TERRACE STANDARD

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 3, 1993 - A5

Eight vie for school board seats

The following are submissions from seven candidates running for the

five Terrace school trustee positions. No submission was received
from Norm Lavallee, an eight candidate,

| Stewart Christensen

Stewart Christensen

STEWART CHRISTENSEN
moved fo Terrace in 1969 with
his wife Marilynn and two sons
Don and Mike, who both have
graduated from Caledonia Senior
Secondary.

Slewart was employed by Min-
istry of Highways for 22 years
prior to taking the position of
director of engineering with the
City of Terrace in the spring of
1987,

He has been on the school
board for five years. He is a
member of the Terrace Rotary
Club and has been actively in-
volved in the Student Exchange

Program.

He has been involved in church
work as board chairman, Sunday
school and youth worker.
> Stewart is. very interested in
Inany sports and was a director on

the B.C. Winter Games com-

mittee as the school board liaison.

Today we are faced with fiscal
restraint that we must not allow to
deteriorate our standard of educa-
tion.

The taxpayer has accepted this
cost as an investment in tomor-
row’s work force. In a real sense
public education is the province’s
foremost resource,

But we must be sure that we are

getting good value for ihe money
spent.

[ will work hard to maintain our
educational standards within the
limitations that the ministry of
education has set on our budget.

He has been a member of the
school board for five years and
during thal time he has cffective-
ly chaired the education,
facililies, finance and contract ne-
gotiation committecs,

As chair of the negotiations this
year he was able to work with ad-
ministration to see a contract
settlement reached without all the
labour unrest = that ~~ was
demonstrated in the surroundiag
districts.

We live in a world of change
for many of us as adults we grew

up ina world which reccived our
education ihen went out and
worked wilh that information.

But today’s students must be
prepared for a lifelong learning
experience.

The schools must. be a place
that enhances the opportunity for
learning,

We must continue to evaluaic
how we are doing al-accomplish-
ing the mission statement of pur-
suing excellence in the delivery
of cducation and providing stu-
dents with the type of education
which allows them to achieve
their maximum potenlial in terms
of skills, self-worth, — self-
sufficiency and the ability to be
contributing members of the com-
munily.

Your candidates and what they say

Rod Falconer

1 AM 67 years young and last
worked as head instructor of
the radio production training
program.

Tam a World War II veteran.

and have worked as a broad-
caster, accountant, writer and
a host of other jobs since.

I would like to see a full
open door policy in regard to
teachers, students and parents.
While this may prove cumber-
some to the board, my per-
sonal phone number will be

made available at all times.

I’m sure all candidates are
looking for quality education.
I took note that student-marks,
based on provincial marking,
were average and/or slightly
above average, I commend the
students, teachers, parents on
this achievement.

Possibly as a member of the

school board, one may,
through ways and means, seek
even higher standards.

The provincial government
on Oct. 19 froze spending for

school boards,

Financially this is an ex-
tremely negative: position the
school board-will have to con-
tend with.

I suggest ‘strong’ communi-
cations with. other school
boards with the intention of
lobbying the provincial
government.

It is interesting to note (B.C. °

Report) that the provincial
povernment is spending
through their B.C. Focus and

BC21 a billion plus millions
(some in venture investments).

Our students are our future.
They should not be short-
changed.

I believe I’ve got along with
my peers, supervisors and staff
in regard to awareness,
cooperation and communica-
tions.

While I may be a retiree, I
am not retired. As such I can
offer my full time to a
trusteeship for education.

I respectfully ask for your

support.

Rod Falconer

Roger LeClerc

Roger LeClerc

TM 43 YEARS OLD and
married with three school-age
children, wb Edy
_vLbave.lived.in ‘Terrdte, m08l
of my life and am: presently
employed as a program man-
ager for - Interconnect, an
employment training agency.

I have always been actively
involved in the community in a
number of organizations or
committees: fe.

* Board member of indepen-
dent school board For four years
(chairperson for two years).
. * Terrace Economic Advisory

Commission for four years,
« 16-37 Community Futures
Committee, for four, years, .
ie * Box Scout leader oe
+ Member. of ‘Tertace Toast-
masters club.

_ © Terrace Volunteer. Fire De-
' partment for 13 years,

* independent business person
for 15 years.

« worked for Northwest Com-
munity College.

To me the priorities thal 2 are
important are:
. © Year 2000 — implementing
the intermediate and graduate

stages of the program.

* Mainstreaming issues in the
classroom.

* Identifying and addressing
priorities in capital expenditure
items,
ve Keeping . current, with, new
innovative educational -meth-
ods,

.© Equal opportunities for all
Students to complete their edu-
cation,

© Work with other educational .
institutions in the community to
provide the best opportunity for

all students to access further ed- —

ucation.
- [have put my name forward
for school trustee because I

have always enjoyed being ac-
tively involved in the com-
munity and now I would like to
utilize my acquired skills as a
schoal trustee. ,

I am currently involved in

with the sécondary. school 'sys-
lem as'a board member of the
independent school.

Because ‘of the past years. in -

the educational field I feel that I
have a significant amount of ex-
perience to offer to the position.

I am a very honest and
trustworthy person who would
like 10 have the opportunity to
represent the community on the
public school board.

adult education, and in the past .

lan Lorenz

* MY NAMB is Ian ‘Lorenz. [ have
lived in Terrace for 15 years, I at-
tended Uplands Elementary
school, Skeena Jr. ‘Secondary and
Caledonia,

Currently, I am in my second
year at NWCC taking university-
transferrable courses. _ «

[have been through the Terrace
school system and [ know it’s
strengths and weaknesses.

] decided to run for school
trustee because I feel there should
be at least one young person on

the school board making deci-
sions that will affect my gencra-
tion,

Young people -can .accomplish
many great feats if they are prop-
erly taught and encouraged. -

Students that are discouraged,
not challenged; or passed with in-,:
Sufficient, skills to. do the. next.

grade will not be an assct'to the
community and may drop out be-
fore graduating...

The primary: function of the
school board should be to make

sure all students are properly.

taught and encouraged to learn so
that they can prospér once they
move oul of the schcol system. A

school board that includes’ me -

will see to this.:
T would work as a school trustee
to institute the following policies:

* The end of suspending or ex-

pelling. students for missing
classes. Getting rid of the student

is not a useful solution 10 ab-,

sentecism.

* Make more computers avail-
able to schools to prepare. stu-
dents for the information age. -_

* Make sure grade school stu-
dents possess the necessary skills

to succeed at the high school
level.

* Make sure high school siu-
dents possess the necessary skills
to succeed in the workforce (pas-
Sibly through expanded work-
study programs).

» Try to keep students in school
until the completion of Grade 12.

* Develop a good working rela-

: tionship with the administrators,

teachers, parents and students of
School District #88.

We have good schools in Dis- —

trict #88 already.
My aim, if elected, is to make

every school in the district the

best — our children deserve it.

lan Lorenz

] Laurle Mitchell |

Laurie Mitchell

1 AM A self-employed book-. .

kecper, married with a fam-
ily.

We have been located ‘in

Terrace for 17 years and will
continue to reside here -for
the foreseeable future:

I was elected to the board
three years ago and have
served on a variety of sub-
committees during. that time
— ie. finance © chairman,

liaison member 1o Parks and .

Rec/City of Terrace, Pro-D
rep (teacher development),
member of facilities and edu-
cation personnel committee,

I first ran for the position
of trustee three years ago,
believing that ] could make a
difference for our . com-
munity on the board.

. I believe that in education
‘the children come first but

we must also be accountable
to our communities and tax-
payers.

In our district I believe that
we have an excellent dedi-
cated teaching force that is
highly committed to our
kids, to quality programs and
to preparing our clients —
the students with the best

skills for the future.
I have worked hard on
ensuring that we. can

malntain.a balance between
fiscal responsibility and the
best programs and services

that are available.

On a personal note, [ have |

always worked hard with or
for kids from PAC com-
mittees to amateur coaching,
Scout and Guide Icader, pre-
cision skating manager etc.

I have the commitment and
lime to continue serving on
the board and will ensure
that [ am available to
parents, community mem-
bers and administration with
a high level of involvement
and commitment for the next
three years.

Gary Turner

TAM A 45-year-old log
of ler at Skecna Sawmills,
think the attitude of the
dministration “and teachers
ard each other in the past
ears has slowly caused the
‘0 sides. to forget the real
feason why they are involved
i education — the students.
so believe that with
ction -from ‘the school
td we might encourage
: 5 to retum to the.

the following:

bes teacher IL Fovoanige I

* Education/Financing:

Hold the line! ] think at this

time there is enough. money

to finance the school system,

What we must dio is re- |

arrange our present spending
priorities.

© Teachers’ wages: If the
provincial ' government
doesn’t increase block fund-
ing then . the salaries of.

teachers shouldn't - be in--

creased, Since’ my. wife isa
don’ Fi

have a say. or vote on wage
~ matters.

* Year 2000: Some of the
ideas contained in the B.C.
-education ministry’s Year
2000 .program are sound for

“the lower years 1 to 4, But
for the upper years it should - -

be altered. Letter grades, for
example, are required since
students. have to find out
where they stand in relation”
to other students.

Letter’ grades also allow _

‘students to gain admission

into career preparation pro- .
“apprenticeships: or:
other: ‘ypes. ‘of higher educa

"grams, °

tion.

« Bargaining: The bargain-
ing of teacher wages should
be done with the provincial
government, while working
conditions and other local is-
sues should be discussed and
acted upon. at the local
‘school board level.

* Mainstreaming: Special
needs students should be in-
teprated as long as ihey are
not disruptive to the day-to-
day running of the. class.
This is an area where the
provincial . - government
Should be. encouraged to con-

oo ; “tribute, mote funding.

Gary Turner

John
Pousette

OVER THE last six years,
my job as school irusiee and
lately as chairman of the
board of nine trustces has
become increasingly com- .
plex and time-consuming.

There. arc several reasons
for this and I will highlight a
few of these for you: .

The district has 5,300 full-
time icarnezs from kinder-
garten to Grade 12. AH are
in changing educational pro-
grams with mor. changes
yet to come.

There are parents, polen-
tial employers, politicians,
and a general. public, all
with concerns’ about how
' our. schools | are. equipping

these young people to

prosper and thrive in a

world economy that is get-

ting very com ttitive,

. - wvotld ition aataividtat, 1

° social“ ‘responsibilities’ ‘dre?

changing drastically. and |
with an environment that

now demands its share of at-

tention and respect. ;

The district ts. the largest
employer in the. area with
S60 regular employces and
about 450 casuals. ~

In the last while these cm-
ployees, their unions and the
employer (the school board)
have been working out the
mies and guidelines for
smooth delivery of our pro-
duct — ° educaled areca
youths.

In the developiicint of
these labour-management
contracls there have been
some work stoppages not
only here but also in the rest
of the province. The board
continues to work at im-
proving these relationships
with high expectations.

Fiscally, ‘education . -ab-
sorbs 27 per cent of the
provincial budget.

Across Canada it
represents $44 billion.

The budget for delivery of
education for our district is
$35 million with another $3
million allocated for capital.

Now that senior govern-
ments are’ focussing on
tesiraint, fiscal planning and
money management is a
major worry for a trustee.

In: addition, there is re-

. sponsibility for liaison with
_ the ministry of ‘education,

other ministries, the. minis- .

(ry of education task and

siudy groups, our employee

groups, our parents, special

-sectors .of the community,

health agencics, the college,

the univeristy of ‘the north,
other districts and agencies,.
and of course our schools.

At times education seems
to be everybody’s business
and always, itis.’

‘Yes, as a trusice for school

” district #88 - Terrace we do
direct the. affairs of a big
and very dynamic and vital

public business. .

Tlet my name stand know-
ing the workload and. the
demands ©. and the
responsibilities it will, make
on my atlention ‘and my
time, but hoping my experi-
ence, and - ability will enable
me to make: a. contribution
lo the ‘district’s continued
SUCCESS, a wn,