Nicole Brown, Sheelah Donahue and Pieter Dorsman are set to join incumbents Carolyn Broady and Dave Stevenson on the new West Vancouver school board.
Former parent advisory committee chairwoman Brown received the highest total among nonincumbents, finishing second in total votes to Broady.
Brown and Donahue both prioritized classroom support and well-trained teachers during the election campaign. "You can have all the computers in the classroom you want but it's not going to be authentic learning. .. if the teachers don't have the support to bring it into the classroom," Brown said.
Dorsman distinguished himself during an all-candidates debate by suggesting a royal commission could help remove politics from education and repair relations between the provincial government and the BCTF. "As a Dutchman, I'm from a country where we build consensus," he said.
SD45's outgoing trustees leave their mark
Three West Vancouver trustees are counting down to their last day of school board after they each opted not to seek another term in Saturday's election.
Two members of the departing trio of trustees are stepping off the board and into the sunset - but outgoing trustee Reema Faris is walking away to leave a greater mark on education in B.C. Faris is building support through her blog and social media to form an education commission the province can't ignore. "Despite some very vocal and vociferous advocacy from trustees, the government has basically directed education according to their terms," she said.
During the last dozen years the provincial government has frequently been deaf to public sentiment, according to Faris. "In the last provincial election. .. education had one question during the leader's debate, and yet it's the second largest pot of the provincial budget."
Part of B.C.'s problem with education is that the public is often caught between "two warring factions," according to Faris, referring to the provincial government and the B.C. Teachers' Federation.
Serving on the school board amid the strike was frustrating, according to Faris, who cited the government's decision to offer $40 daily stipends to parents while schools were closed - a decision made without any consultation with trustees. "The job action very definitely put this problem that we have in sharp focus," she said.
Her first stop is the Kootenays where she'll workshop the idea of the commission. The former trustee's ultimate ambition is to spearhead an education summit in April 2017, "and use that to influence the campaigning that will be in the May 2017 provincial election."
Faris said her aim isn't ideological and she doesn't oppose or support the provincial government. "I just want them to talk about education in a full, frank, comprehensive manner," she said. "At the end of the day I may be alone, but I'm going to try."
Trustees Jane Kellett and Cindy Dekker are also each calling it a career after serving 12 and nine years, respectively.
The board will be well served with three new trustees, according to Dekker. "I think it's time for new blood," she said. "Every good organization should have succession and renewal always in the back of their mind."
This is an optimal time to be a trustee, according to Dekker. "We have labour peace for five years with all our unions. All our important agreements are signed for the next five to 10 years," she said.
The school district signed the Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement earlier this year, which aims to improve academic opportunities for First Nations students.
The board should be in good hands, according to Kellett, who called on the next batch of trustees to encourage innovation in schools. Asked about her decision not to run again, Kellett replied: "Time to move on. My golf game needs help.
West Vancouver school district's 2014 election results:
Carolyn Broady – 5147
Nicole Brown – 4656
Dave Stevenson – 3940
Sheelah Donahue – 3562
Pieter Dorsman – 3068
Non-elected candidates
Jim Boyd – 2810
Irene Leschert – 2416
Rob Inman – 2007
