Upcoming Trustee Elections

As I have mentioned before, it is important to keep public education front and centre as so many issues compete for air time during a year in which we are scheduled to have federal, provincial, municipal and trustee elections. Even as you contemplate so many critical issues facing you as a voter, on so many levels, what is on your mind when it comes to public education? What should trustee candidates be thinking about as we move toward November elections for Boards of Education?

For your information, the BC School Trustees Association has developed an extensive set of resources that can be accessed via the BCSTA website, including links to viewable and downloadable Frequently Asked Questions and a document entitled Stand Up for Public Education: Become a School Trustee. The FAQs include:

1. What, exactly, is a school trustee? A school trustee is a member of a locally elected board of education, responsible for representing the community’s voice in public education. Trustees set local policy, employ school district staff, prepare and approve the district’s budget, approve local courses and resource materials among many other duties.

2. Why do we need school trustees? School trustees identify and represent their community’s priorities within the context of the school district’s needs as a whole. BC is large and diverse, with different priorities in each district. No central authority could represent all communities’ interests. School trustees work within their boards to meet their communities’ unique requirements.