Another local election cycle is upon us, and voters will recognize a name at the top of the ballot – I’m in the running to join the School Board. Click Here to read my platform.
Spending money is easy. Being sensitive to where the money is coming from is the important part.
Nearly half a billion dollars was spent on public education in Langley last year. This is up 35 per cent in the past five years. As population growth begins to steady in the Township of Langley it is important that capital investments are made carefully, including the allocation of staff.
Clearly, there is not more money to be spent, so the school district must look to creative new concepts to boost education, both in results and in student experience.
We need a realignment of values, and this begins at the family level. Many parents have taken a backseat in their children’s education, depending on the Province and District to carry the burden. We need to change these attitudes and find opportunities for parents to get involved, both at the classroom-level and beyond. Parent participation should be the rule, not the exception.
As well, there are roles for fellow students to be mentors and tutors, incorporated into instructional time, and brining post-secondary students into the schools year-round to assist in education, a compliment to the specialized role that SEAs serve.
Anecdotally, teenagers are leaving school unprepared for the world. While this is primarily the job of the parents to develop their children, a schooling system as well-funded as ours should be directing students better towards success. We have many great choice programs in the Langley school district but the school district should be active in creating more options.
Homeschooling is a great option for some families, and there are some private schools serving the community well, but within our public school system we also have some versatile programs that we should be further developing to entice students to be more engaged (U-Connect the best example).
I believe there is a better way and we can build this together.
