New faces offer a fresh take on school issues

A community volunteer who works with KidSport, the Rotary youth program and New West Pride is running for a seat on the New Westminster school board.
Jeremy Perry says it was his volunteering with Rotary and encouragement from others that prompted him to throw his hat in the ring in this year’s civic election.
“I think as a whole our district is quite behind in our embracement of modern technology,” Perry, an employee benefits consultant, told The Record, explaining some of the changes he’d like to see in the school district.
Perry opted against seeking an endorsement from the New Westminster and District Labour Council, a union group that supports labour-friendly candidates.
“I worry about the perception in New Westminster – that people feel there is a special interest group, mainly the District Labour Council, that pulls the strings in votes,” he said. “I understand from candidates who are endorsed by them that that’s not the case, and they are not influenced on how they vote on matters, however, I have noticed that the public perception seems to be that.”
Perry would rather avoid dealing with that perception, he said.
“I want to make sure that I always feel comfortable making the best decisions for students in our district,” he added.
Candidate and École Glenbrook Middle School father Glen Armstrong, who works as a vice-principal at a private school in Richmond, says he wants to “broaden the definition of school success and ensure that we are providing students with the education they need for their long-term success.”
Victoria Hill resident Cort Ray Caldwell is also seeking a seat on school board. He works as a new media consultant, as well as a member of a team providing security, backup and classroom management software, according to his website, votecort.ca.
“Imagine a local government that included school trustees not mired in the dysfunction of the past,” Caldwell’s webpage says. “Imagine a faithfully independent trustee, who will stand up for the community values we must cherish and maintain for the children.”
Kelly Slade-Kerr, one of the founders of an ad-hoc parent group that formed earlier this year to stir up interest and bring some fresh faces to the school board, said she wants to “revitalize and modernize” the school board.
“I want to make our school district a key reason why we are proud to live in New West,” Slade-Kerr, an employment lawyer, wrote in a media release.
Board of education chair Jonina Campbell praised Slade-Kerr, who, along with incumbents Campbell, James Janzen and Michael Ewen, received the endorsement of the unions through the New Westminster and District Labour Council.
“These have been a few challenging years, but I really feel 2014 is a year when we have begun to turn things around,” Campbell told The Record last month, citing the building of two new schools, a new board office and the efforts of the board and the superintendent to work with the Ministry of Education on the district’s finances.
Janzen confirmed he would seek re-election with a goal to make sure that even in tough times vulnerable students are supported. Ewen is the longest-serving sitting trustee in the province with more than 35 years on school board.
“I don’t feel the need to run forever, I just want to see who’s running. I want to make sure that we have a good, progressive group of people that are going to run,” an undecided Ewen said before he filed his nomination papers last week.
Lord Kelvin Elementary parent Mark Gifford, who attended Connaught Heights Elementary as a child, also has the endorsement of the New Westminster and District Labour Council in the race.
“I want to help build more inclusive, engaged, and high-performing schools,” said Gifford, who works for the Vancouver Foundation, in a press release.
Incumbents trustees Casey Cook and MaryAnn Mortensen are also seeking re-election. This time around, the number 1 issue for the school board, according to Cook, is to build public trust.
Mortensen agreed, saying, “We have to find a way of positioning ourselves so the public trusts that we are doing our very best work for our students.”
Cook and Mortensen aren’t running under the Voice New Westminster slate this time around.
Voice, which sought to be an alternative to the labour-endorsed candidates in civic elections, is “reconstituting,” Cook said.
“There are no Voice candidates,” he said, adding that the Voice group did what it set out to do several years ago, which was to provide voters an alternative to the labour-endorsed candidates.
Trustees Lisa Graham and David Phelan are not seeking re-election.
Meanwhile, Vancouver realtor Rajiva Pandey is running for New Westminster’s school board.
He was encouraged to run by members of his community church.
Members suggested he run to represent the South Asian community on school board, he said.
“We wanted to try for New West because we have a huge community (living in the city),” he said.
Candidates James Pepa, a local Connaught father, and resident Jim Bell could not be reached for comment at press time on their bid for another run at school board. Trustees earn an annual stipend of $21,500 to $23,800 and will serve a four-year term.