Physical accessibility is one part of equitable access to education. Self-determination and access to proper accommodations is also a part of accessibility. This is an area in which I have alot of experience and knowledge. I will increase accessibility by building relationships, capacity and infrastructure to deliver truly equitable educational programming to students with disabilities, neurodivergent students, and complex learners.

I will also help with Identifying current gaps in staffing and our service delivery to designated & not yet designated students in order to problem solve effective long term solutions.

Recent Immigrants, refugees & undocumented immigrants all still have rights within our systems. We are a growing community with a wonderful influx of diversity and we have a responsibility to make sure we are supporting new families by providing them all the information they need to navigate the school system and to know what their rights are in this new environment. Working closely with stakeholders, we need to make sure what we have in place now is adequate for the growing needs and see where we may improve.

Recent Immigrants, refugees & undocumented immigrants all still have rights within our systems. We are a growing community with a wonderful influx of diversity and we have a responsibility to make sure we are supporting new families by providing them all the information they need to navigate the school system and to know what their rights are in this new environment. Working closely with stakeholders, we need to make sure what we have in place now is adequate for the growing needs and see where we may improve.

As I've said before-Access for all... ALL means ALL. I am proud that this province is dedicated and recommitted to SOGI, making our schools a much safer place for all. I am committed to upholding these rights and I will bring a lens of equity to the role of Trustee so that we make sure our policies and procedures are anti-oppressive.

I will make sure that we are using our budget in innovative ways so that staff are well supported and students are given equitable access to be successful.

I have found that when we open the doors on engagement, we end up with more collaboration, learning and mutual trust. I will work to make sure the way in which we engage the public as barrier free as possible.

I will make sure we are listening and acknowledging the lived experience of our youth. That we use that knowledge to make sure we are going in the right direction. Getting creative in how we do that, and making sure we capture a diversity of voices with good representation is imperative.

Mental health effects all of us. Some more than others and for different reasons. Sometimes mental health is a symptom of a situation that is caused by societal pressures, sometimes it's a misdiagnosis, or not diagnosed at all and thus not having enough information to support. There are many different facets and a one size fits all approach is not possible. I will bring my experience and knowledge to the table to collaborate on solutions with staff and stakeholder to tackle these complexities.

If we are to move forward in a non harmful way, we must recognize and acknowledge our past and the trauma that many have suffered at the hands of law enforcement, especially those in racialized and disabled communities. I feel that we need to reimagine how we make connections with law enforcement in the school and wider community. How this would look going forward would need to be made collaboratively, that would include the student voices most effected by police in schools.

I see the connection between students who have had success in school to success in their adult life. We still have too many students falling through the cracks. I see the potential consequences of not catching them before that happens. I am committed to addressing any deficiencies in lack of service delivery and making sure we are doing everything in our power to work with staff, families, students and organizations to make sure we have proper wrap around supports for all those who need it.

Language is culture. Making sure Indigenous Languages continue to be rekindled and spread so that they no longer have the chance of being lost to history is critical work.

As PAC president of Nanaimo Learning Alternatives, it has been my great honour to see the students in these programs flourish because of the caring staff and leadership making sure it is rooted in Indigenous Culture and Teachings. I will do everything in my power to make sure that we continue to remove the colonialist trappings of control and continue to support and give back power to First Nations so that they may choose what works best for them.

The history of this province is one of bright innovation, but also lots of darkness. We need to acknowledge the truth of the past so that we can work together for a brighter future. Change is good and learning and growing is the foundation of our education system.

Some folks would like to believe that was far in the distant past. It was not. We need to learn as much as we can about the system that allowed this to take place in the first place. Our public school system was created with these same colonialist ideals that are still oppressive today. I aim to support the learning of Residential schools in a culturally safe way in our school systems. I would also make sure that the proper teaching resources are there for staff and that it is done in a way that does not create more harm.

Bigotry, bullying, exclusion are all tools of oppression. We cannot move forward as a society if we don't address how our systems continue to uphold bigotry. I want to see more action taken in teaching children human rights for all starting in Kindergarten, and how when we act in a bigoted way we are discriminating against another person's right to dignity and respect. We also need more campaigns on what human rights mean for the individual and society as a whole.

As PAC president of Nanaimo Learning Alternatives, it has been my great honour to see the students in these programs flourish because of the caring staff and leadership making sure it is rooted in Indigenous Culture and Teachings. I will do everything in my power to make sure that we continue to remove the colonialist trappings of control and continue to support and give back power to First Nations so that they may choose what works best for them.

As a district we need to do all that we can to teach our students a deeper understanding of the media we are interfacing with; the who, what, where, when and why...and the pitfalls and strengths. We must encourage critical thinking and I think the district can play a role in not just educating our students, but our community.

I have worked in this sector for a long time and with my own personal experiences as a neurodivergent person, I can bring a new perspective and representation to the School Board table. I also want to address the extra challenges of intersectionality and make sure that we are working with that lens.

Physical accessibility is one part of equitable access to education. Self-determination and access to proper accommodations is also a part of accessibility. This is an area in which I have alot of experience and knowledge. I will increase accessibility by building relationships, capacity and infrastructure to deliver truly equitable educational programming to students with disabilities, neurodivergent students, and complex learners.

I will also help with Identifying current gaps in staffing and our service delivery to designated & not yet designated students in order to problem solve effective long term solutions.

If we are to move forward in a non harmful way, we must recognize and acknowledge our past and the trauma that many have suffered at the hands of law enforcement, especially those in racialized and disabled communities. I feel that we need to reimagine how we make connections with law enforcement in the school and wider community. How this would look going forward would need to be made collaboratively, that would include the student voices most effected by police in schools.

For folks who would like to get their child vaccinated, we need to make this as accessible as possible. NFLD has the highest vaccination rate for covid amongst students and it is in large part because the vaccination clinics were held in the schools. Noone was pressured to get a vaccination, but it does help enormously for families who have a hard time getting their child into appts. Vaccinations are well supported by science. I do believe in bodily autonomy though and it is a person's right to choose what they do with their body, it must be acknowledged that they are not protected against certain diseases and are taking their safety into their own hands.

I will make sure we are listening and acknowledging the lived experience of our youth. That we use that knowledge to make sure we are going in the right direction. Getting creative in how we do that, and making sure we capture a diversity of voices with good representation is imperative.

I want to build relationships with childcare providers, Vancouver Island University programs and other stakeholders to help build capacity and expand inclusive, accessible childcare across the district. The system we currently have is restricted in the number of children with disabilities we allow in these spaces. I will work hard to address the factors that allow for that to still happen...and make sure future plans factor that in.

Many rural areas still don't have sidewalks or proper crosswalks to their schools. We need better bussing services, whether that's public or school district. We need to increase collaboration with towns and RDN to expand what is there in a way that helps families most achieve these goals, including snow removal and lighting. This can also make it more accessible for those with mobility challenges.