Longtime Kamloops public education advocate to retire

KAMLOOPS — After 46 years working in public education, School District 73 Trustee Joan Cowden is calling it a career.

Cowden spent 36 years as a public elementary school teacher and another 10 years as a trustee, and says it’s time to move on.

“I’m thinking that 10 years is quite a while to be in municipal politics,” she told CFJC Today. “I’m very passionate still about education, but I think there are lots of really good people out there and maybe it’s just time that I step aside and let somebody else come forward and spend some of their time being a trustee.”

Cowden says there are many highlights during her three terms as a trustee, including the establishment of the yearly Innovation Grants, the significant increase in Aboriginal graduation rates (79 per cent last school year), the development of the Five-Year Strategic Plan and the implementation of new educational programs including the Trades and Technology programs and Alternative and Adult Programs.