Harvard Media News reached out to each candidate running for office to ask a set of questions on the office for which they are running. The following is our Q&A with Fort McMurray Public School Trustee Candidate, Kevin Rodgers. All responses are from the candidate or their agent and are unedited by Harvard Media News.
Harvard: What do you see as the key issues facing students and teachers today?
The key issues facing students and teachers today all seem to revolve around funding and class size. Over the last decade, we have witnessed class sizes and complexity increase faster than funding. Our division is experiencing high levels of student stress, staff burn out, a lack of supply teachers, teachers leaving the system, and we have had issues with our learners and families being able to quickly access student supports due to the isolation of our community. As an experienced educator, I know that students learn best when they receive direct one on one support from their teachers. Lack of direct support leads to increased stress, anxiety, and mental health issues among our youth. Some of our youth can feel left behind or academically unprepared when all they may need is direct and timely support / intervention.
As an example, many junior high classes in our district have only one hour per day of classroom time (on a subject) and if we divide that by 35 learners (a not uncommon number), we get less than 1minute and 45 seconds of possible direct one on one instruction per learner. This example does not even include time taken away for groups lessons, student entry to the classroom, collecting assignments, or any announcements. While I believe that it is essential for trustees (and all levels of government) to protect the public purse, I do not feel that our students (and the Albertans of tomorrow) should be excluded from the best education system possible to save money. Investments in education pay immense dividends for our society as an educated workforce is a resilient and an entrepreneurial workforce.
We need to ensure that we support exceptional learners with the wrap around supports / services that they require. We need to make sure that all learners feel safe in our schools. We need to work to reduce class sizes where possible. We need to ensure our libraries include books that challenge our youth and take them to new worlds that inspire critical thinking. We need to ensure we provide our teachers with the preparation and marking time they need so that they can create amazing activities, provide prompt feedback, and focus on student learning during class time. We also need to do all of these while still being financially responsible. Trustees need to spend / approve wisely. Some of these issues can be tackled by our school district and trustees at a local level, while others will require strong and skilled trustees who can clearly and effectively advocate to the provincial government to see new schools and new funds come into our community.
Harvard: How familiar are you with the Alberta Education Act and the limitations placed on trustees?
I have read the act several times and understand the limits placed on trustees, but I also understand how the act empowers trustees to stand up for their communities. The act empowers trustees to interact with the public, to approve budgets, to set goals and policies of the district, and to advocate for our learners.
Trustees / boards do not control the direct funding of our system, the development of curriculum, and are beholden to provincial legislation. Trustees and school boards are responsible for making and supporting policies that enable student success. The Education Act outlines how boards must promote student success, maintain oversight, promote student wellbeing, support staff, monitor the effectiveness of our schools, and effectively control resources. (Education Act, 2012 s. 33) The Education Act empowers trustees to support their communities, learners and staff – If elected, I plan to take this empowerment seriously.
Harvard: What support will you offer the Superintendent in implementing the board’s strategic direction?
The superintendent is the board’s only directly reporting employee. It is the superintendent’s responsibility to advise the board and to carry out the collective decisions of the board. I would support the superintendent by listening to her advice, but also by providing stable governance that should make her job easier. The absence of leadership from a school board / trustees can make a superintendent’s job much more difficult. The board needs to clearly articulate the strategic direction for the division while also being aware of the ability or inability for the superintendent and the division to carry out said direction. In my years serving on several boards throughout our community, I have found that cooperation creates good policy.
Harvard: Do you have children in the system, and how have their experiences influenced your perspective?
Yes, I have a daughter who has spent the last 9 years in our education system (ECDP – grade 7). She has had amazing experiences in our schools, but has also experienced the effects of overcrowding, the lack of supports for complex learners, and a constantly evolving curriculum roll out. These experiences have empowered me to run to become a trustee and to promote policies that focus on strong academics, on student mental health, and on student development.
I want to make sure our schools continue to be responsible to our community and parents. I want to make sure that special interest groups and other levels of government do not infringe on the board’s ability / responsibility to serve our students and our community. I want to advocate to make sure our classes remain manageable so that our staff can focus on our learners. I want to advocate for policies that will allow our amazing staff to succeed for our students. I want to make sure that my daughter and the thousands of other students in our division have access to literature that challenges them and that they can see themselves reflected in. Trustees play an important role in all of these and they ensure not only the success of our students but also our region’s future economic success and competitiveness. I hope to earn your trust and vote on October 20th.
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