are not paved. But the people are amazing and the most friendly I've met in a lot of my travels in the U.K, Europe, the USA and Canada. Even with all the poverty they experience on a daily basis, these people laugh, sing and dance (literally) in the streets (city centre square on weekends). AND...every child is in school. Learning. Socializing. Accepting. The streets can wait...the children have to be educated. This spoke volumes to me. Especially when I come back here and see what we have and realize how lucky or, maybe, spoiled we are in Canada...in Delta. This small town knows the importance of an education for everyone and they make sure everyone is getting the education they deserve to have to make them a better citizen of the planet. Many of these children will probably move to a bigger metropolis or another country. But they will be better than their parents and their grandparents and have more opportunities because they are getting a good education...a solid foundation for their future.
Isn't that what it's all about? So when I say that I can put up with bumpy roads, cracks, whatever...some weeds in the boulevards...roads not plowed if it snows (mine never is, by the way)...or garbage pickup every two weeks (why not), there is a reason. I can't easily swallow the billion or so dollars being spent on a sports facility in Vancouver when the schools across the province are crying for more funding. As much as the Olympics 2010 was received by the world, I had and still do have, problems with the money that was spent and that isn't coming back to us as we were told it would. Wasn't Montreal a lesson for everyone? Just think what all those dollars could have done had they gone into the education of B.C. children.
I would like to see collaborative meetings where trustees, councillors, mayors and provincial government all discuss "spending" in education. Where do we put our tax dollars...our hard earned dollars that we are giving to them to spend for us. We don't have a say. We can't be at those meetings. The only way you are represented at these meetings is through your elected officials. It's not just about being able to balance a budget or having experience dealing with multi-million dollar budgets in corporations. It's about having the people around the table with the questions and the wherewithall to come up with the solutions. Again...it's teamwork. It's about all levels of government being able to respect one another and sit down together and find the solutions and put them into action. Those are the people who should be elected on November 19th. I know I am one of those people. Hopefully, there are others (and I know of some) out there as well. Choose wisely...your children's future depends on it.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Door knocking in the sun...
Having worked on many campaigns in the past, I know the importance of getting out into the community and meeting the constituents. So, on a sunny day this week, I ventured out with another candidate who is running in the other election (council/mayor)! I must admit that door-knocking is not my favourite thing to do. I don't like being met with negativism or people who tell me that voting is for other people and not them. It can make a person very cynical. But on this glorious sunny day in Delta, we were met with big smiles, handshakes, "so happy to meet you" and genuine appreciation. It was wonderful!
The questions were varied and extremely good! For both of us. The one common denominator seemed to be the issue of long-time "residents" on both council and the school board. Many people feel that more than two terms is starting to get into "too long" and beyond three terms (9 years) is just plain excessive. The sense was that it isn't an issue of a job being done poorly (in most cases), but that the people tend to become complacent. That the ideas have been a "been there/done that" attitude. I found this outlook very interesting, to say the least.
I have said, from the initial announcement of my candidacy that I feel that there have to be changes made, new ideas and new energy at the table. And I speak more from experience than anything else. I was President of Theatre BC, one of the most successful arts non-profit societies in the province. I served as a Vice President for one term and then was elected President. After six years, I knew that I had to move on and not stand for office again, even though I was encouraged by other members to stay in the position for another term. The reason I felt that I had to leave was that I knew everything that was going around the table as it had for six years in one way or another. It wasn't fresh for me and because I knew that many around the table were hearing it for the first time, I had to sit back and let them experience the same learning curve I did and listen to their ideas. Oftentimes they were the same ideas we had over the past three terms, but then again, oftentimes they were fresh and innovative and exciting. But, there were times when I knew that they wouldn't work, but at no time did I say that we've done that before so forget it. I do have to say, though, that the thought definitely entered my mind. So, was that also influencing how I was thinking and making decisions? I felt it was. Therefore, I walked away knowing that during my tenure I did the best I could for the organization and now it deserved a new director.
When I became President the organization was in dire shape financially as it sat in the red and grants were being withheld and possibly taken away from us. I was very fortunate to have a Treasurer that I trusted and she trusted me and between the two of us, with the assistance of other board members, we tightened the belt so much that we were disliked by members for a while! We met with the powers-that-be from the province and succeeded in retrieving the grants. Fortunately, after a year, we were in the black again and thriving in new directions. After the six years the organization was one of the healthiest theatre non-profits in the country. That came from very hard work, taking risks, being diligent and working together, synergistically to get the job done.
I am a team-player. I am not running for School Trustee to seek status in my community. I doubt that my circle of friends and my family will be impressed that I'm a "politician". They would probably think I am nuts! I am not running because "I'm-mad-as-hell-and-not-going-to-take-it-any-more" because those people are running out of frustration about how the system works, they have rigid ideas for change and, damned the torpedoes, there will be some changes! These individuals tend to burn out when they realize that not everything can change overnight and often leave politics more frustrated and disillusioned than when they started. I am running because I have a range of experience to add to the collective expertise of the board and am willing to work with the team to achieve change and have a vision for how the government (school board) can work better for the benefit of my community. That I can work with a team of people who have one common interest and goal...our children and the best education we can afford them as we face difficult times with the demands of growing budgets, insufficient funding and declining enrolment in our schools as well as making sure our children's teachers are equipped with the proper tools to be the best they can be...Delta School Board needs a fresh new start. We need people who will come to the table with new ideas and energy to ensure our children get the best education that we can offer to safeguard their journey through this most important time of their lives. I am one of those people. I will be THEIR advocate and YOUR voice.
The questions were varied and extremely good! For both of us. The one common denominator seemed to be the issue of long-time "residents" on both council and the school board. Many people feel that more than two terms is starting to get into "too long" and beyond three terms (9 years) is just plain excessive. The sense was that it isn't an issue of a job being done poorly (in most cases), but that the people tend to become complacent. That the ideas have been a "been there/done that" attitude. I found this outlook very interesting, to say the least.
I have said, from the initial announcement of my candidacy that I feel that there have to be changes made, new ideas and new energy at the table. And I speak more from experience than anything else. I was President of Theatre BC, one of the most successful arts non-profit societies in the province. I served as a Vice President for one term and then was elected President. After six years, I knew that I had to move on and not stand for office again, even though I was encouraged by other members to stay in the position for another term. The reason I felt that I had to leave was that I knew everything that was going around the table as it had for six years in one way or another. It wasn't fresh for me and because I knew that many around the table were hearing it for the first time, I had to sit back and let them experience the same learning curve I did and listen to their ideas. Oftentimes they were the same ideas we had over the past three terms, but then again, oftentimes they were fresh and innovative and exciting. But, there were times when I knew that they wouldn't work, but at no time did I say that we've done that before so forget it. I do have to say, though, that the thought definitely entered my mind. So, was that also influencing how I was thinking and making decisions? I felt it was. Therefore, I walked away knowing that during my tenure I did the best I could for the organization and now it deserved a new director.
When I became President the organization was in dire shape financially as it sat in the red and grants were being withheld and possibly taken away from us. I was very fortunate to have a Treasurer that I trusted and she trusted me and between the two of us, with the assistance of other board members, we tightened the belt so much that we were disliked by members for a while! We met with the powers-that-be from the province and succeeded in retrieving the grants. Fortunately, after a year, we were in the black again and thriving in new directions. After the six years the organization was one of the healthiest theatre non-profits in the country. That came from very hard work, taking risks, being diligent and working together, synergistically to get the job done.
I am a team-player. I am not running for School Trustee to seek status in my community. I doubt that my circle of friends and my family will be impressed that I'm a "politician". They would probably think I am nuts! I am not running because "I'm-mad-as-hell-and-not-going-to-take-it-any-more" because those people are running out of frustration about how the system works, they have rigid ideas for change and, damned the torpedoes, there will be some changes! These individuals tend to burn out when they realize that not everything can change overnight and often leave politics more frustrated and disillusioned than when they started. I am running because I have a range of experience to add to the collective expertise of the board and am willing to work with the team to achieve change and have a vision for how the government (school board) can work better for the benefit of my community. That I can work with a team of people who have one common interest and goal...our children and the best education we can afford them as we face difficult times with the demands of growing budgets, insufficient funding and declining enrolment in our schools as well as making sure our children's teachers are equipped with the proper tools to be the best they can be...Delta School Board needs a fresh new start. We need people who will come to the table with new ideas and energy to ensure our children get the best education that we can offer to safeguard their journey through this most important time of their lives. I am one of those people. I will be THEIR advocate and YOUR voice.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Part-time or Full-time...
The Delta School District is administered by the Board of Education, which is elected by the voters of Delta. Seven Trustees govern the District by establishing educational and administrative policies and regulations. The Trustees guide the work of the Superintendent of Schools and the members of the administrative staff who provide the day-to-day leadership and management of the District.
The duties and responsibilities of the Board of Education are determined by the School Act.
The Board's responsibility consists of several basic functions:
In my opinion, to achieve the above, plus other duties that may fall upon a trustee in Delta, I do not look upon the position of School Trustee as a "part-time job". The education of our children should not be governed by people looking for a "part-time job". It should be a full-time committment.
I am retired. I am fortunate to be able to devote "full-time" hours to being a School Trustee. I would ask that you think about that when you go to the polls. Do you want your child's education in the hands of someone who will be there some of the time, or someone who will be there, for them, ALL of the time?
The duties and responsibilities of the Board of Education are determined by the School Act.
The Board's responsibility consists of several basic functions:
- Policy, planning, and evaluation: Setting the Board policies and plans for the District, and evaluating their attainment are considered to be the primary functions of the Board.
- Action on legal requirements: Carrying our required formal Board actions, within the guidelines of Board policy.
- Senior personnel selection: Conducting or ensuring that proper procedures are used, for selection of the superintendent and other senior administrative personnel.
- Climate-setting: Assisting in the setting of a favourable climate for productive activity in the District.
- Public relations: Ensuring that appropriate channels of communication exist with internal and external publics.
- Final appeal: Acting as a body of final appeal, where other means of dispute resolution in the district are unsuccessful.
In my opinion, to achieve the above, plus other duties that may fall upon a trustee in Delta, I do not look upon the position of School Trustee as a "part-time job". The education of our children should not be governed by people looking for a "part-time job". It should be a full-time committment.
I am retired. I am fortunate to be able to devote "full-time" hours to being a School Trustee. I would ask that you think about that when you go to the polls. Do you want your child's education in the hands of someone who will be there some of the time, or someone who will be there, for them, ALL of the time?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Thank you Mr. Gates...something to think about...
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about eleven (11) things they did not and will not learn in school.
He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings
created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and
how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your self-esteem.
The world will expect you to accomplish something
BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.
You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss .
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity.
Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping:
They called it opportunity.
Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so
don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so
don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as
they are now. They got that way from paying your bills,
cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were.
So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but
life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades
and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.
*This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few
employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF.
*Do that on your own time.
Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life.
In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds.
Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Monday, October 17, 2011
The best bang for the buck...
The race is on and with 20 School Board Candidates the flurry of signs that will start to spring up from the ground is mind boggling. It makes one wonder just exactly what is the best value for one's dollar. Signs, pamphlets, brochures, buttons, etc etc etc are all part of the election process, but is it really the best value for your money? Or as Councilor Bruce McDonald once said..."the best bang for your buck". Given the times and the state of the economy, not to mention everyone going "green", should we be polluting the roadsides and farm fields with this kind of advertising, or should we be spending the dollars elsewhere on more meaningful expenditures?
Is the way we spend our money during the campaign any reflection whatsoever on the way we would spend your money if elected?
I will give you the spot I am in right now. My beautiful granddaughter, Aisy, in St. Louis, MO, has an amazing little friend, Julia. This young child is the epitome of what you want your child to be...happy, creative, beautiful, outgoing, polite...a real joy to have around at all times. She writes her own music, plays, stories, draws beautifully and likes to "act out" with her friends.
A few years ago her family moved to St. Louis after Katrina destroyed them in New Orleans. They had settled down and the kids were in school and good friends were made. Mom worked in Children's hospital as a nurse and Dad is a retired service man. Everything was looking up for this family and they were well on their way to recovering from the devastation of Katrina.
This past June, Julia was suffering with headaches and when checked, it was discovered she had a brain tumour. It was cancer. She spent her summer in hospital undergoing aggressive chemo and radiation. All of this on an 8 year old, very slight, young girl. She seemed to rally and everyone was happy. My daughter had a little play date with her and her Mom at the house and all of them laughed until they cried. They had a wonderful time. The family was moving back to New Orleans the next day because Julia wanted to be with her grandparents.
Shortly after their arrival, they discovered Julia's tumour had returned only this time it is inside the brain and if operated on she would be a vegetable. How do you do that to such a creative child? You don't. She rallied again and they spent time at the zoo, playing and enjoying life as best they could. Again after another x-ray they discovered the cancer was now in Julia's spine. She was doing pretty good, considering, but after speaking to my daughter yesterday, I found out that Julia is now in hospital...swollen from the steroids and drugs and is sleeping more and more. The doctors told her Mom that that is a sign that it's taking over her body. This beautiful little creature will be leaving us all far too soon.
The family will be left with horrendous medical bills. We all know what medicare is about in the United States. Mom had to quit her job to move back to New Orleans and as of the end of September no longer had any medical insurance. Dad, a retired serviceman has no medical insurance. Explain that to me. My daughter set up a trust fund for the family with the banks in her area and the school, but people seem to give to those they don't know rather than those they do. It's not doing near as well as we all had hoped.
So...do I spend my dollars on a bunch of signs, brochures, pamphlets, etc etc etc which will all end up in recycling, someone's garbage or the dump or do I give what I personally can to Julia's fund? If I give my money to Julia and opt for only a few signs will people know who I am?
I can only hope that people will respect who I am, as they learn who I am and with that, choose to vote for me on November 19th as someone who puts their integrity and their compassion on the line rather than a bunch of needless signs on their lawns.
Something to think about....
Is the way we spend our money during the campaign any reflection whatsoever on the way we would spend your money if elected?
I will give you the spot I am in right now. My beautiful granddaughter, Aisy, in St. Louis, MO, has an amazing little friend, Julia. This young child is the epitome of what you want your child to be...happy, creative, beautiful, outgoing, polite...a real joy to have around at all times. She writes her own music, plays, stories, draws beautifully and likes to "act out" with her friends.
A few years ago her family moved to St. Louis after Katrina destroyed them in New Orleans. They had settled down and the kids were in school and good friends were made. Mom worked in Children's hospital as a nurse and Dad is a retired service man. Everything was looking up for this family and they were well on their way to recovering from the devastation of Katrina.
This past June, Julia was suffering with headaches and when checked, it was discovered she had a brain tumour. It was cancer. She spent her summer in hospital undergoing aggressive chemo and radiation. All of this on an 8 year old, very slight, young girl. She seemed to rally and everyone was happy. My daughter had a little play date with her and her Mom at the house and all of them laughed until they cried. They had a wonderful time. The family was moving back to New Orleans the next day because Julia wanted to be with her grandparents.
Shortly after their arrival, they discovered Julia's tumour had returned only this time it is inside the brain and if operated on she would be a vegetable. How do you do that to such a creative child? You don't. She rallied again and they spent time at the zoo, playing and enjoying life as best they could. Again after another x-ray they discovered the cancer was now in Julia's spine. She was doing pretty good, considering, but after speaking to my daughter yesterday, I found out that Julia is now in hospital...swollen from the steroids and drugs and is sleeping more and more. The doctors told her Mom that that is a sign that it's taking over her body. This beautiful little creature will be leaving us all far too soon.
The family will be left with horrendous medical bills. We all know what medicare is about in the United States. Mom had to quit her job to move back to New Orleans and as of the end of September no longer had any medical insurance. Dad, a retired serviceman has no medical insurance. Explain that to me. My daughter set up a trust fund for the family with the banks in her area and the school, but people seem to give to those they don't know rather than those they do. It's not doing near as well as we all had hoped.
So...do I spend my dollars on a bunch of signs, brochures, pamphlets, etc etc etc which will all end up in recycling, someone's garbage or the dump or do I give what I personally can to Julia's fund? If I give my money to Julia and opt for only a few signs will people know who I am?
I can only hope that people will respect who I am, as they learn who I am and with that, choose to vote for me on November 19th as someone who puts their integrity and their compassion on the line rather than a bunch of needless signs on their lawns.
Something to think about....
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