I was first elected eleven years ago, and after three incredibly rewarding terms, I have decided not to seek a fourth this fall.

For the final 9 months of my term and as a future volunteer, I will continue the fight for strong schools and strong communities. And believe me, we need people willing to stand up and fight.

I’ll be organizing trustee training workshops over the next few months for interested candidates across Edmonton and across the country to learn more and get involved. Stay tuned by signing up here.

In my youth mentoring work, we live by the mantra: “there is no such thing as “other people’s” children. I am continually humbled by the almost 40,000 voters who placed their trust in me over the last three elections to lead on behalf of their children-- our children. Our community. 

While I had the distinct honour of serving in numerous roles in Edmonton (Board Chair, Vice-Chair, Trustee, and Vice-President of the Alberta School Boards), any accomplishments worth celebrating are owned by all of us: trustees, staff, partners, parents, grandparents, and of course: students.

There are great challenges ahead for Alberta, but I’m optimistic about a bright future for school boards and local democracy if we can ensure the right elected leadership.

If I could leave future leaders with three thoughts:

• Leadership is action, not position. It is not the title we hold but the actions we take and the causes we stand for. 
• Politics is not only the positive which you accomplish but also the negative which you slow or halt. We must always stand on principle for that which we know to be just and true, even if the odds are against us. 
• Hard power we have little; influence we have plenty. We must continue “to create the parades” that we want the politicians to run in front of.

Public education is the cornerstone of our democracy and our collective best bet for freedom, social mobility, prosperity, and vibrant communities. As I said on the Daveberta podcast explainer about the state of public education, “Alberta doesn’t turn into America overnight.” 

We need readers like you to run for the office of trustee, to help lead this struggle at the level where many key decisions are made. But we need all of us as well, as part of a critical mass of committed, engaged, and mobilized citizens, who will challenge and support our elected officials in order to fulfill the promise of public education for all of our children.”

In conclusion, Thank you. Thank you to everyone who has helped me, guided me, mentored me, confided in me, and placed their trust in me. I still have another 9 months as your trustee and with your help, I intend to make the most of it. 

NEXT STEPS: Register here for future trustee training events.

Feeling keen right now? Hear my thoughts on Daveberta podcast: Episode 45: Class(room) Warfare and how the UCP Budget impacts Public Education in Alberta

Listen to an interview with me on 630CHED on Feb 25th about my decision: