Trustees from School District No. 46 had a strong presence at the 2014 BC School Trustees Association annual general meeing held April 24 to 26 in Vancouver.
Most significantly, Sechelt trustee Christine Younghusband was elected to the association’s board of directors on the first ballot, finishing third out of a field of seven vying for five spots.
Gibsons trustee Silas White was selected by the association to open the business session on Saturday as chair of more than 300 delegates debating and voting on motions. By the end of the day, the SD46 board had put forward, successfully argued for and passed more motions than any other board in the province, led by chair Betty Baxter and vice-chair Lori Pratt.
“Compliments on our high level of participation and influence were buzzing all over the conference,” said White. “It was seen as an especially remarkable performance considering we’re one of the smaller districts in B.C.”
Some of SD46’s motions included urging the government to restore trustee governance to K-12 labour relations, review the concept of School Planning Councils in light of the lack of teacher and support staff participation, and offer more support for local trades programs.
Student trustee Maya Treuheit also participated in the AGM, speaking in favour of a successful motion to legally enshrine the acceptance of student trustees in B.C.
Sunshine Coast teachers Kirsten Deasey and Kathy Stoddart were also at the event to present a workshop on the district’s innovative SPARK! 10 Program, designed to educate Grade 10 students in early childhood development and education.
