The recent photo circulating on social media that shows a citizen sign (Vote Love) in response to the large ‘Anti-SOGI’ signs appearing around town serves as a good reminder that ‘Anti’ campaigns are a poor reflection of what is required for strong representation within our school boards.
To reflect a single issue against something promotes backward thinking, negative and non-progressive attitudes – the very things we don’t need when making decisions about our schools.
Other candidates have noted that there are many serious challenges we need to discuss: supporting kids with developmental or physical needs, poverty and nutrition challenges; the need for more professionals in areas such as speech development; indigenous language and cultural integration into curriculums, infrastructure problems…the list of issues goes on.
What we should be hearing from candidates is positive, progressive, solution-based thoughts on the wide range of challenges we face as a community, not negative ‘anti’ one-issue shallowness.
Our school system deserves it.
Julie Payne