Saying it's an internal matter, the Delta Teachers’ Association (DTA) pulled its endorsement of school trustee candidate Andrea DeWolff less than 24 hours after giving her the endorsement.
DeWolff says the DTA won't provide her with the 'new' information, and thus an opportunity to respond, that prompted the sudden withdrawal of the endorsement of her candidacy.
An independent candidate in the upcoming civic election, she says she's shocked by the decision.
“I didn't get an email. I didn't get a phone call. I only found out through a text message from a teacher who asked me what was going on and I had no idea,” she told the Optimist on Oct. 6. “I only found out that due to new information, they rescinded their endorsement.”
The DTA email to teachers stated, “Although a highly unusual event, we decided to err on the side of caution. You will notice that CUPE decided not to endorse her as well.”
While DeWolff is an independent and not part of any electoral group, she says she's running with candidate Whitney Saip Dyck to save on the high cost of advertising during the campaign. Dyck was one of the candidates not endorsed.
“I tried to find out directly from the DTA what was happening and why. I'm baffled and had no idea what was happening. I hold myself and my kids to the highest standards of the community. I was wracking my brain on what did I do,” added DeWolff.
She thinks the DTA decision was made after someone came to the conclusion that she does not support SOGI123 (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) curriculum.
Noting she has no connection to groups such as ParentsVoice BC, DeWolff, who also made her position clear with the Delta Pride Society, said she's been left horrified that teachers were given an impression that she does not support inclusivity in the classroom, since she works to help build inclusion in the community. Having three children in the school system, she said she fully supports their learning the SOGI123 curriculum.
A response to DeWolff from the DTA did not provide any specifics behind the decision to pull the endorsement, only to note they represent over a thousand teachers in Delta, and so need to be cautious in making endorsements.
“Typically when candidates are not endorsed, the DTA does not explain to candidates who ask the reasons why or why not,” said a statement to DeWolff from DTA president Susan Yao. “In the case with your endorsement, the executive process initially included you in the endorsed candidates. The rescinding of endorsement decision by the EC is an internal process.”
In a follow-up interview, Yao told the Optimist that a subsequent message for teachers explained that it came to the DTA's attention that there were concerns about DeWolff's ability to publicly support SOGI resources in Delta's public schools.
Saying that the decision was an internal process made by the DTA executive, Yao and first vice-president Alison Roche added that it is unfortunate how things unfolded and an apology was given.
They said the decision to endorse select candidates was made the day following the second all-candidates' forum on Oct. 4.
The DTA says the endorsements were based on the responses given at the debates as well as questionnaires returned to the teachers' association.
The initial list of endorsed candidates was issued to teachers Thursday in the district but not made available to the wider public.
“Of course, when we don't endorse candidates, they always call us and ask 'why didn't you?' We don't get into those conversations with them and we don't have to tell them why. Unfortunately, in Andrea's case, we got some information, we talked it over with the executive committee. It's too bad we put out the statement, but we really don't have to explain ourselves. We're not going to get into it with her about why or what it was. It would just get us in a back-and-forth,” added Roche.
The election takes place this Saturday, Oct. 15.
