School trustees are an important part of municipal governance, responsible for guiding the work of their school district according to the community’s unique needs. They set plans, policies and the annual budget.
According to the British Columbia School Trustees Association, trustees “engage their communities in building and maintaining a school system that reflects local priorities, values and expectations.”
There are eight candidates for School District 19 Trustee, and five will be elected following General Voting Day on Oct. 15, 2022.
We asked each of the candidates to answer three questions about who they are and why they’re running, what they’d like to achieve as a trustee, and three key issues they’d like to tackle if elected. Here are the responses from candidate Jodie Allen:
Who are you as a community member? Why are you running for SD 19 Trustee?
My name is Jodie Allen. I was born and raised in Revelstoke. I am the parent to one child, also born and raised in Revelstoke. He graduated from RSS in 2016.
For the past 13 years I have been employed by the City of Revelstoke. I spent my first 10.5 years working in the Finance Department where I gained a thorough understanding of municipal finance. For the past 2 years, I have been working in the Corporate Services Department where my focus has been on Human Resources. I also volunteer as a mentor for the National Payroll Institute.
I am running for SD 19 Trustee because I love my community and I would be honoured to be elected to a role that would allow me to represent its amazing citizens. I love to learn and challenge myself, both personally and professionally, and I have always had a passion and interest for municipal governance. I feel that my skill set, experience, work ethic, and commitment to our community and its people would be an asset to our education system, more importantly, to our students.
If elected, what would you like to achieve as a Trustee?
Given the hard work of teachers, staff, and Trustees to date, my first task would be to concentrate on learning and work on developing relationships that foster positive synergy with all stakeholders, both internal and external that result in tangible, innovative, and collaborative outcomes for everyone involved in the education of our students.
Please identify three key issues you would like to advance and how you plan to do so if you are elected.
If elected, my focus would be on items previously identified in the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan.
Additional focus on:
Increasing mental health and well-being support for all students and staff. Promoting mental health should be a priority. Providing education to children, youth, and their families, creating partnerships with community agencies, creating welcoming, caring, respectful and safe school environments, and implementing policies that support mental wellness.
Advocating for children and families in need. I would really like to see the School Breakfast Program expanded to include a Universal Lunch Program or a subsidized Lunch Program. I understand that the current program is mostly funded by grants, donations (local and provincial), and volunteer work so to do that we may need to think outside the box. For many children in our community this may be the only nutritious meal they receive in a day. No child should have to go to school hungry or experience food insecurity.
Encouraging and embracing a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools. Because all students deserve a safe and inclusive environment while receiving a quality education.