Name Lisa Graham
Phone 604-540-8577
E-mail lisa_graham@shaw.ca
QUESTIONS (in 50 words or less unless specified)
Tell us about yourself. (100 words)
Lisa Graham, former school trustee/mother of two/community and special needs advocate. I have volunteered/served in many capacities: board member of an integrated daycare; 60th Anniversary D-Day/Juno Beach committee; City's Literacy-Now initiative, Social Issues Committee, Museum and Archives; Ministry of Children and Family Development forums, etc. For advocacy on behalf of children and families, I was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. As a twelve year school trustee, I've been liaison to most schools, school district programs and committees, worked on the Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement and Capital Projects, and also served on the BCSTA Scholarship Committee.
What are the top 3 issues facing the New Westminster school board?
Provincial under-funding of education is a historic reality and an on-going battle.
Portables on school grounds represent a 'capacity-issue'; it's a polite way of saying schools are over-crowded.
Communication -- the frequency, timeliness and distribution of important school-district information to the public needs to be improved.
What do you think this school board has done well? What have they done wrong?
Trustee Mary Lalji's brilliant initiative to include student trustees at the board table was particularly innovative and impressive.
Collaboration with City Hall needs improvement; Mayor and Council, and the Board of Education Trustees, should schedule more frequent joint-sessions to work on issues affecting both City and School Board mandates.
What is your position on the school district’s involvement in May Day?
I commiserate with expressions of frustration or disinterest but feel it is a mistake to denigrate the actual event. Existing problems are the fault of the Board: so that all schools are "on the same page", trustees need to adopt/implement district-wide curricula to revitalize this once proud tradition.
What three people would you invite to a dinner party? (alive or dead)
Clyde Hertzman: a passionate UBC visionary who pioneered 'Community-Mapping' of Early Development Indicators to promote successful outcomes for children.
Eleanor Roosevelt: an incredibly determined humanist: " 'I shall either find a way or make one.' "
Clara Hughes: a Canadian Summer and Winter Olympic medalist who champions mental health issues.
Editor's note: Candidates were given specific word count guidelines and were cut off if they went over the count.
