Dear Editor:
As the civic election draws near, we appreciate your coverage of the candidates, particularly those new people that we don't know much about.
We also note that the school board tends to become an afterthought, with the focus on mayor and council. Please recall the recent teachers' strike - this affected everybody - not just parents.
So, with a new long-term agreement, and a new superintendent (and reports are his fresh ideas are being well received) perhaps it is time for some new faces on school board.
I believe our board has become one-dimensional, with the preponderance of teachers meaning a limited skill set is brought to solving the many problems facing our board. In this regard, we note the legal background of Kelly Slade-Kerr and hope to hear more of her positions on various issues.
We might ask, for example, why New Westminster needs seven members on the board?
Consider Burnaby, which has more than three times the budget, and three times the number of students but only the same number of board members. Is there a saving here that could go into the classroom? I don't have the answer, but maybe some of the candidates do.
Chris Dumfries, New Westminster
