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Putting Students First...vote today


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#1 martini

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Posted 14 November 2008 - 09:01 PM

Crickets were chirping in the School Board thread, so I'd like to see a possible dialogue before tomorrow's election.

Aside from supporting Dave Pitre, Michael McEvoy, Jim Holland and Mark Walsh. I've also decided to vote for Tom Ferris and Elaine Leonard.

#2 Joseph

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 12:07 AM

I have to disagree with your selection of Ferris, especially since the music-programming debacle a few years back. I composed my list the other day to find I had selected only female candidates. I may vote for Young, however...still trying to research.

#3 Jessica Van der Veen

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 10:27 AM

These 4 ran a campaign built on rumours and fear -- sort of a McCain style campaign. They started out by insisting that Victoria Public Education Coalition is controlled by the teachers. For the record: Lot's of teachers volunteer for VPEC and work with us. Policy is set by a Community Advisory Board and the membership is broadly based. To see a list of advisors, go to VPEC.org

Rumour 1: That if other candidates were elected school music programs would be cancelled or cut to the bone. This was propagated using internal district communications systems.

Rumour 2: That if Victoria Public Education Coalition candidates were elected then parents would not be allowed to volunteer in schools.

Both are complete falsehoods. For the record:
1. Victoria Public Education Coalition is working towards the gradual elimination of school fees by building broad community support to let the provincial government know that the community cares about public education and wants it funded. There would be no cuts to music, sports and arts.

2. Victoria Public Education -- having secured more public funding would like to see parent's fundraising burden lowered -- so that they would be freed up for more rich volunteering experiences.

Sadly -- this terribly dishonest form of campaigning, using internal school communications systems has caused mass panic amongst music parents and teachers in the district who have sullied the reputations of three honourable people.

Not one parent or music teacher had the grace or critical thinking skills to phone up candidates to verify this nonsense before they spread viral misinformation about the candidates. The information came from only one source: these 4 politicians. Step one in critical thinking is to consider the source and verify information against other sources.

#4 Lover Fighter

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 10:37 AM

I really like Tamara Malczewska, and since I don't know enough about the candidates, I'll probably also vote for Anderson and Alpha who are on the same slate as her.

#5 Joseph

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 10:41 AM

I really like Tamara Malczewska, and since I don't know enough about the candidates, I'll probably also vote for Anderson and Alpha who are on the same slate as her.


Good choices, methinks. As a young person, I wish some of these candidates would talk about involving students (especially at the secondary level) in the decision making process. Just a little bit. Just a sentence or something...anything.

#6 martini

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 10:47 AM

These 4 ran a campaign built on rumours and fear -- sort of a McCain style campaign. They started out by insisting that Victoria Public Education Coalition is controlled by the teachers. For the record: Lot's of teachers volunteer for VPEC and work with us. Policy is set by a Community Advisory Board and the membership is broadly based. To see a list of advisors, go to VPEC.org

Rumour 1: That if other candidates were elected school music programs would be cancelled or cut to the bone. This was propagated using internal district communications systems.

Rumour 2: That if Victoria Public Education Coalition candidates were elected then parents would not be allowed to volunteer in schools.

Both are complete falsehoods. For the record:
1. Victoria Public Education Coalition is working towards the gradual elimination of school fees by building broad community support to let the provincial government know that the community cares about public education and wants it funded. There would be no cuts to music, sports and arts.

2. Victoria Public Education -- having secured more public funding would like to see parent's fundraising burden lowered -- so that they would be freed up for more rich volunteering experiences.

Sadly -- this terribly dishonest form of campaigning, using internal school communications systems has caused mass panic amongst music parents and teachers in the district who have sullied the reputations of three honourable people.

Not one parent or music teacher had the grace or critical thinking skills to phone up candidates to verify this nonsense before they spread viral misinformation about the candidates. The information came from only one source: these 4 politicians. Step one in critical thinking is to consider the source and verify information against other sources.


Jessica, I posted this thread asking our general member population to participate. You are on VPEC's campaign team. I already know your opinion. Thank you.

#7 Mike K.

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 10:50 AM

I may vote for Young, however...still trying to research.

Does John Young (not to be mistaken with Victoria councillor Geoff Young) deserve to be on the board? He keeps getting re-elected thanks to name recognition but what has he actually done throughout the last three years other than engage in conflict with other members?

Anyhow, +1 for Ferris :)

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#8 martini

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 10:53 AM

Does John Young deserve to be on the board? He keeps getting re-elected thanks to name recognition but what has he actually done throughout the last three years other than engage in conflict with other members?

+1 for Ferris.


Thank you for asking that question.
The school fees debacle has really turned me off. It's cost our district at least $50,000 in legal fees.
I understand the ideology, but it's flawed in reality.
He's been and done a great many things over the years, but I believe his time is past.

#9 martini

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 10:59 AM

I have to disagree with your selection of Ferris, especially since the music-programming debacle a few years back. I composed my list the other day to find I had selected only female candidates. I may vote for Young, however...still trying to research.

I respect your opinion on Ferris. I would like to add though when this occurred.
Was it prior to 2002? or 2002-2005?

If that's the case, it was a very different board facing financing middle school reconfiguration. Many cuts were made. When a new board came on 2002-2005, and the same 2005-2008; they inherited a massive debt for the reconfiguration.
So those new trustees had some serious financial decisions to make.

#10 groundlevel

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 11:17 AM

Martini, I was interested in Jessica Van der Veen's posting -- I hadn't heard these particular concerns on any trustee thread so far.

Your contribution has that tag saying Holland, Macevoy, Pitre and Walsh so ya gotta be biased -- why slag van der Veen?

I'm not on any campaign team and have already selected my trustee choices in that truly loopy and only in Victoria manner -- some from this slate, some from that slate, and a couple of good incumbrents.

I like to scrabble them a little.

Councillors though -- i like to fluff (no wait - that's the **rn industry!) PLUMPING that's the political term.

I voted for only 3 -- my favorite incumberant (who'll breeze in anyway) and two hopefuls -- which mathematically gives them more than a one-vote edge.

For CRD -- only bothered with those candidates who have excellent chances of being on council. and will contribute expertise or have the ability to get up to speed fast.

As for Mayor -- what a lame-O Rob Reid is -- if he's Mayor he'll be walked all over by everyone -- those people who think he'll be a Peter Pollen -- tough and up for the challenge, making swift and decisive decisions are sadly mistaken. Perfectly pleasant person (P3) though.

#11 Caramia

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 11:21 AM

I've argued with Martini enough that I feel like I've got a sense of her values and intelligence. So I picked my votes from her sig, since I don't know the candidates well enough. Nothing to do with any negative campaign. I just trust her judgment. There is nothing like a good squabble or 10 to get to know someone's rational capabilities.
Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

#12 think local

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 11:36 AM

To get to know more about trustee candidates the http://www.cert-2008.com/ website was updated last night. Although they are not endorsing the same candidates as martini, they're notes of the Q&A responses at the Trustee All Candidates forum are unbiased and worth a read.

#13 Jessica Van der Veen

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 12:03 PM

You are right -- enough about the negative -- there are some great candidates out there to create a board with a balanced skill set. For the record, here is who I support and why:

Bev Horsman: She has a fervent belief in honourable open process and collective decision making. She holds vast past knowledge of district history and could create a time when school board will be open, consultative and transparent given half the chance. She has served at the provincial level on the BCSTA and has comprehensive sticky knowledge about that too.

Mike Horsman: Mike is a brilliant critical thinker, generous to a fault with his time and energy, a bear for work and has a national knowledge of education research and theory. (He served on a national committee for the premier's council). He taught school for years, came across as a fine communicator in the debates and had a good sense of humour which will bring the occasional necessary levity to diffuse some of the tensions around tough decisions.

Starla Anderson: Huge background in education and a teacher of the teachers. Innovator in special needs and devoted to music, arts and enrichments programs -- programs that keep kids interested in coming to school. Heartfelt, sincere and very very hardworking. Will bring the spirit of the classroom to the table at all times. Sees how overall capital P policy will end up impacting the child.

Tamara Malczewska: A strong background in working inside central government means that her navigation skills in terms of the Ministry will be very important. She is intense, focussed, and highly committed to making a difference for our children. She will relax and grow into the role and meanwhile her detail orientation and ability to handle facts and data will be important assets to the board. She has natural courage and enjoys pushing herself to the limits -- she races motorcycles! Gutsy trustees are a good thing.

Catherine Alpha: Big soul power woman who will go to the wall for our kids (as with all my picks). She has a strong background in navigating through power systems, is still actually teaching in the Sooke school district, is again, highly consultative and willing to question information presented to her and seek multiple sources of information. Catherine is terribly candid -- hides nothing -- so she will be an honest voice on the board. She teaches middle school -- and we could sure use some improvements in this area in SD61.

Peg Orcherton: Peg gets my vote for always having the guts to ask the tough questions. She put forward a motion to add $500,000 out of the $10 million surplus for more special needs staffing. It was voted down, but that just tells me that she has the courage to go after what is right whether it works out or not. She is out and about in the community and knows how to listen when people are talking to her about on the ground school experiences.

Lance Groseth: I don't know him as well -- but it would be good to have a candidate that could chew up the accounting side and smell rats and bouquets that might be hiding in the budget. He has a strong background in cooperative living -- and even though he started a traditional school (which is not my bag) I thought he did a thorough, thoughtful and respectful job of making damn sure that got done.

#14 martini

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 12:07 PM

Your contribution has that tag saying Holland, Macevoy, Pitre and Walsh so ya gotta be biased -- why slag van der Veen?

I don't believe I slagged her by my response.
I have tried to take the approach regardless of who I support of not condemning or speaking negatively about other candidates.
There is a VPEC thread here, and I did not jump in there and criticize those candidates did I?

Yes the more information out there the better, but it's how it's presented is the key.

#15 martini

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 12:10 PM

I've argued with Martini enough that I feel like I've got a sense of her values and intelligence. So I picked my votes from her sig, since I don't know the candidates well enough. Nothing to do with any negative campaign. I just trust her judgment. There is nothing like a good squabble or 10 to get to know someone's rational capabilities.

Thanks Caramia, I very much appreciate that. :)

#16 martini

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 12:45 PM

To get to know more about trustee candidates the http://www.cert-2008.com/ website was updated last night. Although they are not endorsing the same candidates as martini, they're notes of the Q&A responses at the Trustee All Candidates forum are unbiased and worth a read.

Yes their notes are very helpful.
Here's another source as well:
http://www.vcpac.ca/...-news&Itemid=87

#17 think local

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 01:33 PM

Mike Horsman: Mike is a brilliant critical thinker, generous to a fault with his time and energy, a bear for work and has a national knowledge of education research and theory. (He served on a national committee for the premier's council). He taught school for years, came across as a fine communicator in the debates and had a good sense of humour which will bring the occasional necessary levity to diffuse some of the tensions around tough decisions.


That would Mike Hayes. :)

#18 martini

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 02:01 PM

That would Mike Hayes. :)


uh oh. Where is this to let them know?

#19 Mike K.

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 02:19 PM

...just a heads up. I've changed the title of this thread to "vote today" from "vote tomorrow." :)

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#20 think local

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Posted 15 November 2008 - 02:20 PM

It looks like Jessica just made an error above when she was sharing the reason she was voting for individuals. :)

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