This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.
This interview is with Wendi Moore, who will be running for Public School Trustee in Ward 12/14 this term.
Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?
WM: The reason I am running for Public School Trustee in Ward 12 and 14 is to get back to involving the “public” in public education. We have too many instances of the current Board looking out for their interests and not for the interests of the public (parents/students) at large. We have instances of designated schools not properly aligned with new communities where, for instance, many students will take a bus past a school on their way to their designated school. We have children in the K-4 age group that are boarding buses in Ward 12 at 7:20 a.m. to reach school for 8:00 a.m. and then leaving school at 2:45 p.m. only to arrive home to an after school dayhome or go to an after school program if the parents are not lucky enough to be able to leave their work early enough to be home for their children. We are moving from a community based school system to a system that is not thinking of the students and parents when they assign communities to what they feel should be their designated schools. I am passionate about the fight for new schools to be built in the SE communities in Ward 12 and built as K-9 schools and not the current K-4 and 5-9 situation we currently have.
Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?
WM: I am currently the President of the New Brighton Community Association and have been involved on many volunteer Boards, including the Seton Society, SECRS (South East Recreational Society), FCC (Federation of Calgary Communities), Trico Centre for Wellness (formerly Family Leisure Centre) and the Partners in Planning program with the FCC. I am also involved with the Calgary Police Services and the Calgary Block Watch program working to make New Brighton one of the safest communities.
What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary
WM: Well, that is a tough one. My vision may not be everyone’s vision, but, with the help of other Trustees and the stakeholder’s such as parents/children, we can work toward a vision that is inclusive of what an education system should be like. This is part of putting the “public” back into public education. We need to put a plan in place similar to PlanIT Calgary to ensure we follow a guided path based on what our current level of standards are for education and strive to make that better and surpass those levels through a proper plan of action.
What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?
WM: It is important to keep hold of the current model of what exists in Alberta now, but expand upon this model. We need to further break down the trustee model by having one ward per Trustee. There is nothing but growth in place for the City of Calgary, which means more communities and more schools to look after. One Trustee for two Wards only creates frustration and burn-out for Trustees as well as the problem of not engaging the community properly or being able to give the same amount of time each school deserves with respect to interaction.
If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?
WM: If I could implement one radical idea it would be to hold community meetings on a monthly basis to gain feedback from parents as to what they feel are being done right or wrong within the schools their children attend. This would include having community based committees to provide a “scoring system” on how well the community, the students and the schools themselves feel their elected Trustee is doing. There is, as far as I know, no performance evaluation system in place to guide both the Trustee and the community at large on how they are doing with their respect to what they are hired for.
Thank you Shane for the opportunity to answer your questions and please visit my site at www.wendi4trustee.com to gain more insight into my background and platform.
This interview is with Wendi Moore, who will be running for Public School Trustee in Ward 12/14 this term.
Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?
WM: The reason I am running for Public School Trustee in Ward 12 and 14 is to get back to involving the “public” in public education. We have too many instances of the current Board looking out for their interests and not for the interests of the public (parents/students) at large. We have instances of designated schools not properly aligned with new communities where, for instance, many students will take a bus past a school on their way to their designated school. We have children in the K-4 age group that are boarding buses in Ward 12 at 7:20 a.m. to reach school for 8:00 a.m. and then leaving school at 2:45 p.m. only to arrive home to an after school dayhome or go to an after school program if the parents are not lucky enough to be able to leave their work early enough to be home for their children. We are moving from a community based school system to a system that is not thinking of the students and parents when they assign communities to what they feel should be their designated schools. I am passionate about the fight for new schools to be built in the SE communities in Ward 12 and built as K-9 schools and not the current K-4 and 5-9 situation we currently have.
Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?
WM: I am currently the President of the New Brighton Community Association and have been involved on many volunteer Boards, including the Seton Society, SECRS (South East Recreational Society), FCC (Federation of Calgary Communities), Trico Centre for Wellness (formerly Family Leisure Centre) and the Partners in Planning program with the FCC. I am also involved with the Calgary Police Services and the Calgary Block Watch program working to make New Brighton one of the safest communities.
What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary
WM: Well, that is a tough one. My vision may not be everyone’s vision, but, with the help of other Trustees and the stakeholder’s such as parents/children, we can work toward a vision that is inclusive of what an education system should be like. This is part of putting the “public” back into public education. We need to put a plan in place similar to PlanIT Calgary to ensure we follow a guided path based on what our current level of standards are for education and strive to make that better and surpass those levels through a proper plan of action.
What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?
WM: It is important to keep hold of the current model of what exists in Alberta now, but expand upon this model. We need to further break down the trustee model by having one ward per Trustee. There is nothing but growth in place for the City of Calgary, which means more communities and more schools to look after. One Trustee for two Wards only creates frustration and burn-out for Trustees as well as the problem of not engaging the community properly or being able to give the same amount of time each school deserves with respect to interaction.
If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?
WM: If I could implement one radical idea it would be to hold community meetings on a monthly basis to gain feedback from parents as to what they feel are being done right or wrong within the schools their children attend. This would include having community based committees to provide a “scoring system” on how well the community, the students and the schools themselves feel their elected Trustee is doing. There is, as far as I know, no performance evaluation system in place to guide both the Trustee and the community at large on how they are doing with their respect to what they are hired for.
Thank you Shane for the opportunity to answer your questions and please visit my site at www.wendi4trustee.com to gain more insight into my background and platform.
"One Trustee for two Wards only creates frustration and burn-out for Trustees" How can this be when an average trustee works an average of 25 hours a week? The CBE should be cutting backstage first to have the money to open new schools and give the students the resources that they need. Having more trustees will only take away and hurt the students. This is the reason school fees hikes up and closures of schools. The Trustee's greed
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, you are correct. Having more trustees will only take away money from being put in to the schools itself. Looks to me that she wants to work only 12.5 hours a week and collect a paycheck.
ReplyDeleteI am a single parent in Ward 12 and I think the school system right now is ruthless in terms that parent council has to raise the majority of the money to give the students the education they deserve. Every year more is being taken away from schools due to lack of spending from the CBE.
The Future is looking out for your students, kids, etc. Not for yourself Wendi.
AW