Voters in both the Town of Osoyoos and the surrounding rural area – Electoral Area A of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen – can vote for two school trustee candidates for Osoyoos.
It’s especially important to note that although RDOS Area A residents won’t be voting for a director because Mark Pendergraft is being acclaimed, they are still entitled to vote for a school trustee.
We invited each of the three candidates to submit written responses of up to 400 words total to two questions, with answers to be published in their own words. Only minor edits were made for spelling and style.
The questions were:
1. Why would you be a good choice for school board?
2. What issue(s) do you see as your priority?
Responses are published in randomly drawn order.
Casey Brouwer. (Richard McGuire photo)
Casey Brouwer
1. Why would you be a good choice for school board?
Aside from the fact that I still have children in the school system, you should re-elect me as one of your trustees because I have been a trustee now for two years.
And as a trustee I have an understanding of official meeting procedures and school district governance policies. I’m aware of the legal, political and legislative parameters in which school boards operate.
I’m not an emotional reactor. I’m composed and strong in debate and will listen to determine an outcome that best suits the situation.
As a trustee, I represent the community as its advocate for public education.
My role is to maintain a focus on student achievement and well-being, and to participate in making decisions that benefit the entire district while representing the interests of my community.
As a trustee, I was a member of the team (the board). And as a member of the board, I understood that a trustee’s power lies in the school board as a whole.
Meaning that the board has the authority to make decisions or take action; individual trustees in and of themselves do not have this authority.
As a trustee I worked with the Board of Education and other community partners to ensure that all the students within our district received equal opportunities to reach their maximum potential.
Issues that can motivate an individual to run for school trusteeship can often be deeply personal.
A passion for issues in public education is important to guide one’s work, however, true success comes when each trustee looks beyond personal issues in order to make decisions that benefit the school district as a whole. Successful trustees manage a balance between governance role and representative role.
Osoyoos and Rural District “A,” I encourage you to vote and have your voice heard. Re-elect me, Casey Brouwer as school trustee. Community focused, community driven, community heart.
2. What issue(s) do you see as your priority?
Keeping education in our community. It is very important that the Town of Osoyoos have both its schools. Continuing to provide quality education and learning experiences for the students of Osoyoos and Area “A”.
We need to continue working with local and provincial governments to secure a stronger connection and open communication so that we can work together to offer the best possible education and opportunities for our students to succeed in the future.
Jane Austen wrote: “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.”
Brenda Dorosz. (Contributed photo)
Brenda Dorosz
1. Why would you be a good choice for school board?
I believe in a collaborative approach to public service. I will make myself available to consult and collaborate with the public on issues that are important to parents, students, teachers and our Osoyoos community.
Returning to the phrase “public service,” once elected, my priority is to serve my community. My goal is to be the voice of my community in guiding the future of education, specifically in Osoyoos and generally in School District 53 in a way that achieves the goals and objectives of my community.
I intend to make myself available, on a regular basis, to answer questions, receive comments and to collaborate with the community that I serve. The approach to education should not be top down. Parents, students, teachers and community members have the ability and capability to offer valuable input to the educational process. This cannot be ignored.
I will give my community the important opportunity to be involved and to be respected while providing input. I will be our strong collective voice.
My passion for education, families, teachers, and Osoyoos, partnered with my experience, determination, and collaboration is a recipe for success!
2. What issue(s) do you see as your priority?
Funding for rural schools is a major issue for our province. It is no different in our school district and in our town of Osoyoos.
During our fight to keep our high school open, I was involved in discussions with our provincial government and with the incoming government.
The struggle to appropriately fund education for our children is not over. Smaller communities need schools. We do not need to send our children out of our communities to receive adequate education. However, we know that scheduling, providing appropriate teaching specializations and catering to our students with sufficient scope in subject areas is much more difficult and costly for us than it is in the larger, urban
schools. Therefore we must come up with a more suitable funding model for rural schools.
We need to think outside the box to resolve some of these issues.
Solutions such as funding by teacher count (FTE) rather than dollar amount would ease some of our schools’ financial problems.
As a growing rural community, we need to ensure our students are prepared for the future. We need to monitor student achievements, encourage inclusive curriculums, while respecting learning for all.
Penny Duperron. (Richard McGuire photo)
Penny Duperron
Our children are society’s most valuable and vital resource and we need to do everything possible to ensure this resource is developed to it greatest potential. Our schools play a major role in developing this potential, and I want to help shape our schools to ensure that our children receive the education that best prepares them for their future.
Education is my passion. Others have used, and will use, this position as a stepping-stone to other political aspirations. That is not my intent. This is where I want to be. I will bring a strong voice for Osoyoos to the board table and be a vocal advocate for our schools.
I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in, and for people’s rights. I am not afraid to ask the tough questions. My experiences allow me to see things from many points of view and I do a lot of listening.
When I am reffing in other school districts, I am always asking about, and listening for, interesting initiatives, or looking at displays to see what is happening in their schools.
Having worked within the schools as a teacher’s aide, substitute teacher, childcare worker for the alternate school, and as a volunteer, I know first hand some of difficulties and challenges that the staff in our schools face.
My biggest priority is not only keeping our schools open, but keeping them open while continuing to provide the great quality of education that we expect in our schools. I am not content to sit back and see what happens, or to hope everything works out. If we do, we’ll soon be back in the same place. – looking at school closures.
We need to be advocates for our own communities, while at the same time considering the interests of all the children in the district. We need to be proactive so when funding isn’t all we want it to be, we are prepared.
A second priority is developing a better relationship between the school board and our community. A lot of damage was done during the school closure process, and this wound has yet to be healed. I think there is much that can be done, and should be done, to ensure all our communities are better engaged and welcome allies in times of trouble.
