Next Saturday (Sept. 19) the District of North Vancouver holds a by-election for the vacant seat on the North Vancouver school board. The spot opened up after former school board chair and second-term trustee Jane Thornthwaite stepped down in June after winning a seat in Victoria as Liberal MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour.

The position is for the remainder of the three-year term that ends December 2011. Voting takes place Saturday, Sept. 19 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Balmoral, Blueridge, Capilano, Cleveland and Lynnmour schools and Lynn Valley or Parkgate centres. For more information, visit dnv.org.

Seven candidates stepped forward this summer and The Outlook asked them to respond to a questionnaire earlier last month.

Sheila Bouman

A former high school teacher, Sheila Bouman is returning to the school system as a candidate running for school board.

After helping creating a computer immersion program, university-high school student mentorship co-op program and a new teacher orientation program, Bouman went on to found a consulting and coaching firm based out of Vancouver.

“I now work with leaders and their people to design and implement changes,” Bouman says. “I would like to apply my teaching and my organizational consulting experience to help implement positive educational change in North Vancouver.”

Bouman’s key concern is the discontent experienced by certain students and parents.

‘”We need to work creatively with others to improve our educational system so that every child living in our community is realizing his or her greatest potential,” she said.

Bouman would also like to enhance the District Plan “to have a clearer focus and succinctly link student performance standards, assessment information, priorities and resources allocation.”

On the issue of maintaining and enhancing education services in the face of declining enrolments and tighter budgets, Bouman said collaboration and partnerships — between other schools and districts — will be key to solving the crisis.

Phone: 604-880-3824

Email: sbouman@navigo.ca

Website: www.sheilabouman.blogspot.com

Cyndi Gerlach

Cyndi Gerlach is making her second bid for a seat on school board after failing in the November 2008 civic elections.

A stay-at-home mom, Gerlach is hoping to translate her volunteer experience in the community and school district committees into a board seat.

“I feel that I have the experience needed to help shape the way we move forward and ensure that we keep the quality programs we have in place while expanding on new opportunities,” Gerlach said.

Declining enrolment is the biggest issue facing the district said Gerlach, and she said one way to combat that is by offering new programs to stem the flow of departing students.

“I would like to see us investigate the reason why our students are leaving, and then find specific solutions to create what is needed to keep them from leaving or to bring them back,” Gerlach said.

Special education, building maintenance and building use are also key issues she would like to tackle once on the board.

“We are grossly underfunded by the provincial government on the true costs of educating children with learning differences,” Gerlach said.

Phone: 604-987-6608 and 604-831-6608

Email: cyndigerlach@gmail.com

Website: cyndigerlach.com

John Harvey

John Harvey is hoping it’s third time lucky in his run for school board.

A long-time resident of the North Shore, Harvey said he’s running to give back to the community.

“My family has benefitted by living in this community due to the prior work and efforts by others in the past,” Harvey said. “I therefore would like to further contribute myself by running as a candidate.”

Harvey said the budget is the biggest issue facing school board, and how to deal with the ever challenging numbers.

“Being that there are many parties wanting a ‘piece of the pie,’ I do not think anyone can ensure quality education unless one has a satisfactory budget available,” Harvey said.

Class sizes and their composition is another issue, while Harvey is also concerned about the question of affordability in the community for new teachers.

Phone: 604-986-3025

Email: joharv@shore.ca

Website: n/a

Mark Heieis

After serving as a chair of the Balmoral Response Core Team in 2007 and 2009, Mark Heieis is turning to higher sights.

Saying that education as we know it is changing, Heieis is calling for “change by transforming our half-century-old school system into a school district that is as forward thinking, dynamic and flexible as the new economy.”

Heieis said that the district and school board need better communication with the community to succeed in moving the district 44 vision forward.

“Despite the many efforts to communicate the school district’s vision, the message is not getting out to the community,” he said. “The school district has much to be proud of and needs to take a more proactive stance in advocating its strengths and accomplishments.”

As for the issue of declining enrolment, Heieis called for the need to refocus.

Spending haphazardly on new programs isn’t the way, he said, adding it could eventually lead to less confidence in the school district and cause a further decline.

“The school district needs to decide what it can do really well and then focus on delivering programs that are of a calibre that will retain and attract students,” Heieis said.

Phone: n/a

Email: n/a

Website: mark4trustee.ca

Doreen MacKay-Dunn

Registered nurse Doreen MacKay-Dunn says the biggest issue facing the school district is the possibility of a H1N1 pandemic.

“Past budgets have cut maintenance and cleaning staff so that school washrooms are not always to standard,” said the school board by-election candidate. “Funds must be found to address this public health issue so that our schools do not become incubators for this disease.”

MacKay-Dunn, the wife of District of North Vancouver councillor Doug MacKay-Dunn, is also calling for some regional representation on the board. Saying there is no trustee from the Seymour area, MacKay-Dunn is concerned that area’s voice will not be heard during drastic changes to the district over the next term.

“As a long-time Seymour resident and Seycove parent, this concerns me,” she said.

MacKay-Dunn also called for better communication and disclosure with the community, particularly in the area of the district’s tight budget and declining enrolment.

“Although some efforts have been made to engage the community, little has be done, aside from highly structured Public Information meetings, to fully involve the larger community,” MacKay-Dunn said. “Each community has a stake and through meaningful community engagement, answers can and will be found to ensure a quality education for our children.”

Phone: n/a

Email: doreen@macdunn.ca

Website: macdunn.ca

Michael Sexsmith

Working at the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation developing environmentally-friendly fuel cell cars, Michael Sexsmith has had to solve his fair share of difficult problems.

“To accomplish this I have honed my collaboration, influencing and coaching skills,” Sexmith said.

Now he wants to take those skills and the desire to give back to the community, and run for school board.

“Personally, I have always felt the need to contribute back to the community that has made my life so wonderful, what better way to do that than helping the next generation reach their potential?” he said.

Sexsmith said funding is the biggest issue facing the school district and the board must be ready and willing to make some tough decisions.

“The Board of Education needs to make these tough decisions in a way that looks after the interests of the community as a whole without giving to the pressures of those lobbying to protect their individual interests,” he said.

Solving the enrolment decline, upgrading old schools, and figuring out what to do with extra school space are other issues Sexsmith would like to tackle if elected.

Phone: 778-552-6468

Email: mikesexsmith@telus.net

Website: mikesexsmith.ca

Cindy Silver

Cindy Silver is the only former school trustee seeking a return to the board table.

She’s citing her experience over the 2002-05 term as a key draw, particularly in these tough times.

“It’s important to have trustees who have experience,” Silver said. “I am running again because I enjoy working with others in developing solutions to serve the best interests of students and the community.”

A chief concern for Silver is the school district budget, particularly as the demographic changes, school facilities get older, enrolment declines and provincial funding changes.

“Creative solutions must be found and the onus is on the school board to initiate genuine consultation with parents, educators, and community partners,” Silver said.

Besides the keeping a leash on the budget, Silver said she will work towards continuing to develop programs to keep students in the district and attract back those who have left.

Besides her stint on school board, Silver is a lawyer and has served time on various parent advisory councils. She has also dabbled unsuccessfully in federal politics running to represent the Conservatives in North Vancouver.

Phone: 604-318-1222

Email: csilver@silverlaw.ca

Website: silverlaw.ca

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