The New Westminster Progressives (NWP) school board trustee candidates are making a commitment to ensure our school facilities are physically safe and clean.
“The mandate of any school board is to ensure student achievement and well-being,” says Lisa Falbo, NWP candidate for school board trustee. “Healthy, active students who feel safe in their schools learn better.”
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With no daytime custodians other than one at the high school in the district since 2016, teachers and administrative staff have been left to clean up accidents, bodily fluids and other messes, or leave them until after the school day. A 2017 survey of custodial staff across B.C. conducted by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) found that nearly 50.4 per cent of custodians “felt that they are not able to meet their own expectations for a clean, healthy school environment.” The survey was done as a result of many reports of the decline of cleanliness across K-12 schools in B.C. (source: https://schoolsareamess.ca /)
“We have heard stories from parents in the district whose kids refuse to go to the washroom during the day because the toilet facilities are unusable or there is no toilet paper,” says Danielle Connelly, a parent, PAC member and NWP school board trustee candidate. “At some schools students have been unable to get water because fountains are clogged. We’ve also heard from teachers who are left cleaning their classrooms during the school day, taking time out of their own breaks or distracting from teaching time. Not only do these situations pose health hazards, but personal discomfort and distraction is a barrier to learning. As our district continues to grow (we have nearly 400 more students enrolled since 2015/16), we need to ensure we can meet basic standards for cleanliness and safety. We are committed to advocating for proper funding to support these needs.\”
If NWP school trustee candidates are elected this fall, they are committed to asking for a review of the 2016 decision to eliminate all but one daytime custodian in the district.
“We understand the need to do what makes sense fiscally in relation to other priorities,” says Connelly. “But school cleanliness and safety are issues that matter to many students and parents. As trustees, we have an obligation to address all issues affecting student well-being and learning,”
NWP trustee candidates Cyrus Sy, Danielle Connelly, Lisa Falbo and J.P. LeBerg, plan to detail these plans and others in the area of health, safety and wellness as part of their platform being released in early September.
To learn more about our candidates running for school board trustee, click on the links below: