Well over 100 people attended the official opening of the New West Progressives (NWP) campaign office on Monday evening. The NWP used the special event as the occasion to announce that long-time Glenbrooke North resident J.P. LeBerg has been nominated to run as a school trustee candidate. LeBerg, a father of three children in the public-school system, is running for the first time in municipal politics.
“Our team is extremely proud to attract a candidate like J.P. LeBerg whose has never been politically active before but is committed to strengthening our school board,” says President David Halkett. “We have an amazing set of candidates who are going to offer the voters of New Westminster a clear alternative on October 20th.”
On May 29th the New West Progressives held their nomination meeting and selected Danielle Connelly, Lisa Falbo and Cyrus Sy to run for school trustee candidates. LeBerg is now the fourth candidate on the slate. There are currently seven school trustees, one of whom has served in that position for over thirty-five years.
“I’m very excited to join the New West Progressives team and look forward to championing much needed improvements to our school infrastructure,” says LeBerg. “I’ve been hearing from parents they really want our team to focus on making the school board less combative and a lot more collaborative. We need to lead by example and that means ensuring everyone around the board table is respected and that their voice is heard, regardless of which political organization they are aligned with or who has endorsed them.”
LeBerg spoke to a crowd of supporters at the official opening of the NW Progressive campaign office. He highlighted what he intends to implement if elected as a school trustee. This includes:
- Focusing on inclusivity by ensuring students of various social, economic, cultural and sexual orientations are truly welcomed in our schools
- Reducing the incidence of bullying
- Supporting better long-term planning for a rapidly growing student population due to increased density and growth
- Providing a stronger voice for Parent Advisory Committees (PACs) who are currently required to fundraise for basic ‘core’ school items
The NW Progressives are not endorsed by any special interest groups and are a coalition of candidates working together to introduce new ideas and a more balanced approach at city hall and the school board. To learn more about the NW Progressives platform, click here.