CANDIDATE PROFILE: Marie McGivern

I am also a 4-H leader, community volunteer, and grandmother of a student attending Logan Lake Elementary.

I am running because I believe rural and small-community students deserve the same opportunities as students attending larger urban schools. Having lived in rural communities and worked within the school district, I understand both the challenges families face, and the realities of how a large district operates.

I want to bring a strong rural voice to the board – one that listens, asks questions, does the homework and communicates openly with the communities it represents.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing SD73 and how would you use your elected position to address it?

One of the biggest issues is providing equitable educational opportunities across a geographically large and diverse district while working within significant financial constraints.

For rural schools, enrolment-based funding can create particular challenges. A smaller school still needs teachers, support staff, transportation and access to a broad range of educational opportunities.

As a trustee, I would carefully examine budget decisions, ask questions about where resources are being directed, and advocate for funding decisions that protect students and classroom supports. I would also advocate provincially for funding models that better recognize the realities of rural education.

Where a student lives should not determine the opportunities available to them.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing students and how would you address it?

I believe one of the biggest challenges facing students is ensuring they have the support they need to succeed – academically, socially and emotionally.

That means protecting access to counsellors, Certified Education Assistants, learning assistance and other school-based supports. It also means making sure students in smaller communities have meaningful access to academic courses, trades, arts, technology and extracurricular opportunities.

There is no single pathway that is right for every student. Our job is to give students the support and opportunities they need to discover their own.

What are your thoughts on communication between SD73, its schools and the region’s residents? As a trustee, would you speak to your votes and decisions on the record?

Absolutely. Trustees are elected by the public and should be prepared to explain the decisions they make. There will be matters that trustees are legally required to keep confidential, particularly personnel matters, but confidentiality should not become an excuse for avoiding difficult conversations. I believe communication needs to go both ways. Trustees need to listen to parents, students, employees and communities, and they also need to communicate clearly about what the board is doing and why. People may not always agree with my vote, but they should be able to understand the reasoning behind it.

Following a term highlighted by allegations of bullying and harassment by its former superintendent and a $2.2 million budget shortfall, how would you use your position to bring stability to the school district?

Stability starts with good governance, respectful leadership and accountability.

A trustee’s role is not to manage the day-to-day operations of the district, but it is the board’s responsibility to provide effective oversight, establish clear expectations and ensure appropriate systems of accountability are in place.

When problems occur, the response should not simply be about finding someone to blame. The board needs to understand what happened, determine whether policies and safeguards were adequate, and make sure the same problem is not repeated.

I would support strong financial oversight, regular and understandable reporting to the board, a respectful workplace culture and clear accountability at every level.

Trust also has to be rebuilt through transparency. Employees and the public need confidence that concerns can be raised, questions can be asked, and difficult issues will be addressed rather than avoided.

Why should residents give you their vote?

I bring a combination of leadership education, professional experience within education, community involvement and firsthand understanding of rural life.

I also bring a willingness to listen and learn. I don’t believe a trustee needs to walk into the boardroom pretending to have every answer. A good trustee needs to ask good questions, study the information, listen to the people affected and be prepared to make difficult decisions.

Most importantly, I will remember who I am there to represent.

I am asking residents of Electoral Area 5 to give me their vote because I will bring an informed, independent and committed rural voice to the board of education.

by CFJC Today

CANDIDATE PROFILE: Marie McGivern

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