I’m excited to be seeking re-election as CBE Trustee for Wards 6 & 7!
I was born and raised in Edmonton and attended Edmonton Public Schools from Kindergarten through Grade 12. My mom was a teacher-librarian with Edmonton Public, and both of my husband’s parents taught with the CBE – so dinner conversations have a theme!
After earning my Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and Master of Education (Elementary Science) from the University of Alberta, I enjoyed a rewarding career with Edmonton Public Schools, largely teaching Kindergarten to Grade 3, as well as students with learning disabilities, EAL, and gifted and talented learners.
After moving to Calgary, I continued teaching in Calgary area schools and later joined the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education as a sessional and field experience instructor.
I am a mom to three great kids who all attended CBE schools including Jennie Elliott, Bishop Pinkham, Griffith Woods, Ernest Manning and Central Memorial. They are all currently attending university and playing the sports they love.
I’m proud to call Ward 6 home and am an active member of the Discovery Ridge Community Association, previously serving on its board for a decade.
My experiences as a teacher, instructor, parent to three graduates, CBE trustee and current Board Chair have provided me with incredible learning opportunities and help me to bring a broad perspective to the role.
Statement of beliefs
I have always held an unwavering belief in the value of public education. It is the cornerstone of a strong, democratic society. Our cities and communities are safer, more productive, and resilient when all students receive a quality education. I know that regardless of what choices parents make for their children, everyone benefits from a strong public education system.
I believe that every child and students should have the opportunity to love school, to learn, and be a valuable member of their school community regardless of circumstance
As we say at the CBE, I truly believe that Students come first, Learning is our central purpose and Public education serves the common good.
Priority areas
Learning Spaces – New school builds, modulars, replacement schools and additions are all needed.
Significant Funding Increase – Adequate and sustainable to support ALL students, staff and teachers.
Continued Excellence – The CBE is a leader and continues to outperform the province.
Views on funding
Alberta has the lowest per-student funding in the country and advocating for increased and sustainable funding remains my top priority. Increasing funding to simply meet the Canadian average would have a significant impact on the CBE. Additional funding would allow us to hire additional staff, reduce class sizes and address complexity.
I believe strongly in protecting and strengthening our public education system. Public dollars should be directed to public schools that welcome each and every student, rather than schools that select the students they choose to educate. Charter schools duplicate programs already available in the public system—only at a significantly higher cost per student.
The CBE’s Education Plan serves as our strategic plan and drives our budget which is approved annually by the Board of Trustees.
How learning conditions can be improved
Increased Funding and Supporting Complexity
Funding that truly reflects the cost of supporting our most complex learners would strengthen outcomes for ALL students. Right now the CBE re-directs about $50M each year to support student complexity. We have experienced significantly more growth than other boards in the province – so our needs are different. The CBE has 600 specialized classes and 6 unique settings but this is not meeting the needs of all students who require these levels of support. This is one of the Board’s key advocacy efforts at the moment because it would be of benefit to the entirety of the system.
A significant increase to base funding would allow the CBE to reduce class sizes overall. This is essentially the only lever we have to reduce class sizes and address classroom complexity.
How trustees and school boards can best support teachers
The most significant way trustees can support teachers is by successfully advocating for increased learning spaces and a substantial increase to base funding. Adequate funding is essential to creating positive learning environments, reducing class sizes, and addressing classroom complexity. We know that students’ learning conditions are teachers’ working conditions.
Trustees and administration also play a role in ensuring teachers have the supports and resources they need — from sufficient staffing and professional supports to appropriate classroom and curriculum materials.
Equally important is a commitment to listening and learning from teachers. By attending school events, engaging with school councils and staff, and seeking meaningful feedback, trustees and senior administration can stay connected to the realities in classrooms and make informed decisions that genuinely support teaching and learning.
Views on the new K-6 curriculum
Implementing new curriculum across multiple subjects over the past several years has been a daunting task for K–6 teachers. Developing new units and lesson plans, gathering materials, and building a deep understanding of new content all take considerable time – in addition to it all taking place in the wake of the pandemic.
Curriculum should be age-appropriate, interconnected, and grounded in current research and best practices, developed with professional expertise including teachers and those with subject-matter knowledge. And ideally, it should also inspire curiosity and enjoyment in students.
What I’ve heard most is not about the content itself, well yes, that has been an issue, but more about the pace and scale of implementation. Teachers are managing heavy workloads due to tight timelines, multiple subjects rolling out simultaneously, new assessment expectations, and limited supporting resources. The urgency to implement is placing significant pressure on our teachers.