Whistler – Funding, the 2010 Games, and a strong focus on the early education of children were the top issues of the school trustees’ platforms at the all-candidates’ meeting on Saturday (Nov. 1) at Whistler Secondary.
The five candidates running for the two positions of school trustee were allowed 2 1/2 minutes each to share their platforms before they fielded specific questions from key educators in the audience. In the frequent hot seat was incumbent Chris Vernon-Jarvis and hopeful Rachel Lythe, although Connie Rabold was asked how she could adequately represent Whistler when she lives in Squamish. Rabold responded by stating that through her experience with the District Parents’ Advisory Committee (DPAC), she is quite familiar with Whistler’s educational issues.
Outgoing trustee Andrée Janyk stated that she served Whistler “with pride” before she asked Amy Allen and Lythe which recent ministry initiatives they felt the school board needs to focus on. Allen, who has raised concern about the number of split classes in Whistler’s elementary schools, said that funding would be pivotal because the criteria has shifted from the number of students to the number of courses in a school.
Lythe agreed that funding is key, although she focussed on classroom composition, based on her experience with Spring Creek Elementary and B.C. statistics.
“We need to look at all ways that students are going to have a quality education,” she said.
John Hall, president of the Howe Sound Teachers’ Association, asked candidates how they will tackle the ongoing effect that standardized testing has had on the ranking of schools in the province. Vernon-Jarvis shared his concern about the ranking system, stating that while he would like to know how the kids at his school are doing compared to the rest of the world, he is aware that the current system is not “the right way yet.”
Rabold agreed with Vernon-Jarvis, stating tht she recognizes that teachers aren’t comfortable with the current standardized tests, and that parents “are confused by (them).”
A question around the daily hour-long bus rides kids take to and from school garnered applause from the audience, and Vernon-Jarvis and Lythe were asked to state their positions on all-day kindergarten. Both candidates assured the audience they were in favour of all-day kindergarten, with Lythe sharing the fact that she is currently paying for her son to be in kindergarten all day, even though it would be cheaper for her to have him in daycare.
Voting for the school trustees takes place on Nov. 15, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
