Young Politicians of Canada hosts Maple Ridge school trustee debate

School trustee candidates faced questions at an all-candidates meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, organized with young people in the community. Young Politicians of Canada, a national, non-partisan group that aims to connect young people with politicians and improve understanding of democratic systems and processes, hosted the meeting with partner Maple Ridge Friends for Peace. About 25 people attended at Garibaldi Secondary School. Eleven of the 21 candidates in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows took part.

Local high school students prepared questions in advance. During the first part of the meeting, audience members were also invited to suggest questions; those suggestions informed the final round in the second half. Topics included inclusivity, student support, supportive learning environments, anti-racism in schools and communities, Bill C-9 and its educational implications, addressing anti-Palestinian racism, students’ role in social change in their community, student leadership and belonging.

The meeting opened with a question about the causes of teacher burnout and how trustees could support struggling teachers. Elaine Yamamoto, who has served two terms on the board and been its chair for four years, said trustees need to listen to struggling teachers, understand what supports they need and direct resources to appropriate staffing, professional learning and help managing increasingly complex classrooms. Supporting students and their families can also address some challenges before they become more difficult to manage, she said.

Karen Redkwich said her experience working in schools had shown her firsthand how challenging the work can be. She said she would examine staffing levels, available supports and workplace concerns heard directly from teachers. “We need to make sure we’re not simply asking teachers to do more with way less,” she said. Pascale Shaw said the School Act allows all children to attend school, but there is not enough space, staffing or programming to give every child or student everything they need to succeed. She believes that shortfall is the main cause of teacher burnout.

Another question addressed the increased politicization of LGBTQ+ identities and how schools can make LGBTQ+ students, especially trans students, feel welcome and safe. Mike Murray said the SD42 Code of Conduct, an update to the Safe and Caring Schools Policy, prohibits discrimination and bullying. Administrative procedures supporting the policy require timely staff intervention, he said. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, or SOGI, is intended to help students understand and appreciate diversity. The initiative gives educators tools to create inclusive classroom spaces where every student feels respected and safe. Murray said more work remains despite the policies.

Chris Sandve said polarization around LGBTQ+ students should be met with compassion and humanity. He praised student leaders who take time to talk with their peers about the importance of inclusion and supporting one another. Jeff Stromgren said space should be made for groups that need somewhere to gather, and students should be encouraged to join clubs, connect with others and share their stories. “It’s those connections between everybody in a school environment that’s going to allow someone to feel comfortable enough to share the story that they’re going through personally,” he said.

Asked about increasing the number of support staff, Maple Ridge candidate Brad Tones noted that his wife is an education assistant in the school system and that EAs often work with four or five different students in a day. “The reality is some of these kids need support for the whole day,” he said. If elected trustee, he said, he would focus on advocating to the province for more money.

Terra Slade said EAs are sometimes asked to support students with needs they are not trained to address, while counsellors are asked to take on multiple roles. Trustees should consider specialized EA roles, more training and stronger partnerships with community organizations that can provide mental health and other supports, she said. Trudi Appleton said resources to support students could include counsellors and EAs as well as other specialists.

On preventing sexual harassment, assault and misconduct in schools and ensuring staff and students are taken seriously, Deepa Bissessur said trustees must require strict, transparent, trauma-informed investigations into every report. Swift disciplinary action is also needed to ensure reports from students, especially girls, are always taken seriously, she said.

James Rowley said the issue is complicated and involves culture both inside and outside schools, as well as staffing levels. When a complaint is brought to a staff member, they may take it seriously but be unable to act swiftly, he said. Rowley believes there have been improvements. “As my kids went through the school system, year by year, we saw changing attitudes and more supports,” he said. Outside culture, however, seems to be getting worse, he said.

Five seats on the school board represent Maple Ridge, and two represent Pitt Meadows. Election day is Saturday, Oct. 17. The full all-candidates meeting is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3VM6nx2ueg.