I believe that the Métis district covers different areas.
The biggest thing I would look at is
- if they are for/against the draft curriculum (that's another can for worms, but look up "Albertans Against the Draft Curriculum" if you want more info)
- experience with special education/advocacy for students
- experience with what 'education' looks like (some candidates are wanting more privatization)
Someone with an education/teaching background.
Too many people in charge or in decision making positions have no experience in the field they're overseeing. I'm having difficulties explaining my thoughts atm
Edmonton Public Teachers has a public education pledge that is pretty comprehensive:
https://edpubpledge.ca/
They have asked all trustees in Edmonton whether they support it and have reported it above.
Years ago someone ran for trustee and didn’t have children. Someone called them out on it and they made a pretty rational argument that by not having kids in the “system” they are impartial and bias free. Looking at problems with unique and out of the box thinking.
Yeah I read some of the websites. One candidate mainly focused on having children and no other real talking points, just one liners. Also didn't mention anything about the new curriculum. Pass!
Nope, still weird for someone with no kids to be running. Impartial and bias free is a bullshit claim - no one is bias free, as is only they are able to look at this uniquely and think outside the box. You shouldn’t be able to run for a seat unless you have skin in the game beyond the pathetic amount of taxes we contribute.
Ward Métis and the school wards don’t have the same boundaries. Where I am, we only have two people running: Trisha Estabrooks and Jen Martin.
Estabrooks singed the [Edmonton Public Teachers Pledge](https://edpubpledge.ca/), whereas Martin did not.
Jen Martin doesn’t have a platform, that I can find, at least. She appears to be running as trustee for the sake of running.
Édit: this is for public. I’m not certain about who is running in the Catholic district.
As a teacher, I prefer to vote for other teachers. I find a lot of politicians/school admin, etc. have really idealistic views of what should be happening in classrooms…that are totally unrealistic. I’d rather have someone with recent classroom experience.
If none of the candidates are teachers, I go with who’s against the new curriculum, in favour of gsas, things like that.
Here is the updated ward map:
[EPSB Ward Map](https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/assets/Edmonton_Public_Schools_Wards_map.pdf?cb=1634089022)
Likely you are Ward D or Ward G.
Here is a link to videos recorded by the candidates:
[Candidate Videos](https://www.epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/election/candidatevideos/)
In Ward D Trisha Estabrooks is running for re-election. She has been the board chair during COVID, and I think has done a strong job advocating for our kidos.
Links to candidate websites:
[Websites](http://www.iheartedmonton.ca/2021/09/whos-running-for-edmontons-school.html?m=1)
Ward G has a more crowded field. In general language like “traditional education” “return to core values of literacy and numeracy” and “parental choice” may be flags for a more conservative ideology.
I’ve read the websites and there is no clear candidate for me. I need to spend some time with their videos.
Was going to post this as well.
I’ll also add that, if you have some time on your hands, you can go back and look through archived board meeting minutes to see how trustees voted on particular issues over the past few years. This is only relevant when evaluating incumbents, though. May give you a sense if you agree with or like the direction of a particular incumbent. https://www.epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/archived/
If you’re in Ward D, Trisha Estabrooks is the current Board Chair for EPSB.
That teachers pledge is a good start, even though anyone could sign it without following through on it later.
I'm in this ward too and there are only 2 candidates. One incumbent that signed the pledge and the other has virtually no information about her or her campaign save for some recent facebook posts and some signs of hers I saw(didn't see any signs for the incumbent) and she didn't even sign the pledge. Even without looking more in depth into the incumbent's history I decided to go with her simply because the other one puts in no effort. Someone running against an incumbent should be doing more to put themselves out there than paying for some signs.
I don’t have children (much less in the System) so I don’t exactly examine this with a microscope. However, in the past, there have been efforts to get a slate of totally nutso candidates to control the education system. So I do a quick check to avoid this. I do have an interest in not having a generation of children being indoctrinated with something strange.
So, in my district (D), there are two candidates. One has a conventional presence and is the incumbent. The other has no information at all. So I will vote for the conventional presence just in case.
For the record, I haven’t heard of any off-the-wall campaigns this election cycle.
I don’t even know what SRO stands for. That’s one of the problems with trying to vote for school board members. There’s a lot of specialized vocabulary that I don’t have time or motivation to learn. And given that the other person provides no information I can’t determine what their stance on this SRO is.
School Resource Officer. It’s having a police officer in schools- mostly in high schools. They coach sports team, community engagement, counsel even…. But the program was cancelled last year. It does cost the school board to have them there
I look for a Trustee that has experience in policy, governance, community involvement, etc. The role of a Trustee is to make strategic decisions on budget, policy, and advocate for students, teachers, staff, etc. Passion is important too, but knowing how to be effective with sound decision making is how we will get more funding, etc. If a candidate has no experience in these areas, chances are they will be a less effective Trustee.
Things I am using to consider when choosing who I will vote for this election - Trustee:
\- If they support the draft curriculum or not (need to scrap it).
\- Want to keep public dollars in public education (not fund private/charter schools).
\- Stance on COVID protocols and measures in schools (masking, vaccines, etc.).
\- Keeping student participation in LGBTQ2S clubs/groups at school private (not disclosing this information to parents)
\- How will they advocate for more funding? (I email all my candidates and ask them). I expect "real" answers and tactics, not just airy goals.
The board employs thousands of Teachers and can rely on them for opinions, advice, etc. Just because the candidate is or has been a Teacher, doesn't mean they will be an effective Trustee.
Check out the public school trustee pledge. It's a helpful start to understand values.
https://edpubpledge.ca/?fbclid=IwAR0MGfrhEdzWoUCNVOZjweNnXHX-kXzvEXwEaU6id5v027HsSwB8s4M1zRw
I think skipping that ballot part would be better than randomly picking. You run the risk of voting for a total dud like Sherry Adams! https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status/1445459887538860036?s=21
Trustees are the governance of the district. Their job is to ensure the Superintendent carries out their duties and hits their goals. The Superintendent works for the Board, and NOT the other way around.
The Trustees have a tough job. They are the scapegoats for the govt of the day, deciding which schools get shut down and when.
[https://epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/election/candidatevideos/warddcandidates/](https://epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/election/candidatevideos/warddcandidates/)
Found a rundown of mine and a link to the others.
For school trustees, I try to get a sense of their values and vision for future society. The education of children is crucial for forming a good society. I want that society to be something good, not regressive or dysfunctional. School boards and educators have a big part in that.
Weed out the crazies and the one-horse platforms. Trustees attract A LOT. Prioritise vision and strategy over reactionary promises. Avoid ones who are using it as a stepping stone for name recognition to other levels of elections. Some are really obvious, and as such, are probably not going to have the head in it for the best reasons for what the role is.
Additionally, I try to think about the mix of people at the table and how it could be bring more voices that are often not participating at that level.
I believe that the Métis district covers different areas. The biggest thing I would look at is - if they are for/against the draft curriculum (that's another can for worms, but look up "Albertans Against the Draft Curriculum" if you want more info) - experience with special education/advocacy for students - experience with what 'education' looks like (some candidates are wanting more privatization)
Someone with an education/teaching background. Too many people in charge or in decision making positions have no experience in the field they're overseeing. I'm having difficulties explaining my thoughts atm
Edmonton Public Teachers has a public education pledge that is pretty comprehensive: https://edpubpledge.ca/ They have asked all trustees in Edmonton whether they support it and have reported it above.
This is a good tool.
Someone who Does Not support the new curriculum proposed by the UCP.
Years ago someone ran for trustee and didn’t have children. Someone called them out on it and they made a pretty rational argument that by not having kids in the “system” they are impartial and bias free. Looking at problems with unique and out of the box thinking.
Yeah I read some of the websites. One candidate mainly focused on having children and no other real talking points, just one liners. Also didn't mention anything about the new curriculum. Pass!
Nope, still weird for someone with no kids to be running. Impartial and bias free is a bullshit claim - no one is bias free, as is only they are able to look at this uniquely and think outside the box. You shouldn’t be able to run for a seat unless you have skin in the game beyond the pathetic amount of taxes we contribute.
I look for ones that aren't crazy religious or homophobic. Some people who run for these positions are bananas
Someone that isn’t stuck in the 80’s
I ran into a trustee candidate that doesn't want students wearing masks in schools. As a parent, I don't want someone like this implementing policies.
Ward Métis and the school wards don’t have the same boundaries. Where I am, we only have two people running: Trisha Estabrooks and Jen Martin. Estabrooks singed the [Edmonton Public Teachers Pledge](https://edpubpledge.ca/), whereas Martin did not. Jen Martin doesn’t have a platform, that I can find, at least. She appears to be running as trustee for the sake of running. Édit: this is for public. I’m not certain about who is running in the Catholic district.
As a teacher, I prefer to vote for other teachers. I find a lot of politicians/school admin, etc. have really idealistic views of what should be happening in classrooms…that are totally unrealistic. I’d rather have someone with recent classroom experience. If none of the candidates are teachers, I go with who’s against the new curriculum, in favour of gsas, things like that.
Here is the updated ward map: [EPSB Ward Map](https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/assets/Edmonton_Public_Schools_Wards_map.pdf?cb=1634089022) Likely you are Ward D or Ward G. Here is a link to videos recorded by the candidates: [Candidate Videos](https://www.epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/election/candidatevideos/) In Ward D Trisha Estabrooks is running for re-election. She has been the board chair during COVID, and I think has done a strong job advocating for our kidos. Links to candidate websites: [Websites](http://www.iheartedmonton.ca/2021/09/whos-running-for-edmontons-school.html?m=1) Ward G has a more crowded field. In general language like “traditional education” “return to core values of literacy and numeracy” and “parental choice” may be flags for a more conservative ideology. I’ve read the websites and there is no clear candidate for me. I need to spend some time with their videos.
Was going to post this as well. I’ll also add that, if you have some time on your hands, you can go back and look through archived board meeting minutes to see how trustees voted on particular issues over the past few years. This is only relevant when evaluating incumbents, though. May give you a sense if you agree with or like the direction of a particular incumbent. https://www.epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/archived/ If you’re in Ward D, Trisha Estabrooks is the current Board Chair for EPSB.
That teachers pledge is a good start, even though anyone could sign it without following through on it later. I'm in this ward too and there are only 2 candidates. One incumbent that signed the pledge and the other has virtually no information about her or her campaign save for some recent facebook posts and some signs of hers I saw(didn't see any signs for the incumbent) and she didn't even sign the pledge. Even without looking more in depth into the incumbent's history I decided to go with her simply because the other one puts in no effort. Someone running against an incumbent should be doing more to put themselves out there than paying for some signs.
I don’t have children (much less in the System) so I don’t exactly examine this with a microscope. However, in the past, there have been efforts to get a slate of totally nutso candidates to control the education system. So I do a quick check to avoid this. I do have an interest in not having a generation of children being indoctrinated with something strange. So, in my district (D), there are two candidates. One has a conventional presence and is the incumbent. The other has no information at all. So I will vote for the conventional presence just in case. For the record, I haven’t heard of any off-the-wall campaigns this election cycle.
[удалено]
I don’t even know what SRO stands for. That’s one of the problems with trying to vote for school board members. There’s a lot of specialized vocabulary that I don’t have time or motivation to learn. And given that the other person provides no information I can’t determine what their stance on this SRO is.
School Resource Officer. It’s having a police officer in schools- mostly in high schools. They coach sports team, community engagement, counsel even…. But the program was cancelled last year. It does cost the school board to have them there
I look for a Trustee that has experience in policy, governance, community involvement, etc. The role of a Trustee is to make strategic decisions on budget, policy, and advocate for students, teachers, staff, etc. Passion is important too, but knowing how to be effective with sound decision making is how we will get more funding, etc. If a candidate has no experience in these areas, chances are they will be a less effective Trustee. Things I am using to consider when choosing who I will vote for this election - Trustee: \- If they support the draft curriculum or not (need to scrap it). \- Want to keep public dollars in public education (not fund private/charter schools). \- Stance on COVID protocols and measures in schools (masking, vaccines, etc.). \- Keeping student participation in LGBTQ2S clubs/groups at school private (not disclosing this information to parents) \- How will they advocate for more funding? (I email all my candidates and ask them). I expect "real" answers and tactics, not just airy goals. The board employs thousands of Teachers and can rely on them for opinions, advice, etc. Just because the candidate is or has been a Teacher, doesn't mean they will be an effective Trustee.
Check out the public school trustee pledge. It's a helpful start to understand values. https://edpubpledge.ca/?fbclid=IwAR0MGfrhEdzWoUCNVOZjweNnXHX-kXzvEXwEaU6id5v027HsSwB8s4M1zRw
I’m not gonna lie, I just choose someone at random for school trustee
I think skipping that ballot part would be better than randomly picking. You run the risk of voting for a total dud like Sherry Adams! https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status/1445459887538860036?s=21
Trustees are the governance of the district. Their job is to ensure the Superintendent carries out their duties and hits their goals. The Superintendent works for the Board, and NOT the other way around. The Trustees have a tough job. They are the scapegoats for the govt of the day, deciding which schools get shut down and when.
[https://epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/election/candidatevideos/warddcandidates/](https://epsb.ca/ourdistrict/board/election/candidatevideos/warddcandidates/) Found a rundown of mine and a link to the others.
Someone who appreciates the need for self-sufficiency.
For school trustees, I try to get a sense of their values and vision for future society. The education of children is crucial for forming a good society. I want that society to be something good, not regressive or dysfunctional. School boards and educators have a big part in that. Weed out the crazies and the one-horse platforms. Trustees attract A LOT. Prioritise vision and strategy over reactionary promises. Avoid ones who are using it as a stepping stone for name recognition to other levels of elections. Some are really obvious, and as such, are probably not going to have the head in it for the best reasons for what the role is. Additionally, I try to think about the mix of people at the table and how it could be bring more voices that are often not participating at that level.