The municipal election is proving to be very exciting this time around, and Delta is no exception.
There are now 14 candidates for Delta school board, and only seven seats available.
In a news release, Team Delta Voices has provided some ideas as to how to narrow the field.
* Look for experience ‘and’ education. School board will require knowledgeable candidates who have previous high-level experience with governance, policy, strategic planning, fundraising, budgets as well as hands-on experience in education and volunteer organizations.
* Look for ‘fresh’ voices. Candidates that have diverse backgrounds, and a wide range of professional and ‘community’ experiences will be very valuable. Candidates that have worked in sectors outside of education can also be very valuable.
* Look for endorsements (both personal, professional and via unions). Endorsements are obviously solicited by people that like the candidate, nevertheless a broad range of endorsements will ‘still’ speak to a person's reputation, affiliations, and abilities.
* Look for authenticity and advocacy. School board candidates who are authentically invested in families, students, teachers ‘and’ community will make the best trustees. They will build bridges and relationships.
* Diverse community representation is ‘critical’. If the board does not reflect the people who live, work and study in the area - the issues, ideas, and solutions will not affect positive change, nor will they be adopted. The good boards listen to community. The ‘best’ boards are comprised of community.
Team Delta Voices entered the Delta school board race this summer, and has been actively engaging with families, community leaders, teachers, youth and other stakeholders.
Rhiannon Bennett was elected in 2014 as a trustee, and has since contributed her knowledge of Indigenous education, an anti-oppression lens, and her ability to foster relationships, at the board level.
Andrea Hilder is an educational assistant in Richmond and Delta, and hopes she can contribute her insider knowledge of educational systems in their current iteration, her knowledge of reconciliation practices, and her experience with student advocacy.
Mita Naidu is the director of development and communications at a large non-profit organization, and hopes to contribute a strong family and community voice, her knowledge about board governance and policy-making, and equity strategies for teachers, staff and students.
They have chosen not to ally with any mayoral slate and remain committed to their own philosophy of A.R.T.S. — advocacy, relationships, transparency, and support.
They want to improve playgrounds and tracks, connect families, students, and educators, and put equity into practice.
Bennett wanted a different team to work with this election. She approached Hilder and Naidu with hopes of creating something new and powerful for Delta. All three are active mothers of young children. All three have been closely engaged with sport or youth athletics. All three have a broad and diverse range of professional skills. All three are relationship-builders. Most importantly, all three are highly motivated to improve Delta's educational system. Together, this team of strong women brings advocacy and a wider breadth of voices to the table.
Learn more about them at: www.deltavoices.ca.
