The climate crisis and a shortage of school counsellors were among the issues in the spotlight at an all-candidates meeting held Sunday night at New Westminster Secondary School.
The New Westminster District Parent Advisory Council and the NWSS Student Voice group hosted meeting in the school’s Grand Commons on Oct. 2.
About 40 people turned out to hear from the nine hopefuls vying for the seven spaces on school board: Community First New West candidates Marc Andres, Dee Beattie, Gurveen Dhaliwal, Maya Russell, Elliott Slinn and Cheryl Sluis, and New West Progressives candidates Kathleen Carlsen, Danielle Connelly and Teo Dobre.
How should SD40 deal with the shortage of school counsellors?
Student Voice reps asked all candidates what they would do about the counselling situation at NWSS, noting how challenging it is for students to get counsellors to help with academic planning and support with post-secondary transition.
Maya Russell said the number of counsellors funded by the province is based on an “absurd” load of more than 600 students per counsellor. She noted that, even though the district provides more counsellors than it’s funded for, it needs to do even more.
She suggested it could make sense to separate some counsellors’ functions into separate roles, pointing out that mental health counselling and career counselling are different skill sets.
Danielle Connelly said the counsellor-to-student ratio that’s funded by the province, at 1:693, isn’t sustainable. She noted SD40 has prioritized counselling and is providing counsellors at a ratio of about 1:450, but said the district needs to keep advocating for even more.
She suggested there might be a role for strategic partnerships, in bringing in other organizations from outside the school to provide career fairs and other similar options for students.
Cheryl Sluis raised the need to fully understand what it is counsellors are doing right now, identify what skills are required for the tasks they’re doing and then pinpoint whether there may be other staff in schools who can take on some of those tasks.
Gurveen Dhaliwal pointed out counsellors provide a whole range of support – mental health, course selection, career planning, post-secondary support – and there’s room to reimagine how all those jobs work.
“Just because that’s the way it’s always been done doesn’t mean that’s the way it needs to continue to happen,” she said.
What should the board do about the climate crisis?
Another Student Voice question to the candidate centred on the climate crisis and what the school district should be doing to address it.
Marc Andres said that, as the father of a two-year-old, he feels this issue strongly.
He said there’s room for more climate-focused curriculum, stressing the district should be getting students outdoors – to parks and to places like the Fraser River Discovery Centre. He also noted that, as a big organization, the school district can use its purchasing power to ensure it’s making climate-friendly choices when buying things like paper or disposable cutlery.
He also pointed out the role of infrastructure and ensuring the district’s buildings are built in energy-efficient ways.
Maya Russell agreed, citing multiple ways the district can deal with, and is dealing with, the climate crisis: applying for funding to convert schools to heat pumps; building new schools to energy-efficient standards, reducing waste, restoring biodiversity on school grounds, promoting plant-based foods, and more
“I don’t think it’s possible to be a parent who’s paying attention and not be seized by the urgency of the climate reality,” she said.
Kathleen Carlsen suggested the district could look at some incentives around efficient modes of transportation, such as working with TransLink on reduced bus fares.
Gurveen Dhaliwal said the board has put a huge priority on climate action and has chosen to strategically incorporate it into its budgets and operations. She cited actions such as electrifying leaf blowers and other equipment, asking for funding for heat pumps, and hiring a climate facilitator to roll out curriculum so that climate change is being talked about across the district.
Candidates also answered questions on a range of other issues, from safety in schools to technology to advocacy for provincial funding.
We’ve captured a few highlights below. To see a full video of the meeting, see the New Westminster DPAC Facebook page.
They said it: Some highlights from candidates' answers
On police liaison officers in schools
Kathleen Carlsen, noting she was one of the 82 per cent of parents who voted to keep the program in schools, before the board voted to remove the officers:
“It would have been great to have that communicated and investigated to find out how it could be improved and how our students could have been better served by these officers.
“Could there have been changes? Absolutely. Should there have been discussion and education? Yes.
“But the decisions was made in an in-camera meeting and it took more than two months for us, the parents, to hear the results.”
On 'Bring Your Own Device' policies and student access to technology
Danielle Connelly: “I think a big piece of this and what you’re speaking to, it involves the advocacy for more per-student funding in our province.
“The district shouldn’t have to be forced to make a decision about 'Do we feed students through our food program or do we give them devices?' We should just have better funding.”
On what good consultation looks like
Elliot Slinn: “Good consultation is about open and honest dialogue. I think it’s one thing to listen; I think it’s another thing to actively listen and then take action from that. … That also includes taking all voices into account, making sure that we have equity at the table so that everybody’s feedback is heard.”
On what good advocacy looks like
Teo Dobre: “How can we expect our provincial government to make an important decision about our district if we as trustees, (a) do not listen to our parents and students and (b) do not convey their needs and concerns to the provincial government? …
“What does good advocacy look like for me?
“It means direct and fearless communication with the provincial government, unencumbered by dogma.”
On what good advocacy looks like
Cheryl Sluis: “When we work together in a coordinated way with other school districts through the B.C. School Trustees Association or the BCTF, our voice is amplified.
“New West school district can bring a strong voice to these tables and be a leader in these conversations.”
On students experiencing bullying and harassment
Dee Beattie: “Our students need to be safe, and they need to feel well-supported. We’ve been committed to addressing the safety concerns of our students.
“We heard last year loud and clear that we needed to do more when the students of this school walked out and protested because they wanted us to listen more and hear more.”
Since then, Beattie noted, the district has introduced a new position, the vice-principal for safe and caring schools, who can work along with the vice-principal for diversity, equity and inclusion and with school SOGI leads to help ensure all students feel safe.
Coming up: One more meeting for school trustee candidates
If you missed the DPAC meeting, you have another chance to hear from school board candidates this coming week. The Queensborough Residents’ Association is hosting a meeting with trustee hopefuls on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. It’s at the Queensborough Community Centre, 920 Ewen Ave.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected]
