The Fitzhugh posed questions to the two candidates running for school board trustee in the Oct. 21 election. Printed here are the candidates' responses, in their own words, to two of those questions. The remaining answers will be published in the Oct. 17 issue.
If you have specific questions you'd like to ask the candidates, email them to [email protected] and our editorial team will do its best to track down the candidates and get the answers you need.
1. In your opinion, what is the role of a school board trustee?
Betsy DeClercq (incumbent)
The official role of a trustee is set out in the Provincial School Act, but as I see it a school trustee is an advocate for children and public education. In Grande Yellowhead Public School Division, our major goal is to make decisions based on the needs of all students in all of our divisional schools within a budget. It is the role of the trustee to ensure that the best interest of each and every child is considered when making decisions about a child’s education. It is therefore extremely important that students, staff, parents and community members take an active voice in this decision making.
Gerry Lettner
A school trustee needs to hear and understand the views, concerns and expectations of the electorate. The trustee must incorporate that information in his/her deliberation of what is best for the school district prior to making a decision. One trustee does not set policy. That is the school boardʼs responsibility and their are seven trustees on the district board. An effective trustee has the opportunity and responsibility to influence decisions as a communicator, planner, policy maker and advocate.
2. What values do you see as being integral to the community, that you would want to consider in all school board decisions?
Betsy DeClercq (incumbent)
The values of our community readily reflect that education is a shared responsibility between parents, school and community members. I borrow some wonderful words from our recent Jasper community collaboration with the provincial Early Childhood Mapping Initiative that was facilitated by our Community Outreach Services— “It really does take a village to ensure that Jasper’s children have childhoods filled with wonder, adventure, joy, beauty, love and companionship.” What better words for all of us to think about when making decisions about our children’s education?
Gerry Lettner
Residents of Jasper embrace the philosophy of environmental stewardship. We are extremely fortunate to have the Jasper Sustainability Club for Youth active, enthusiastic and energetic. The Municipality of Jasper, Jasper National Park and Grande Yellowhead School Division jointly offer the Jasper Adventure Club for Kids (JACK) program.
