I decided to run for school trustee, because while I’ve long been an advocate for human rights and environmental causes, encountering the persistent discrimination within EPSB schools against disabled children, including my own disabled child that really confirmed my decision to run. This past year, when nearly 3,700 children were removed from Edmonton public schools on the basis of disability, and the lack of any sort of inclusive contingency plan that actually considered the education and wellbeing of disabled children, that was it for me. There was nobody standing up for disabled kids – nobody. And that’s going to change. Not just for disabled kids, but all students. As a neurodivergent adult myself, who is part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, I will stand up for all students – just like I have always stood up for others. My motivation isn’t personal or professional gain, and you won't see me using a trustee position as a stepping stone to higher political ambitions – my motivation is educational equity- so that no child’s education is treated as optional, and to ensure teachers have the tools they need to make this become a reality.
I’m proud to have grown up working class, and I really am the product of public schools. I believe that public schools, when properly supported and funded, have the capacity to help level out disparities – and while my family, growing up, we started off poor, my public education helped me achieve social mobility and build a more secure career than what my parents had experienced.
My qualifications do make me a strong candidate. I have a degree in Human Rights and Political Science, and a Master’s in Political Geography. My Master’s degree offered me the opportunity to work in international development, supporting CARE Peru’s poverty alleviation work with Indigenous Andean farmers in climate research, and my PhD field work was in Malawi, through the Soils, Food and Healthy Communities projects with smallholder farmers. I have more than a decade of experience in community economic development, which includes managing budgets and projects, and I currently work as an Employment Partnerships Advisor, supporting Indigenous organizations in employment-related projects. I’ve worked in Indigenous engagement and consultation, and also have a lot of experience in research and policy analysis. My governance experience includes serving on the Board of Directors at a regional level with the Watershed Planning and Advisory Committee, and serving on the Sierra Club Canada Foundation Board nationally, which helped build my fundraising and campaign governing experience. I am pro-union and am currently going through training to become a union steward, having most recently completed the Conflict Management course. Prior to running, I was the co-chair of the Inclusive Education Committee with Inclusion Edmonton Region, and have spent years helping other families advocate for their children's full inclusion. More recently, I have started becoming involved in the Migrante Alberta community and advocating for the Education 4 All campaign, so that children of undocumented migrants may attend public school, as this is currently being denied. Last but not least, I have spent a few years teaching English as an Additional Language, and worked as the Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial Climate Education Coordinator for Sierra Club Canada.
Statement of beliefs
My beliefs are always grounded in a human rights lens. I support the rights of all equity-seeking groups, and truly think that strengthening human rights in our public education system will lead to stronger community-building as well. Prohibited grounds of discrimination, which translate to equity-seeking groups, include the following in the Canada Human Rights Act: race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status, genetic characteristics, and disability. I believe all school-aged children should have the right to be included in mainstream education. I am a strong proponent for collaboration, and believe we should approach even hard conversations with curiousity, not judgment, while always prioritizing justice for equity-seeking groups. I think it is incredibly important to not ostracize and demean those who have views that differ from our own, and is how we build community. To that end, I believe in nuance, active listening, and addressing behaviours, not attacking people. I also believe that public education is one of the most important parts of our society – a strong public education benefits every segment of society.
Priority areas
Inclusive education: so that all children have the right to a well-supported public education.
Reducing class sizes: we should cap and track class sizes by following ACOL’s size recommendations
Strengthen democracy: greater public engagement opportunities, and engaging students too
Views on funding
Alberta is a problematic province because it funds the least per student for public education, but the highest % of private school budgets, more than any other jurisdiction. The role of school boards in funding decisions is multi-faceted. School boards set annual budgets, approve salaries (i.e. the prior superintendent’s $330k salary was a Board decision), operational expenses, and onwards. Boards set goals through strategic planning, and approve funding accordingly. For example, school boards have a role in whether to fund new builds through P3 partnerships or stay publicly funded only (I support the latter). School boards are limited on not being able to control taxation model and funding model the provincial government creates. The most recent funding model adjustment, which moved from WMA to AEM, still fails to address the current and anticipated population increase, underfunds coded kids with Specialized Learning Supports stretched far too thin, students who arrive after Sept 30.
How learning conditions can be improved
More funding is at the heart of it, but there are other improvements that can be made. Establishing a Community of Practice on inclusive education would be a great way to share and build upon skills, while drawing on Subject Matter Experts’ best practices. Reducing class sizes through short and medium term creative solutions while new builds are happening, but also addressing aging school infrastructure. Expanding wraparound supports for students and moving away from policing and more towards a community-informed and trauma-informed lens would be beneficial. Decommissioning seclusion rooms by drawing on subject matter experts’ knowledge on effectively transitioning away from trauma-inducing practices – studies show in jurisdictions that have stopped seclusion have seen less staff burnout and injury, less negative behaviours from complex students, and more cost savings from working more proactively. I support Yeg Muslim Vote’s idea on creating a culturally diverse calendar together.
How trustees and school boards can best support teachers
Greater public engagement and involving the broader community can help counter harmful anti-education and anti-teacher rhetoric. Trustees help set the tone of the public school culture, and should in my view pursue many opportunities to uplift teachers. Trustees also develop policies, and creating policies that support educators can best be achieved by actually getting to acquainted and spending time in their Wards’ schools. Trustees should also lean on the fact we need to consider federal laws and Charter rights – and acknowledge that federal law supersedes provincial Ministerial Orders. Any opportunity that can be found to buffer against provincial government overreach, which violates rights or downloads immense administrative burdens onto educators, needs to be explored to better protect teachers. Collaborating and working together with other Boards across the province will be beneficial in building a stronger defence of teachers.
Views on the new K-6 curriculum
I’m worried about the methodology used to create it, and the curriculum content itself. It didn’t adequately take into account the views and input from teachers and other subject matter experts, the Indigenous content was such a missed opportunity because we could have better addressed the TRC Calls for Action, and I would like to see more content on disability rights, and other fulsome history (e.g. Palestinian history). The number of outcomes are at times double what they used to be, leaving teachers minimal time to be thorough with subjects. I remember when reading an initial draft of the curriculum, there were portions directly copied from Wikipedia! And seeing the grade 6 math PAT last year was disastrous and very worrisome.