You may not think that the school board election matters to you, but it does. Especially this year.
“Why should I care about school trustees?” “I don’t have kids.” “I’m only 19.” I’m a grandparent.”
I get a lot of surprised expressions from folks when they see me, a trustee candidate knocking on doors and meeting as many voters as I can before election day. I can’t blame them. Typically, trustees don’t campaign, not like their municipal counterparts in the city council elections. They target a few teachers and parents around election time, hand out a few business cards, and rely on the school grapevine to do the rest. A candidate for trustee door knocking seems to be unheard of, at least in Ward F.
Maybe most candidates assume that the school board doesn’t matter to the rest of Edmonton. It seems pretty obvious how the work of the mayor and city council impacts our day to day lives. But what about our school board trustees?
Every Edmontonian pays property taxes (renters have it rolled into their rent) and that funding is transferred to the school board. So next time you go past a school, remember your dollars are going towards the care and upkeep of that facility.
But beyond your education taxes, this election there is much more at stake for the City of Edmonton. The Edmonton Public School Board will determine the fate of many schools in the core of our city – whether they stay open, are closed, or are consolidated.
70 schools throughout the Central and South Central sectors are being reviewed for potential consolidation and closure. Many of these schools are in the neighbourhoods we are trying to revitalize. These neighbourhoods need to attract new families so our city grows upwards and not outwards. Urban sprawl costs our city in too many ways, and every level of government – including the school board – needs to prioritize smart growth.
Our city has hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure in our core: playgrounds, pools, and schools. We should be focused on bringing young families back into our mature neighbourhoods to use it. Other solutions, like additional family-friendly housing, are also needed. As a school trustee, I would be an advocate for these kinds of policies so that more families make their homes near the schools and amenities that we’ve already built.
Instead of asking which schools we should close, we should ask “How can our schools do more for our communities?” If we can build a bigger role for the school in the neighbourhood, we can find ways for the neighbourhood to support their school so it’s not at the mercy of provincial budgets and funding formulae.
This premise requires a different process. The old administrative mentality of the typical school board trustee will not do. Trustees should be public leaders. They should make it easy for community groups and social services to rent space in our public schools. They should work closely with the City of Edmonton and the provincial government to promote viable neighbourhood schools. This is the kind of trustee I would be.
But it isn’t just community for community’s sake. Strong communities and strong schools go hand in hand. You can’t insulate the school from the community, and vice versa.
Strong communities create a better educational atmosphere for students. They promote life-learning and literacy. They discourage absenteeism and drop-outs. Community schools offer intangible benefits to both the students and to the community at large. Edmonton Public Schools is a district that values choice, and the Edmontonians I have spoken with want the choice of a neighbourhood school preserved.
On October 18th, you will have an opportunity to vote for mayor, city councillor, and school board trustee. Last election, many of the people who voted for their city councillor did not take the time to vote for a school trustee. My goal is to talk with as many Edmontonians as possible before election day and reconnect them with their school board so that this doesn’t happen again.
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6 Responses to “Why you should care about the school board, even if you’re not a parent or teacher”
Micheal, all the points you raise are important! And, I think there are more.
Our society is literate and information based. Those foundations begin in school. We are all impacted. The nurse or doctor who may take care of us when we are in an accident or are in our senior years, is educated in school. The engineer we trust to test the strength of the bridge we cross every day begins his or her journey of education in our schools. The money managers we trust to guide our investments begin the journey of knowlege in school. The researcher who will discover the cure for cancer, something that will kill us, or our mother/father/sister/brother/friend began their education in the neighbourhood school.
Schools are perhaps one of the greatest influences in all of our lives, whether we have children, or whether our children have long left the system. Governing this critical resource is vitally important.
Kathryn
Thank you, Kathryn!
There are many more reasons that I would like to add, and those will be the subject of many subsequent blog posts. Maybe I should have titled the post “One reason you should care about the school board election…” as there are many more to come.
Many people know how important education is to society, but for some that seems almost intangible. Pointing to the building across the street and having the conversation about land use planning, is sometimes a way to start the conversation about the role of schools in our community and our society!
Here is the text from my first pamphlet that I think embodies many of the sentiments you expressed in your comment.
“This election matters to every Edmontonian, not only parents and teachers. Every one of us has a stake in the quality of education our students receive and the well-being of the schools that educate them. The communities we share with each other are better places to live when students learn to realize their potential and contribute to a vibrant city. Our public schools play an important role in this process, and they are an essential component of the neighbourhoods we call home.
The future of our city is important to all of us, and the future of our city is sitting in today’s classrooms. Before long, the students of Edmonton Public Schools will join us as adults. We will rely on them as neighbours, coworkers, and leaders in our communities. Our school board must make smart decisions today so that our students can help us build a better Edmonton in the future.
Our school board must engage all our communities, and reflect their vision and values. I am running for trustee because I believe that our school board can do a better job of listening. I want to broaden the discussion about public education and deepen the connections between our school board and our communities. I want meaningful conversation to inform the decisions we make about our schools.
I am going to start these conversations by knocking on your door this summer. I also encourage you to contact me by phone, through social media, and by email. I am always eager to hear your thoughts about our schools and the ways they can help us build the communities we want today while laying the groundwork for a better Edmonton in the future.
On election day, October 18th, 2010, I would like to have your vote!”
I think it would be great if schools were turned into community centres after hours (just like the gym or something), like in small towns. I think we’re suffering from a lack of community mindedness and that could help. Things for teenagers to do, things for families to do, things for singles and musicians. I feel like these public buildings should be more multifunctional, that would keep our schools from being closed.
Hi Michael,
It is good to see you reminding people why they should care about who gets elected as a trustee. Thank you! I couldn’t agree more — in 2004 I wrote a short article called “The Most Important Vote of All — the Trustee Vote” With all due respect to the councillors and mayor, I still believe this is true. As Kathryn points out, and you concur, schools are important because they build our future. For me, this is THE significant contribution of public education — and the one that needs to be at the core of any school board decisions: What will be best in terms of meeting the learning needs of ALL students today, so they can fulfill their potential and become contributing, conscientious, happy citizens, and while doing so, are we creating a solid platform for future Boards to meet the needs of future students?
To answer this question each time, trustees do need to be listening carefully to the public they represent. I agree with you on that, too. And they need to consider all the facts on hand with thoughtfulness.
With respect to Emily’s comment about schools as “community centres” — people may wish to contribute their thoughts on this idea at the Inspiring Action Idea Forum where this very idea has been raised within the theme “Parent and Community Engagement” http://engage.education.alberta.ca/inspiring-action/idea-forum/
Finally…. The current Board policy (which is overdue for review) on Community Use of Buildings states the following:
“The board believes in cooperating with community organizations to meet the educational and recreational needs of the community. In support of this belief, the board encourages the use of district buildings by the community provided there is no conflict with school programs.
Use of district space leased by other users shall be compatible with the board’s educational aims and objectives. Rent for leased space shall not be less than a proportionate share of the operating costs of the district buildings, and shall include costs incurred as a result of the use of the space. Information regarding leases in the district shall be provided to the board annually.”
What do you think about this? How could it be improved?
A couple of things emerge from this policy: It underlies the Joint Use Agreement between the three school boards and the City that encourages use of public facilities for the benefit of all. You can see more about that here: http://planning.epsb.ca/community-use/joint-use-agreement.
Also, in terms of who is leasing space in our buildings, you can see the annual update that came to Board in June here:
http://www.epsb.ca/board/june15_10/item13.pdf
If you read through this far… thanks! Catherine
Hi Michael,
I clicked on your tweet to read your post about why I should care about the school trustee election even if I’m not a parent or teacher. I’m neither of those things, but I after reading your post I didn’t quite get the same compelling feeling I did after reading your tweet. I’m still not too sure why I should care?
I will be a parent one day, and perhaps that’s a reason to care, but I believe reaching those who have no perceived stake in the trustee election are as hard to reach as people who should care, but just don’t.
I think you should come up with 5 statements, each as long as a twitter post as reasons why I should care & then build out the argument from there. Be compelling.
If you do that you probably won’t just convince me with a potent argument but other disengaged people who may live in these revitalization neighbourhoods.
Good luck with your campaign!
Thanks for the comments everyone!
The “Community use of buildings” policy could be a great place to start moving forward as I have heard many requests from other non-profits, voluntary organizations, and community groups that are looking for space in our communities.
@Ali: Thanks for your comments. The question of why people don’t vote–at all levels of government– hasn’t been adequately answered and I think in truth is far more complex than we’d like to admit. I like your suggestion and I’m going to try to come up with some easy-to-relate-to statements that I hope reaches a broader audience then the few who don’t vote at all. Thanks for reading!