Hi, I'm Emily!
My personal philosophy is that every person has the power to create positive change, and I live by that; my work and volunteer contributions are always aligned with my values. I would be honoured to represent our community as school board trustee for School District 42.
Why I'm Running
Being a school board trustee is not a “glamorous” position. It involves a lot of meetings and consultations, policy work, budgets, strategic planning and oversight, and new ideas can take a long time to implement. However, it is a role that has the ability to create meaningful impact on the lives of students. I care deeply about education, and I want to see every young person in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows graduate from high school. While our current graduation rates are incredible and above the provincial average, we always have room for improvement. When a student does not graduate, I think that is our collective shortcoming, not their individual failure, and I want to find out what we could have done differently to help them with that achievement.
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I am running for school board trustee because I believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed, and I want to be part of making that possible for students in our community.
What's Important To Me
Literacy and Numeracy
The School Growth Plans show that while many students are meeting expectations in literacy and numeracy, there are still significant gaps. These gaps can have a lasting impact on a student's ability to succeed across subjects and eventually graduate. I think it's important that we continue to identify these challenges early and use data to understand what is working and where we need to do better. As a Board, we have a responsibility to ensure students have the foundational skills and support they need to succeed.
Support for Diverse Learners
Every student deserves to feel that they belong at school and that their learning needs are understood and supported. Students learn in different ways, and I believe teachers need the training, resources, and support to create classrooms where all students can participate and thrive. As a trustee, I want to advocate for the programs, staffing, and resources that help remove barriers for diverse learners and allow teachers to support the students in their classrooms.
Facilities and Overcrowding
Our district is experiencing significant enrolment growth while also managing aging and seismically vulnerable school buildings. The Board is already using enrolment projections and working with the Cities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows to anticipate where growth will occur and plan for future school capacity. I believe this needs to remain a strategic priority for the Board so that our schools can keep pace with our growing communities and we can plan proactively for the future.
Contact
If you have any questions about my experience or motivation for being a trustee, please don't hesitate to reach out.