Nominations close today (September 8) in the race to see who will take the nine trustee seats in the Vancouver School Board (VSB) by-election.
By my count there are 17 candidates so far vying for the spots to serve a one-year term — until the October 2018 elections.
I know a thing or two about running for school board after running successfully in three elections and serving eight years as a trustee. I know most of the candidates in the race this time, but not all of them. Here’s my totally biased rundown on what I’m seeing so far, in alphabetical order.
The candidates
Joy Alexander (Vision Vancouver). First elected in 2014, when she got the second highest number of votes despite being her first run for public office, Alexander is an experienced educator and psychologist with a depth of knowledge about how students learn and what they need to succeed. I had the pleasure of serving with Joy for two years and learned a great deal from her and appreciated her expertise and advice on complex education issues. She is analytical and can quickly get to the heart of an issue and consistently puts students first when it comes to setting priorities.
Fraser Ballantyne (Non-Partisan Association). This will be Ballantyne’s third run for the board after being elected in 2011, when he squeaked in at ninth place and again in 2014. Ballantyne has a reputation for being hot tempered at the board table and once shouted “shut up” at a public board meeting. He ran on a pledge to stop school closures in 2014 yet frequently criticized Vision trustees for not closing schools. He served as chair for five months. I’m trying to think of a cause he championed or an idea he brought to the table, but as far as I recall his sole cause had to do with how many metres marijuana dispensaries could be from schools.
Carrie Bercic (One City). Bercic is a long-time public education advocate who has a better attendance record at public VSB meetings than some trustees did. She knows the issues well and she’s well known in the district. Bercic called the firing of the previous board “the most shocking thing” she’d seen in 18 years as a public education advocate. She’s been involved in a group that advocates for school libraries along with other parent groups. I’ve known Carrie for several years and I believe she’d make a strong school trustee who could work across party lines and who would put students at the forefront of her decision making.
Ken Clement (Vision Vancouver). The first time I ran for the VSB (2008) I was lucky to run alongside Clement. He was elected twice — in 2008 and 2011 — and came tenth in 2014, just missing a seat on the board. As the first Aboriginal candidate to be elected in Vancouver, Clement worked to improve opportunities and outcomes for Aboriginal students. He played a key role in establishing the district’s Aboriginal Focus School and graduation rates for Aboriginal students steadily improved with Clement’s leadership. He also chaired the VSB committee that developed and steered the district’s progressive, ground-breaking sexual orientation and gender identity policy revisions in 2014 that drew international media coverage. A member of the Ktunaxa First Nation and a residential school survivor, Clement’s leadership and commitment to social justice are much needed as the VSB fulfills its commitment to Reconciliation and equitable learning opportunities for all students.
Diana Day (COPE). Day is COPE’s sole by-election candidate — which is surprising given COPE’s historical commitment to public education and the VSB. I was inspired to run the first time after seeing what a difference COPE trustees’ advocacy made for students. I’ve known and liked Day for almost a decade. She’s served on the executive of the district parent advisory council and has a solid record in community and social work. The COPE website describes her as “an Indigenous First Nations from the Oneida Nation, one of the members of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy” and says she’s passionate about social justice issues for all students in the VSB, and in particular advocates for successful culturally safe learning environments for vulnerable youth.
Lisa Dominato (Non-Partisan Association). I’ve never met this newcomer to the NPA slate and I don’t know much about her at all at this point. I hope we get to know more about her as the campaign gets underway.
Janet Fraser (Vancouver Green Party). Fraser was elected to the board in 2014 as its sole Green trustee, along with an evenly split board between Vision and the NPA, which each held four seats. She drew criticism from Green-party supporters for running on a progressive platform that mostly aligned with Vision’s, but then casting the deciding vote for NPA trustees to chair the board. She subsequently cast the deciding vote to turn the chair over to Vision’s Mike Lombardi in late 2015 and supported Vision’s decision to refuse to approve the 2016/17 budget cuts that led to the board’s firing last year. Fraser served as vice chair for her two years on the board. Despite our occasional differences, I found Fraser to be hard working, intelligent, principled and focused on making the right decisions for students.
Estrillita Gonzalez (Vancouver Green Party). I don’t know this new candidate and don’t recall seeing her at any VSB events or meetings, but the party website says she’s a health and wellness consultant who was “born and raised in Metro Vancouver and has resided in Vancouver since 1992. She has a BBA in Human Resources Management and is a small business owner, author, speaker, and mother to an energetic and talented teenage boy. Gonzalez has had a senior management and consulting career (HR/Marketing) in Canada and Asia. In 2012, she launched Derma Bright Clinic, a wellness centre and medispa based on her health and wellness values. As a Wellbeing speaker and writer, she passionately shares ideas on ways to detoxify your life. She is a volunteer with the CHILD Foundation, Eric Hamber Secondary’s Studio Co-Treasurer and was a VANOC NOC Assistant in 2010.”
Jamie Lee Hamilton (Independent Democratic Electors Alliance). Hamilton is the only candidate that I know of who has a Wikipedia page, Hamilton’s been a presence at park board meetings for years but I don’t recall seeing her at any VSB functions and I didn’t know she was interested in school board issues. She ran for park board in 2014, 2011, 2008 and city council in 2005. Fittingly described by the George Straight as a “well-known political gadfly,” Hamilton has a strong — although at times controversial — record as a community activist and advocate for the rights and safety of sex workers. I’ve known Hamilton for a few years, although not very well. I admire her determination and outspoken nature (takes one to know — and appreciate — one, perhaps) and her relentless devotion to Vancouver’s political scene.
Erica Jaaf (One City). I don’t know this first-time candidate but the One City site has this to say: “Jaaf is a life-long social justice advocate and fighter for public education, and a coalition builder with a keen eye for detail. As a Vancouver School Board Trustee, Erica will work together with trustees and staff to cultivate neighbourhood public schools that are safe, inclusive, and meet the learning needs of all Vancouver children and families. She first decided to join her Parent Advisory Council (PAC) as a way to connect with her children’s school life and quickly became dismayed by the inadequacy of funding available to Vancouver schools. Watching parents fundraise for everything from textbooks, to essential supplies, to even the very basics like breakfasts and food for students to take home over the weekend moved her to deepen her fight for well-funded public education.”
Theodora Lamb (Vision Vancouver). Lamb is new to the Vision slate but brings board experience from VanCity and years of community organizing and advocacy experience. With a young son just starting in childcare, Lamb brings renewal to the Vision team and hopes to work collaboratively with the board, staff and VSB stakeholders to ensure all students have access to high-quality educational opportunities in all parts of the city. I met Theo about nine years ago and I’m happy she’s running for the board — she’ll bring energy, passion and intelligence to the job.
Mike Lombardi (Vision Vancouver). Lombardi and I go way back and were elected together in 2008, 2011 and 2014. He was the chair of the board when it was fired for failing to pass a balanced budget in 2016. A former teacher, Lombardi is one of the most passionate public education advocates I’ve met, and goodness knows I’ve met a few. He was vice chair for some of the years I chaired the VSB and I appreciated his energy, easy-going nature and deep knowledge of the complexities of governing a complex school district. Mike championed successful initiatives including the VSB’s early mandarin bilingual program and creating B.C.’s first student trustee position.
Jorge Julian Prieto (NPA). I haven’t heard of Prieto before but he’s set up a Facebook page that says he’s worked on multiple local and provincial campaigns and has a “vast knowledge” of Vancouver's school system as a [sic] English teacher.” It also says “He obtained his M.Sc in mathematics from Oxford. Julian, as many of his friends call him, served in the Governing Council of the University of Toronto. He speaks Mandarin, French and Spanish and works as a teacher in University Canada West.” I found another page that appears to be his asking “Why not improve services for children with special needs and for the gifted? Widen language programs to reflect our diversity?”
Rob McDowell (NPA). After an unsuccessful run with the NPA for a city council seat in 2014, McDowell is a newcomer to the NPA school board slate. I’ve met him a few times and he always struck me as a pretty decent and intelligent guy, although I’ve never seen him at any VSB meetings or events and didn’t know he was interested in school board issues. I’m interested to hear why he decided to switch over to the school board. His experience as a diplomat and strong support for arts and culture, along with his not-for-profit work, could be useful at the VSB and he’d provide a nice contrast to the notoriously undiplomatic style of slate-mate Ballantyne.
Christopher Richardson (NPA) – It seems that no matter where you go in Vancouver, there’s friendly Richardson. He’s often wearing his Vancouver policy auxiliary uniform while he directs traffic during events but he’s also served on the Vancouver park board and was elected to the VSB in 2014. He served as board chair for six months before tearfully resigning “for the good of the board.” He often speaks glowingly about private schools, and in particular the expensive Fraser Academy on Vancouver’s West Side. I don’t recall any programs or initiatives Richardson brought or advocated for at the board but I welcome suggestions from readers if I missed something.
Allan Wong (Vision Vancouver). Wong was the longest-serving trustee on the fired board, after getting elected in 1999 and every election since. Wong was one the trustees who inspired me to run myself. I admired his principled and ethical approach to governance and his commitment to social justice and an equitable and accessible public education system. Wong chaired the VSB’s facilities and planning commitment for many years and was instrumental in securing hundreds of millions of dollars in provincial funding for seismic upgrades and new school construction, including projects like Kitsilano Secondary, University Hill Secondary, Norma Rose Point, Strathcona Elementary, Queen Mary, Jules Quesnel, Sexsmith, Douglas, L’Ecole Bilingue, Gordon and more.
Judy Zaichkowsky (Vancouver Green Party). Another newcomer whom I don’t know — not that there’s anything wrong with that. The Green party website says she was born and raised in Vancouver and went to Carleton Elementary and Killarney Secondary. She did a home economics degree at UBC and taught at Hamber and Templeton. She’s a marketing professor at SFU an has a masters degree in consumer studies. “Her main interests in the Vancouver School Board are around the principles of health, safety, social interaction, maximum intelligence stimulation and achievement for pupils and teachers alike.” I don’t really know what “maximum intelligence stimulation” means but the term makes me a little leery. I’m looking forward to learning more about this candidate.
Did I miss anyone? Drop me a line at [email protected].