PGDTA Trustee Candidate Questionnaire

 

Why are you running to be a trustee in the upcoming municipal election?

 

My name is Stephanie Mikalishen-Deol and I am running for trustee because…

 

I believe in education that is student-centred: where we support our educators to provide learning that meets every students’ needs; an education that promotes mental well-being for both our staff and students and a district that is an employer of choice to recruit and retain the best educators in the province. I believe in an education where EVERY child is successful- which means safe and quality learning and equal opportunity. The district is in a unique position within our community to break the vulnerability and success cycle for our children. It is our responsibility to ensure that our students are receiving all the supports that they need to be successful.

 

The support for our district’s children starts with our educators. I come from a long line of teachers, many of my close friends are teachers and the majority of camp staff that I have worked with now are or are pursuing a career in education. I want to advocate for the folks in the trenches doing great work every day- especially as we look towards the collective agreement.

 

I was raised in a family who believes in serving the community. This has been the driving force for my ten-year career with the YMCA and my leadership as President to the BC Camps Association; but I know that there is more work to be done for our children and youth and serving as a trustee is my opportunity to leverage this experience for meaningful change.

 

I will bring my wealth of career experience including: leadership, consensus-based decision making, capital budgets, fiscal and community accountability, managing change, policy development, strategic planning, governance, ethical behavior, and transparent communication. 

 

 

Prior to September 2018, have you ever been to a school board meeting?

I began to regularly attend the public board meetings in the spring of 2017 when I started to seriously consider running in this election.

 

 

What do you see the role of Trustee as it relates to the Superintendent of the school district?

The Superintendent is the only employee of the Board. The Board’s role is governance – to strategically set the vision and ensure that the Superintendent is leading that work through operations as per the specific duties laid out in board policies with accountability, communication and formal performance evaluations.

 

 

How will you deal with capacity and catchment issues in Prince George?

Safe and quality education and equal opportunities means that our classrooms need to operate within their designed capacity, so students and staff can receive the support that they need. This is a district-wide issue. As evident after the last board meeting, we do not have all the information that we need to make this decision. Upon obtaining this September's final enrolment data we are one step closer.

 

I am committed to having ALL the information we need at the table to ensure we are making the best decision for this year, and for years to come. This means further consultations and engaging with those affected to hear their concerns. There WILL be some tough decisions made; however, I believe what people want is to know that they are part of a long-term solution- so that we do not need to revisit this. I am committed to working on capacity and catchment issues immediately and getting them sorted quickly as they are only getting worse with time and students, staff and families have been in a long process.

 

 

If elected, will you speak out publicly about issues which are a direct result of government underfunding or inaction? Please describe what actions you will undertake.

Absolutely, I feel that this is a vital piece of the job. Funding will never be enough when it comes to our children and youth; it is our job to accept that it will always be an on-going part of this important work. This advocacy can be done through formal letter writing, social media, regular updates and meetings with provincial representatives as well as strengthening our voice with our municipal officials.

 

Are you aware of the technology concerns of the district, particularly referring to being restricted to one platform and the lack of accessible Wi-Fi? What will you do to address these concerns?

This is not an area in which I am well-versed. I am a quick learner and look forward to gathering all the information to move forward. I can share that I am in favor of technology being used in our classrooms and that accessibility to quality resources includes wi-fi. It is a pretty standard necessity for any operation to function efficiently.

 

What are your views on SOGI and SOGI 1 2 3?

What’s important is that every child and staff are and feel safe. Everyone deserves to feel safe and welcome in their place of work or study. Research shows that LGBTQ+ children are more likely to experience bullying. I am 100% in favor of SOGI and inclusive schools. I want to see the SOGI 123 strategies implemented, particularly around inclusive learning and training to ensure that every child feels safe so that they can learn in a conducive environment.

 

To what extent would you prioritize music and arts education in this district?

I was fortunate to be involved as a child with choir, band, arts, and leadership. I was very disappointed when our band program was cancelled. I believe that athletics are important to children and youth; however, ensuring every child’s success means that our arts are receiving the same resources to meet those children’s needs. I am excited to hear that the District approved a Fine Arts Resource Teacher in this budget. I will not only advocate to continue this work, but will advocate for the same resources that we see in our sports.

 

In the past few years, this district has had problems in recruiting and retaining specialist teachers, for example in French Immersion, Core French, music and trades. How would you address this issue?

Adequate staffing, support and training are a pillar to providing quality education. I am pleased to see the district implement dollars towards a Recruitment Officer. I plan to continue to see this through, in addition to supporting partnerships with universities to promote practicum placements. I would also I want to see similar work done to recruit and train EAs so that every child is receiving the support that they need - and that our educators are too!

 

I would like to see the District work with Move Up PG so we can showcase what an amazing place this is to live, work and play! Many of my good friend who I met while studying French and perusing education at UVic are teachers and they are always so surprised by how wonderful PG really is.

 

Last year, the RCMP and mayor asked that people stay home during inclement weather/snow storms. Our staff and students were expected to show up in these unsafe conditions. Will you support a change to the policy so that schools will close based on the recommendation of the RCMP for city staff during inclement weather?

100%; I believe that our job is to take care of both our staff and our students. If the RCMP are saying it isn’t safe, then that is something we should be following. My concern is that I believe this policy came into place when a child was locked outside a school in very cold weather. I would need to see the policy include a plan for children who arrive at school during inclement weather. Although the role of our schools is not child care, we do have a responsibility to be there for children whose guardians need to leave to house for work or other obligations.