Chilliwack – From Social Media release from Willow Reichelt, SD33 School Trustee:
I’m a person who will not commit to things unless I feel I can give them my full effort. When deciding whether or not to run again, I took the time to consider if I still had the passion for the role that I had back in 2018. After a relaxing and restorative summer, the answer is yes!
My extensive experience and knowledge of the district are an asset to the board. Having attended school and taught in Chilliwack, as well as having two children go through our system, has given me a thorough understanding of the strengths and challenges of the district. Now that I have been a trustee for eight years, with five of those years being either Chair or Vice Chair, I have a deep knowledge of board governance and am able to quickly contextualize new information. I’ve been a member of the Board during two Strategic Plan Reviews, two policy reviews and a recent Facilities Review. I know the importance of hearing from all partner groups when making big decisions that will affect students, families and staff.
Our district has a good foundation right now, and the current Board and district partners are in alignment on our shared values of equity, inclusion, kindness, collaboration and innovation. We are all working together toward the goal of ensuring that our education system is a safe and welcoming place for all students, that they have strong foundations in literacy and numeracy and that they have the support they need to thrive.
Despite the many good things about the Chilliwack School District, there are significant challenges that we need to address, including:
Financial pressure: It is increasingly difficult to create budgets that adequately address the needs in our district. We must advocate for increased per-student funding and for continued investment in infrastructure (including a new elementary school on Promontory).
High absenteeism: Across North America, absenteeism has increased drastically since the pandemic. When students don’t attend, they fall behind in literacy, numeracy, and social skills. We need to continue to provide innovative and exciting programming. We also need to address barriers that may prevent families from getting their kids to school.
Dysregulated students: While we aim to provide all students with the support they need to be successful, it often feels like we are constantly reacting to issues rather than preventing them from occurring. I believe we need to ask staff to do a systemic review of all support services so that we can better allocate resources to be proactive rather than reactive.
Unequal outcomes: Indigenous students, children and youth in care, and students with disabilities and diverse abilities graduate at lower rates than their peers. We need to continue to make sure targeted and culturally appropriate supports are in place so all children leave our schools prepared for the adult world.
Pressure on staff: Teachers and EAs are being asked to fill more and more roles beyond just being educators. This can lead to stress and burnout. I believe a systemic review of support services will help with this, as it will allow us to make sure the right people are in the right places to assist each other.
AI: Artificial Intelligence has the potential to drastically change the world that our current students will be entering. I am concerned that some people are willing to cede their critical thinking and creativity to AI. We must continue to provide students with access to hands-on learning, the arts, and libraries so that they grow up to be people who can think for themselves, create new things and be willing to make mistakes along the way.
I’m ready to take on these challenges and to work with our partners to keep Chilliwack moving forward.
On October 17, vote Willow Reichelt for School Trustee.
