Jennifer Foster

A trustee is the magnified voice of the students, parents, teachers and staff. They are stewards of the schools. 

The Greater Victoria School District 61 is my home. My daughter will enter kindergarten at Quadra School soon and many of my friends are teachers and have kids in our schools. Also, my partner, Reegan, is a TOC (teacher-on-call) in the district.

Victoria’s schools inspire me and I want to help make the classroom a more joyful place for students, teachers, parents, and community members.

My daughter is Indigenous and my hope is that she has many opportunities to learn about her culture and language in her community and at school. I want to ensure there are meaningful education opportunities for all Indigenous students in schools across Victoria. 

I asked my co-parent what education opportunities he wants for his daughter. He said he wants her to learn his language (so that he can learn with his daughter). I could see this question also inspired him. We immediately found books that are written in Cree (Rober Munsh has 5 of his books translated to Cree) and we found an online resource that makes learning Cree into a fun game. Our daughter loves it!

I think that is where we begin, by asking Indigenous students and families what they'd like to see as part of education. From what I’ve heard and experienced, language is a large part of that education.

I am an openly queer woman. I work in the eLearning industry and a lot of my job focuses on accessibility. I am constantly putting myself in the shoes of every kind of learner. I try to imagine what it’s like for a learner who is neurodiverse or a learner who can’t see, or a learner who can’t hear, or a learner who is colorblind or a learner who has limited mobility. My goal is to support learning experiences that meet the needs of everyone.

I also live with a diverse group of individuals. There’s six of us. Noa-the three year old fireball, Reegan-partner and autistc teacher, Aaron-co-parent extraordinaire, Nishant-a voice of reason, and Ayse (eye-shay)-an international student from Türkiye. We live harmoniously because we celebrate and understand our differences. To make it work, it takes a lot of communicating, some compromising and most importantly creating opportunities to bond! Like house meals, movie nights, and exploring the city together.

As for health and sexual education it needs to be taught in the classroom. We should consider inviting health professionals (nurses and doctors) to help educate students on this important topic. I believe this would help alleviate biases and keep the dialogue open for all students' needs.

The World Health Organization says: “Sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries. Sexual health, when viewed affirmatively, requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.” and I agree!

There needs to be MORE transparency and discussions when making critical decisions on the board. I support a communication structure that allows for direct contact that encourages community and meaningful discourse. I also want this information to be more accessible to parents, teachers and staff. We live in a busy world and our communications need to reflect that. Tell the whole story with as little noise as possible. As a project manager, I am well versed in collaborating and creating room for feedback. I know that the most important decisions can take time, but with thoughtful processes and routines this can be made easier and more time effective. I want to find what works on the board and enhance it!

My biggest challenge is my inexperience in working on a board, but I am getting up to speed quickly. It started with a deep dive into the recordings of past board meetings and doing my homework on getting to know the agenda, and familiarizing myself with the processes of the board. I will attend my first Board standing committee while I am a candidate. I will absorb as much as humanly possible to be an effective board member.

The trustees have sent an advocacy letter to Minister Jennifer Whiteside and other important ears to listen. I’ve personally heard many disheartening stories of how program cuts are directly affecting kids’ mental well being. I would encourage parents to vocalize how the cuts are directly affecting their children. #BCStudentsNeedMusic, #BCStudentsNeedArt #BCStudnetsNeedSchoolCounsellors, #BCStudentsNeedSafeClassrooms. Parents and students, you're the most reliable and direct voice and it needs to reach @jjhorgan @JM_Whiteside. I will also tweet.

The world is changing more than ever! Education programs should be built so that there is room to pivot. We need to continue to build a school system that allows for student and teacher exploration and thinking on your feet. That applies to the board.

I will ask:

What learning is happening in our schools that isn’t accounted for?
How can students maintain their maximum funding?
What can our schools offer to continue that funding throughout every grade?
How can we build a strong program that entices international students remotely?

Art is core to an education program just as math, science and physical education are. (period)

I will support thoughtful dissent and lively collaboration. I will be there to listen and learn from the other board members. I will be a consistent voice and continue to advocate for my priorities. I will listen attentively to objections and consider all sides of the issue. Most importantly I will see the person for who they are and not for what they believe. I look forward to being a member of the board and experiencing growth from disagreements.