I have been an educator in the Kamloops School District and at Thompson Rivers University over the past 35 years.
I am an author (Global Citizens – Oxford University Press and MediaSense – Harcourt, Brace Pub) and an educational consultant.
As a musician and music educator, I have been actively involved in the Kamloops arts community.
We have raised our family in the region and are avid outdoor enthusiasts.
There are two major tenets that informed my roles and responsibilities as an educator – critical thinking and advocacy.
Critical thinking because it should be at the roots of relevant and responsive thought and action, and by its nature, it needs to be at the core of government decision-making. How can policies and actions truly reflect and represent current needs without a critical thinking approach – listening and gathering information from all parties, exploring options, creating a policy based on best-interests and best-practices.
This is sorely lacking in government today.
Advocacy should be the centerpiece of a truly representative democracy. As an educator, my role and responsibility to advocate for every student that walks through their classroom door. This individualizes the pursuit of learning and creates an equitable environment for opportunities.
Once again, in our present approach to government, advocacy is shrouded by self-serving agendas and targeting the selected few for benefits – hardly an approach to representative democracy.
My vision and goals are to be part of a change in how we approach government.