New Westminster school trustee Dee Beattie is back in the race for re-election.
Beattie announced this week that she's seeking the nomination to run for school board with the newly formed Community First civic party.
"Together we have made so much progress increasing child-care spaces for families and improving quality for every student," she said in a press release. "Students and families need us to keep up that focus."
Beattie has served as vice-chair of the school board for two years and represented School District 40 at the B.C. Public School Employers' Association and B.C. Association of School Trustees since her first election to the board in 2018.
With 25 years' experience as an educational assistant, Beattie says she sees a clear line between leadership decisions and how they impact students.
"At the end of the day, it's about students in classrooms and the people who are working with them — do they have the time they need to make connections, build strong relationships?" she said.
As a foster parent and former Orton Gilllingham tutor, Beattie is passionate about the needs of students who can be under-served.
"Some students are quiet, but they may have a lot of needs," she said. "We need to look out for them."
Community First will be choosing its slate of candidates for the Oct. 15 civic election at a nomination meeting tonight (Wednesday, May 18).
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
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