Dear editor,
“So what does the school board actually do?” Every school trustee candidate gets asked this question during their campaign. Is it the top-level of school administration? Is it a parent-teacher advisory committee? Is it the school system’s complaints desk?
School boards are none of these things – they are actually a form of local government. Trustees must consider everything from the economy, to urban planning, health, transportation, crime, culture, and everything in between. As local politicians, trustees must collaborate with their municipal and provincial counterparts. Trustees must work with nearly every government ministry and municipal department. School trustee elections are about more than schooling. Ask your candidates how public school education relates to a broad range of issues in your community.
Patty Dittrick,
President, Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta
