Osoyoos’ Marieze Tarr has dedicated much of her life to higher learning and education, so she was thrilled to be nominated and voted in as School District 53’s new chair of the board of trustees in December. Tarr, who has a Masters degree in science, says having open and transparent communication with teachers, students and parents is her number one goal as board chair over the current three-year term. Photo by Keith Lacey
As a woman with a history of excellence in academic pursuits, Marieze Tarr knows all about the power of learning and education.
That’s why she became a school board trustee 10 years ago and why she so gladly accepted the position as board chair of School District 53 when fellow trustees nominated her for the position, which she has held since Dec. 14.
“I’ve always had a passion for learning and education,” said Tarr, who has a Masters degree in science and spent several years of her life conducting sophisticated medical research on breast cancer in her native South Africa. “I’ve always been heavily involved in the schools where my kids attended and I didn’t hesitate to become a school trustee when a group of neighbours in Osoyoos asked me to consider running 10 years ago.
“My passion for education and learning has never stopped to this day and I’m passionate about children and their ability to learn. I’m always looking to keep up with the latest trends and technology and being a school board trustee has allowed me to continue to make a difference.”
Growing up in South Africa, Tarr excelled in school and earned her Masters degree in science at a very young age.
After working in medical science research, she met her husband Garnett, a well-known Osoyoos physician and surgeon, and they decided to move to Canada 21 years ago.
“We decided to move to Canada because of the political unrest going on in South Africa at the time and with the hope of providing a better and more stable life for our children,” she said.
They landed in the remote village of Redvers, Sask., in 1991, where her husband set up a medical practice.
“I was pregnant with my oldest son and I went from working full-time as a science researcher to staying at home and it was a giant shock to the system,” she said. “So I decided to start tutoring kids in math and science. I also started up my own licensed daycare and did that for three or four years.
“The seeds of working with children and helping them learn were sown during that time.”
The Tarr family moved to Osoyoos in 2000 and she decided to run for school board trustee two years later and has been a member of School District 53’s board ever since.
Being nominated and accepting the position as board chair has been a tremendous learning experience, she said.
“I’ve enjoyed it very much so far,” she said. “I’ve found it very challenging at times, but also very rewarding. I’ve been teaching a Roots of Empathy program at Cawstin Primary and the elementary school in Keremeos, so I’m very involved and it’s really helped me adapt to my position as board chair.
“I’m in the classroom dealing with children and watching teachers teach and seeing what problems teachers are facing and how teachers relate with their students and it has been extremely enjoyable. I see great things on a weekly basis.”
After four months as board chair, Tarr and the entire board have made a commitment to change the way it does business.
“I think my biggest challenge as board chair relates to our governance model,” she said. “This board has been accused in the past by many of not being overly transparent and I want to work to change that image.
“As a board, we’re focusing on having a new governance model in place by the next school year this fall that is completely transparent and open. We want parents and students to be able to come directly to the board and have their questions answered.”
All school boards like to highlight the success stories of teachers and students, but Tarr wants the current board to be able to discuss all key issues in an open, transparent and accountable way during her tenure.
“We want to let the public know about all the good things happening in our schools, but also let people know we’re willing to listen as well to maybe improve things that might not be working,” she said.
The provincial Ministry of Education has committed to “personalized learning” where every student can achieve his or her maximum potential and this is going to take innovative, progressive thinking by school board trustees and administration, said Tarr.
“Our goal must be to meet the challenges of all students,” she said. “We have students with special needs, exceptional and gifted students and those who fall in between and it’s our job to make sure all our students can be successful.”
Because of her work in district schools, Tarr said she feels comfortable dropping into any classroom and talking to students and teachers directly and hopes this hands-on approach will reap rewards with good ideas she can present to the board.
“I like to think I’m very approachable and out there a lot in our schools,” she said. “I want everyone in our education system to think they can come up and talk to me about any issue they might have with education at any time.”
With one daughter in high school in Osoyoos and two sons in university, Tarr said she is hoping her decade-long commitment to the local education system is going to continue for many years to come.
“I love being part of this,” she said.
The current board is a committed and dedicated group of people who care about learning and students, so Tarr is confident they will continue to make good decisions during her three-year term as board chair.
