I am running for Public School Board Trustee in Ward 6 and Ward 7, YYC
Statement of beliefs
Public education Platform – My Top Three Things
I am running for Public School Board Trustee as, I believe in strengthening the foundation of our education system and ensuring that every student, teacher, and staff member has the tools they need to succeed. My priorities focus on three key areas:
1. Continuity in the Classroom
Teachers and support staff already carry the heavy responsibility of delivering curriculum and meeting diverse student needs.
2. Student Success Stories
All students deserve an education that meets them where they at and supports their growth. This begins with a safe, inclusive environment where belonging, leadership, and community are emphasized.
3. Workplace Wellness
All Educational professionals have earned the respect of their time. Our spaces and resources need to support their passion for educating the next generation here and now.
Our School Board has a responsibility to address these challenges before they reach a breaking point. It is time to prioritize the people and families at the heart of public education.
A Vote for Cara Azevedo is a vote for stronger classrooms, empowered students, and a sustainable future for public education.
Priority areas
Finding efficiencies within the budget from operational and move money to classrooms.
Implement teams to support classroom standards and resources that foster cognition.
Mental Health, the system is in a current state of trauma. Let’s celebrate the People of Public
Views on funding
I believe the board has a responsibility to inform government regularly of the current state of education. I believe the board has a responsibility to ensure the government has a growth mind set to Public Education. It’s not just about asking for more money, it’s about demonstrating the importance of the children to the future of our province. The Adults within Public Education are able to see needs and pivot regularly to meet the students where they are at. It is essential that our boards and government conduct themselves with this at top of mind. It is widely reported the underfunding of our entire educational system. It is widely reported and lived by many of us that our classrooms are failing, clearly there is a correlation. The current board has failed to meet the needs with the funds allocated, this contributes greatly to the hardships at the classroom level. The current board has demonstrated a lack of successful advising clearly seen by the current collapse of the system.
How learning conditions can be improved
Continuity in the Classroom is my first platform. I believe in foundations, studies show that a space set up with calm and cognition at top of mind will greatly increase the opportunity for intrinsic learning and engagement. This basic premise will support the teachers the staff and the students and allow for more time and space for curriculum. Set standards that promote health and wellbeing, show that we value our institutions and the people within them.
At the end of the day it really is about classroom sizes. however if we are to continue with these sizes there needs to be more supports put into place. I believe in a team’s approach, when I worked at a severe behavior school, we worked as team, it really did allow for us to meet the needs of the students minute by minute. There are many types of educational professionals in the schools, let’s make use of our resources, find ways to hire more.
How trustees and school boards can best support teachers
Many see the current board as an entity out of touch with the realities of being present in the classrooms of today. I am about building relationships, I believe in healthy relationships that foster a growth mindset. I believe in listening to the people who have the education and the lived experience, the educational professionals.
I believe there needs to be a modernization of our system. Essentially many of the expectations placed on professionals tasked with creating healthy engaged citizens date back to the days of school houses. Although our institutions are indeed a second home to many, our schools are institutions within a modern society, the staffing and supports need to reflect that. I am able to move policies into action that will foster celebration instead of chaos.
I will listen endlessly to you on how I can help create system that supports you, the students, the families and the community.
Kindly,
Cara Azevedo
Views on the new K-6 curriculum
In general it is the responsibility of Alberta Education to ensure the curriculum meets the current needs of society. Most recently I learned an engaged teaching professional turned a sewing room into pre engineering lab. This is commendable, our boards and government could be choosing to support these professional and their endeavors, the ideas for growth and change. Similarly the government could be looking to industry professionals for what is needed for the future.
I am not sure that time was well spent rewriting details of specifics putting the onus on the teachers to create lessons from scratch when our system is in such decay. It goes back to the board’s responsibility to advise, I have the ability to have complex conversations and meet challenges with actions that support the public and our educational system . New curriculum that involves technology and diversity to meet the needs of the citizens of the future, that’s the kind of new curriculum that is actually needed.