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Kerr to run again as school trustee

He is latest Campbell River incumbent to announce
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Trustee John Kerr is running again for the school board. File photo

Trustee John Kerr launches bid for a second board of education term

“I strongly believe in the in the power of education to improve students’ lives. Throughout my 40-year career as a teacher and an administrator, I have worked toward ensuring that our children have the resources and skills to be successful when they leave school.”

During his time as a trustee, Kerr has been actively involved in the work of the board.

He has served on the audit and risk management committee which oversee the financial health of the district and ensures that tax money is used responsibly.

The communications committee, of which he was a member, has been an important voice advocating for adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for the delivery of strong educational programs and for the replacement of Cedar Elementary with a modern facility that reflects the school community’s needs.

Kerr has been the board representative to the B.C. School Trustees’ Association Provincial Council for the past two years. He currently serves on the Search Committee for the next Superintendent and this choice as one that will define the future of the district for the foreseeable future.

“The School District No. 72 board is a corporate board and the role of the board is to set policy and evaluate results. Trustees work as part of a team that oversees and supports district leadership in their efforts to provide the best education possible for our students.”

The most recent evaluation of the board’s effectiveness highlighted the fact that the board is high functioning. “This board has worked well together and spent much time and energy on supporting our staff and students in their quest for greater achievement. I am proud of what the board has accomplished this term,” Kerr says.

“I strongly support the board approved Indigenous Education Policy, developed in consultation with the local Indigenous Education Advisory Council. This policy is designed to meet student and community needs with the goal of ensuring the educational success of Indigenous students.”

Over the past four years the board has faced difficult situations, but Kerr believes that any board decisions must be focused on improving and enhancing educational opportunities for all students in the district. He has been guided by those principles in his decision making and votes.

“During my almost forty years in the education system and my four years as a trustee, I have believed that all students have the right to be safe in our schools. Children who don’t feel safe cannot learn as well as they could,” Kerr states. This Board has made it clear that it respects the diversity in our community, and values the different perspectives and experiences that students and staff bring to our schools. He firmly supports the board’s position on the acceptance of diversity in our schools and has spoken strongly in support of each student’s right to manifest their identity in the manner that best suits them.

“The upcoming four year term will see the development of the next School District No. 72 strategic plan, the beginning of a new superintendent’s tenure, and projected further growth in the district with the development of several housing projects in the city. I am eager to work with the board and to support district leadership in these areas,” Kerr says.

“If elected as a school trustee, I will bring my continued dedication, enthusiasm, and experience to this role for the next four years.”

“It has been a privilege to serve on this board, and I am asking the Campbell River community to give me the opportunity to continue to serve as a trustee on the board of Education.”