Why are you running?
I was raised and educated in North Vancouver. I have one child in the system and another who graduated from Seycove a few years ago. I truly believe that the next few years will determine the future of public education in North Vancouver and especially in Seymour. It was pointed out to me that parents in Seymour do not have a resident of their community advocating for them on the Board during a period of radical change, and as a long time Seymour resident and Seycove Parent, this concerned me.
My deep community roots, my advocacy experience, listening skills, and balanced approach to problem-solving are some of the reasons parents and concerned citizens asked me to put my name forward, but the main reason was community representation on the Board.
What is the single biggest issue facing the North Vancouver School District that you feel needs to be addressed around the board table? Why?
I am a R.N. the immediate issue facing the North Vancouver School District is the possibility of a H1N1 pandemic. Past budgets have cut maintenance and cleaning staff so that school washrooms are not always to standard. Furthermore, our children are not taking the most rudimentary and cost-effective preventative measure—the proper washing of hands. Funds must be found to address this public health issue so that our schools do not become incubators for this disease.
What are three other important issues you would like to see addressed at the board table? Why?
- A further shortfall of 3.2 million dollars is projected! The Board must have accurate and straightforward financial information. The actual cost of each program must be provided. The Board, working cooperatively with the community, can make the right decisions. If this information is not provided in an open and transparent fashion, I would ask for an independent review of the system so that fiascos such as the decision to cancel the Maplewood School lease and the elimination of Adult Education are not repeated. The suggestion that “On-Line education” is a reasonable alternative to Adult Education is nothing more than spin-doctoring.A fully informed and engaged community is key to sustainable solutions. Much more can be done to ensure that all citizens, including District Council, have full disclosure regarding the state of the school district’s challenges.
- We can save our public schools. Public schools were born in response to the educational needs of the community. District 44 was, only a few years ago, a “LIGHT HOUSE SCHOOL DISTRICT” and it can be again. Two things have to be done. We must advocate for local school taxation authority, and we have to replicate the Capilano model where the Pemberton Heights community demonstrated the value of grass roots community engagement.
- Cuts to the maintenance budget were wrong. Our schools have to be kept clean especially in light of the threatened pandemic. As a Registered Nurse with more than thirty years’ experience, I am very concerned that this has been ignored.
Declining enrolments and tighter budgets are threatening more and more school districts of late. What can the district do to ensure quality education in the face of these issues?
The primary function of the Board of Education is to ensure that schools are operated effectively and efficiently, within their approved budget. Decisions must be made through the prism of Effectiveness (Are we doing the right things?), Efficiency (Are we doing the right things right?) and Economy (Are we getting value for money?). These decisions must be community based because it is about the future of our children.
Although some efforts have been made to engage the community, little has been done, aside from highly structured Public Information meetings, to fully involve the larger community. The local community associations and the Federation of North Vancouver Community Associations were ignored in this process. Quality education is the key to future sustainability as it benefits each of us. Each community has a stake and through meaningful community engagement, answers can and will be found to ensure a quality education for our children.
Without sounding flippant, why not take an innovative approach and consider this more as a marketing problem. It is no secret that more and more parents are enrolling their children in private schools and in West Vancouver. Our public school system has much to be proud of—programs, staff, educators—and yet we do not market our most valued asset–our people! By focusing on our successes and on the quality of our educators, we will attract new customers (students), and retain the ones we have. If we succeed at “Recruitment and Retention”, our governmental revenue will increase and we will have sufficient funds to assure that our kids receive a quality education.
Please tell us a bit about your self (occupation, your community involvement, previous political experience).
I am a RN and have worked in the Downtown Eastside for the past 30 years, providing medical care to residents, many of whom come from the most disadvantaged levels in our society. I know the value of a good education tailored where necessary to meet the needs of students who do not thrive in the mainstream, and have seen the results where this has been lacking, especially among First Nations youth; sadly, I have treated young people from North Vancouver suffering from the scourge of addiction. Through my union (R.N.B.C.) I advocated for improvements to client care and member safety and received an award in recognition of my efforts.
Local Community Involvement:
I am a founding member of the Deep Cove Lions. I served as a member of the Seycove PAC for six years and was very active in the community action committee to save Seycove High school after the firing of 1993-96 Board of Education.
Although this is my first campaign as a candidate, I have been involved in several advocacy and political campaigns-the majority for local office.
My Contact information is as follows:
Email: doreen@macdunn.ca
Web Site: http://macdunn.ca
