Introducing school trustee candidate Rosann Brunton
By Contributor
Hi. My name is Rosann Brunton and I am running for School Board Trustee in SD20. I am grateful for the opportunity to communicate the reasons that I am running and what I envision for our school district.
My number one reason for seeking election is my twin daughters. They are currently in grade 3 and I am heavily invested in their education future. I began my journey with them by being on the Board of Directors for their preschool. Throughout their Grade 1 year I was involved as the President of the Parents Advisory Council. Additionally, I have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to be actively involved in their school. I believe that the best and most productive way to be involved in their education is to be a school trustee. It is a great way to honor my commitment to their success and the success of all of the children in the school district.
My professional background highlights numerous years of experience with boards, the private sector and provincial and municipal governments. I am strategic minded with the ability to obtain and filter information to ensure that the best decisions are made. I am also committed to Castlegar and to one of our most precious resources – our children!
When our children leave the school district they will be competing with other children from across BC and Canada for university or college spots, internships and ultimately for jobs. In Castlegar we are residents of rural BC which presents opportunities and limitations for our children. As a school district we need to address the challenges that providing education in a rural setting presents. As a community we need to provide quality education experiences to our youth so that they are able to compete and prosper amongst their counterparts throughout BC.
Castlegar has produced many amazingly successful students and we should both be proud of their accomplishments and proactive in ensuring that the success continues. To accomplish this end our school district and our schools need to be innovative out of necessity and build capacity through accessing community resources to deliver innovative programs. Let’s collaborate with external community stakeholders to provide programming opportunities and to access additional and complimentary personnel and resources.
Although there are limitations in what can be provided in rural education, there are also great opportunities. Castlegar epitomizes the concept of community. Enhancing and creating relationships between the schools and the community is mutually beneficial. I envision environmental education opportunities for our elementary students, university introduction for our secondary students, connections between our high schools and elementary schools, and civic partnerships to build on our children’s strengths and interests. How exciting that would be for our kids!
Another item that I would like to address is the funding from the provincial government, or lack thereof. We can’t continue to provide quality education with less resources even with our innovative education practices. Let’s partner with our legislative representatives and other school districts to lobby the government for improvements to the funding model. BC school districts need to be heard in the legislature. Our children need to be heard in the legislature. With the limited and inadequate funding received from the provincial government, the budgetary process undertaken each year by the school district is challenging. I believe I have a strong understanding of this process and would be an asset to the Board due to my previous experiences in the private and government sectors as well as my accounting and engineering education.
My children are in the elementary stream currently and that is a voice that is missing on the existing board of education. In addition to looking at educational programming, I want to ensure that our children have what they need to be successful. Are there enough Educational Assistants in the classrooms? What can be done respecting class composition? Can our children access the internet quickly and effectively to enhance their research and technology literacy skills? Are our outdoor spaces conducive to safe and informative play? Are there programs to challenge our children? What can we do to ensure that our children’s educational needs are being heard and respected?
These are only some of the questions that need to be asked and reviewed. As a Trustee I can be part of the decisions that will help to enhance the provision of quality education for my children and for all of the students in our school district.
A vote for Rosann Brunton on November 15 is truly a vote for our kids and our community!
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