2014 Winnipeg Civic Election

Why did you decide to run in the 2014 School Board Election?

After having experienced the current state of education first hand through my children's experiences and my own I felt there needed to be fundamental changes made to the delivery model. Also through discussions with other community members and having their encouragement to run for the position this cemented my desire to become a school trustee to affect change.

What experience will you bring to compliment your role as School Trustee?

My past work experience is on large capital projects that integrate with existing operations. During planning sessions I work on how to best leverage these capital changes to lower operational costs. This is tied into a long term strategic plan which charts business growth and associated needs to map a long term business plan. This allows to better identify operational concerns and ensure todays decisions relate to tomorrows concerns. This ensures the best use of limited budgets. I have an undergraduate degree in economics, a Masters in Project Management and I am a LEED Accredited Professional. I also have numerous continuing education courses over a variety of business categories.

What are some issues that you would like to stand for in your role as School Trustee, and why are these issues important to you?

That it is a civil right that all children receive the best education possible. That there be a refocus of curriculum to Pre-2000 levels where numerous aspects of math, the sciences and English were removed from the lower grades. Standardized measurement tools be employed and all results be made public. If there is no baseline to measure against there is no quality control of outputs. This is a basic principle of all quality control systems. Once an area of concern is identified, true targeted corrective measures can be undertaken to have positive results at a fraction of the cost of broad based programs. Current broad based measures a failing and are wasteful if you cannot prove success other than anecdotal "evidence". The current changes to the system have had 15 years to prove their worth and they have placed our students in the bottom of all national and international categories. Do we need more evidence on the current systems failures. I would advocate that current teachers or school administrative staff not be allowed hold a school trustee position. I see this as a significant conflict of interest.

What is one thing in particular that you appreciate about the school ward or school division you wish to represent?

The amount of good teachers who want to see change but are not allowed to voice their opinion on the matter.

Do you have any other comments regarding your candidacy?

I am here to ensure our children receive the best education to prepare them for their adult life and it is done in a cost effective manner. This may cause issues with the current system and how it is run. I am here to make the right decisions not the popular or special interest decisions.