The outgoing chair of the New Westminster DPAC has joined the New West Progressives slate for this fall's civic election.
Kathleen Carlsen, who’s finishing up four years as the chair of the district parent advisory council, will be on the ballot Oct. 15 with the NWP.
Carlsen has been a DPAC executive member for five years, the last four as its chair. She has also served as PAC chair at two schools, F.W. Howay Elementary School and Glenbrook Middle School, and is the former DPAC rep for Richard McBride Elementary School (now Skwo:wech).
She has also volunteered with local minor sports and has worked with the City of New Westminster’s parks and recreation department for 30 years — where many will know her as “Miss Kathleen,” who has taught dance and movement to children ranging in age from 12 months to 20+ years old.
With her son now finishing middle school, Carlsen said she’s ready to take her voice to the board level.
“My agenda is to listen to what the parents want, listen to what the students want, and that may change year to year, but to really advocate for those that are in the school district right now,” she said.
Carlsen said her top priority is student safety — on many different levels.
She’s happy the district has created the Wellness Centre at New Westminster Secondary School and that it has continued to add counsellors. But she wants to see a change to the provincial requirements for counsellor-to-student ratios so New West — and all other school districts — would have more mental health supports available.
She also wants to see an improved relationship between the school board and local police in the wake of the board’s decision to remove child and youth liaison officers from schools last year.
“Summarily severing that relationship without an adequate plan to address the problem of safety was not the proper decision — one that was made in opposition to 83 per cent of parents who responded to the New Westminster school district survey,” she said. “I plan to work to improve this relationship for the safety of our students.”
Carlsen said she’d also like to focus on the need for more land and schools in the district.
“I would like to see more push for building schools for growth,” she said. “It needs to be continued to be pushed, not to say it once and get an answer. It needs to be continually advocated for.”
Above all, Carlsen said, she wants to serve as a voice for students and parents in the district.
“I really feel that families want to be listened to and understood,” she said.
New West Progressives mayoral candidate Ken Armstrong said he's excited to have Carlsen on the team.
“For so many years, she has volunteered her time to advocate for our students as a representative of the PACs and DPAC," he said. "She has her finger on the pulse of what is important to students and parents. Kathleen would be a tremendous asset to our school board as a trustee.”
So far, the Progressives have announced two other trustee candidates: incumbent Danielle Connelly and newcomer Teo Dobre.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca.
