Karen Jarvis is the second person to step in the ring for the upcoming Chilliwack school trustee byelection.
Jarvis, who placed 11th in the 2011 election with 1,562 votes, announced her intentions Monday morning.
“The 2011 election was a training session,” she said in a press release.
Since the 2011 election, Jarvis has attended every school board meeting. She believes that’s helped her better understand the processes and decisions of the board of education.
“It shows people that I am truly investing in public education
and specifically education in our school district,” she said.
She is campaigning for better special education practices, wanting to ensure recommendations made by the special education review are fulfilled. She would also like to see the school district look for alternative ways of dealing with the $700,000 CUPE shortfall – other than cutting staff.
“We can’t have a review that says we need
more EA’s with specific training to improve education for those with special
needs and then in the next breath cut EA’s,” she said. “Financial responsibility is an
absolute at all times especially when budgets are tight.”
As well, Jarvis is advocating for more transparency of trustee finances and time.
Jarvis joins Dan Coulter, who announced he’d be in the trustee race a week and a half ago.
The byelection, to replace Louise Piper who resigned for undisclosed medical reasons, is on Nov. 30.
