Jane Husband is completing her second term as school trustee representing the Town of Sidney and is running to fill the seat for a second term.
“It has been an often daunting experience, particularly, this past year during budget deliberations,” she said. “It has been an honour to be in the company of (my) current fellow trustees who are truly dedicated to public education. We may not always look through the same window, which I believe is healthy, but the atmosphere has been respectful with regard to consensus of board decisions.
“I agree with (candidate) Tim Dunford when he stated he is ‘committed to respectful relationships with the various education groups, including teachers, administrators, CUPE staff and the Ministry of Education’.”
It is important that relationships be nurtured, Husband said. “My hope is that the upcoming board will approach all issues in a truly non-partisan manner, realizing that whatever government is in power, and whatever issues one may personally have with the current elected government, dialogue will be respectful and that elected trustees will abide by the oath that all trustees are required to take with regard to compliance with the school act.”
Husband said education is not the same as it was years ago, and that children are not the same. “Times are changing at an immeasurable pace,” she said.
“Keeping up with these changes will be costly, but much more costly if we don’t keep pace. We need teachers who are trained to deal with these changes and are willing to embrace the ‘new way of teaching/learning’. Another part of this is an urgent need for the Ministry of Education and school districts to be in close liaison with universities to ensure that student teachers are able to embrace and have the skills to teach in this changing environment. Inclusion is another area where new teachers have to have the expertise and dedication to teach these special and worthy kids.”
She said she “sticks to (her) guns” with regard to the oath. “I do pick my battles, but don’t go to war. I continue to be concerned about reliance on funds garnered from international students and will find it interesting to see how government’s plan to increase the number by 50 per cent over the next three years plays out.
“I continue to support and advocate for our young teachers who are ‘on hold’ regarding classroom experience, due in part to retired teachers being recruited for teacher on call duties,” said Husband.