Platform
Korky’s Vision and Passion for Public Education:
If you know me at all, you know that I am pro parent & guardian. Educators do not know what is best for your child without a parent’s direct involvement. Only as the Education system understands that they partner with parents can they collectively determine what is best for each individual and unique child!
As an elected Trustee my first and primary priority is representing the taxpayer at the board table. I represent the “public” in public education as a member of the Board of Education.
Parental rights and responsibility flow out of representing the public because they are the ones that are personally invested by entrusting their children to the public education system for their formative years. Parents direct involvement in their child’s education has proven to increase that student’s educational outcome and experience while in public education. Parents’ /guardians’ rights hold the Board accountable in every aspect of that student’s public education experience in the classroom and outside the classroom while in our care! Parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening to their child in the classroom and to be directly involved in their child’s education. Parents know their child best and as partners we can ensure the best for each individual child. Only open and transparent communication between teacher, student and parent, administrators and parents, and District and the home will ensure they have the confidence they need as they entrust their children into our care. Parent responsibility is the other side of the same coin as parental rights. Without responsibility of parents, the best educational outcomes for that child are diminished. Only as Educators partner with parents can we ensure the best for that child. As a Trustee I will advocate that there are multiple opportunities for parents to engage in their child’s education and that there is regular communication between the school and the home to ensure everyone is up to date and informed!
As a Trustee I will represent the student at both ends of the educational spectrum, those that need support and those that need to be challenged. The needs of students are changing and so do the supports that students and parents need. I will advocate that proper funding is directed to support the students that need it most! At the same time many students need to be challenged - if not they will check out. So implementing courses and programs that challenge those students is essential in keeping them engaged!
As a Trustee I will continue to support our staff and administrators in their educational growth. Teachers and Teacher Assistants need to be supported in their goals of becoming the best educators they possibly can be.
As a Trustee I will advocate for Professional Development opportunities and will listen to and act on the needs in the classroom in order to benefit students, parents and educators. I will continue to support administrators as they grow in their leadership as the primary educator in their school! Administrators are the thermostat of each school and their well-being is essential. As the Ministry of Education adds more and more demands to their role as Principal or Vice Principal, we as the District need to put supports in place to ensure they can succeed! Our community partners who serve in all of our schools continue to amaze me, and as board member I will continue to evaluate and support those partnerships that benefit families in Abbotsford. We need to continue to look for more services in our community as the needs of students and families continue to change and grow.
In Abbotsford, the City Council and the School Board share the responsibility to serve the same tax base, so it is essential we continue to foster a healthy working relationship. We are partners in providing many opportunities for the residents of Abbotsford. We share many playing fields for both students and the community through our long standing agreements forged over many years of trust! I will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the British Columbia School Trustee Association of which Abbotsford Board of Education is a member along with 60 other provincial boards. Provincially we need to ensure that we are more than just advocates for public education but that we are partners with the Ministry of Education setting the direction of public education in British Columbia! I will continue to hold the Ministry of Education accountable to effectively support public education in their policies and the implementation of the funding.
Abbotsford is a growing community and with that growth come opportunities and challenges. I will continue to represent the tax payer in all deliberations at the board table and make informed decisions that will aim to benefit generations of students to come!