Want to be a School Board Trustee?
On June 9, 2010 the Board will be holding a special information session for people considering the idea of becoming a school board trustee. It will held at the Education Centre in Seaforth at 7:30 PM. Anyone with even the faintest interest in the position is welcome to attend and learn more. For more information and to register please call 1-800-592-5437 ext 106. To gain a better understanding of the Avon Maitland District School Board, we invite you to take a 3 minutes break and view the video located at the bottom of this page.
Veteran Trustee Meg Westley has decided she will not seek re-election in the fall after serving for the past 10 years. The following story, by Trustee Westley to provide some perspective to what being a school board trustee is all about.
by Meg Westley
By next December, there will be a new board of trustees for Avon Maitland. I am in my tenth year as trustee, and although I've enjoyed serving on the board immensely, I will not be running for re-election in the fall. While not all current trustees have yet declared their intentions, chances are good that there will be several new trustees, so it’s worth thinking about who will fill the positions.
I encourage anyone with a serious interest in education, and time to commit to the position, to think about running. Serving on the board has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Yes, it takes a lot of time, but it's time well-spent. Meetings run efficiently, the issues and challenges are complex and absorbing, and you learn an enormous amount about education, children's learning styles and new strategies for helping them achieve. The people who work in education at all levels are exceptional. Over the past ten years I have had the good fortune to work with intelligent, caring, focused people.
Ultimately, it's the cause that makes serving as trustee worthwhile. Public education is the cornerstone of our society. Children spend more time in school than anywhere else and teachers have a profound impact on their lives. Our public schools welcome children of every religion, culture, ethnicity and capability. Diversity is the norm. The Avon Maitland District School Board's mission, to cultivate potential, is not taken lightly. We believe every child can learn and the role of trustee is to ensure that teachers have the resources and supports they need to make certain every child does learn.
A board is only as strong as its members. I've been lucky to serve with ethical, committed individuals who care deeply about children and are not afraid to argue their points. Debate is often lively, always respectful. The work of the trustees has made a difference in the lives of children in our district.
Elsewhere, trustees have not always been so lucky. Due to lack of interest, some individuals who care little about education are acclaimed to the position. In other cases, an individual who only cares about his or her own school or a narrow issue is elected. Such a trustee may then bring the broader business of the board to a halt by insisting on endless debate about his or her own issues. Many boards become dysfunctional and the students suffer.
It matters who your trustees are. If you feel strongly about education, enjoy challenges and want to impact the future, consider putting your name forward. If you know people you think might make strong trustees, encourage them to run. On June 9, 2010 the AMDSB will be holding an information session for people considering the idea, at the Education Centre in Seaforth at 7:30 PM. Anyone with even the faintest interest in the position is welcome to attend and learn more.
Come October, I encourage you all to vote, and to take the time to learn about the candidates. Those elected as trustees will influence not just your children but the future of our society.
I will miss the people, the challenges and the contact I have had with so many of you in the community. It has been a pleasure and an honour to represent you at the board table.
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I would suggest that any other trustees that are not seeking re-election like Meg Westley should not have been allowed to take part in the ARC process. If these current trustees are not going to be a part of the process down the road they should not have been allowed to act on our behalf making such drastic decisions. The newly elected trustees this fall should have had this ARC process to deal with. This is why your ARC process is flawed and is not benefiting anyone in the AMDSB. I hope Meg Westley and the other trustees that have decided not to seek re-election can live with the decision they have made because it won't affect her (them) but definitely impacts us, the parents & students of Brussels Public School.
It is hard to believe that 3 1/2 years ago we were the newly elected trustees. It seems longer ago that we came on the board, but we agreed to act as trustees for a four-year term. That's what we were elected to do by our communities. While we might just sit back and not do anything until the next board is put in place, as the trustees of the AMDSB, it is important that we all do the job we were elected to do. The accommodation review was our work to do. The outcome of an accommodation review has an impact on all areas of the board at some level - therefore it is important that all trustees state their case and cast a vote. The trustees do not take that responsibility lightly and they are very aware that their decisions will have impacts lasting beyond their tenure as trustees. This situation is no different than decisions made by any elected officials.
Jenny Versteeg
Trustee North Perth
Chair AMDSB