Running for President

Here we go… there are a few days left of the nomination period and I have decided to run in the upcoming municipal election in October and run in the BC Association of School Trustees Association (BCSTA) for the position of president in April. Left on a cliffhanger from my previous blog entry, Gaining Perspective, I was undecided for quite some time. I loved the encouraging words from colleagues throughout the year, but I had to make this decision for the right reasons and my decision to run was not taken lightly.

Last year, I stepped down from the BCSTA Board of Directors and did not run. When I look back at my blog entry, Trajectory, it was not an easy decision then. I took the year off from the BCSTA Board of Directors and took other things off my plate so that I could finish my dissertation and deliberate what would be next for me. I needed to create some space for me to complete my doctoral work and make space for what’s next. I am proud to have completed my dissertation. I successfully defended my research on August 17, 2017 (while teaching EDUC 454 that term) and walked across the stage at convocation on Friday, October 6, 2017 (after I taught my morning class of EDUC 471) at SFU. I ended the fall term by starting the new year with a trip to Honolulu, HI to present my dissertation and two other studies at the Hawaii International Conference on Education. It was a memorable experience and excellent capstone to my academic achievements.

After Hawaii, the spring term started slow. I was not teaching at the university and I had not established full-time employment as an academic. I had considered returning to K-12 but did not feel that it was the right fit for me. That said, I am very thankful to continue my research and academic writing as an affiliate scholar at the Centre for the Study of Educational Leadership and Policy (CSELP) as part of my post-doctoral experience. I am currently working with a school district looking at communicating student learning and effective reporting practices, I am working on being published with my research partner Dr. Daniel Laitsch, and I am also working on some independent writing. With this work, I am reminded of my 5 core values: (1) integrity and truth; (2) self-respect and pride in my work; (3) having a positive impact on society and others; (4) using creativity, imagination, and being innovative; and (5) autonomy, independence, and freedom. I am aligned.

I believe in serendipity where things happen for a reason. Last month, my mom passed away. I believe that it was suppose to be a “light term” for better or worse so that I could spend time with my mom in her final days. I had the luxury of being by her side almost full-time along with my brother, sister, and dad. I have no words to express my gratitude that I was able to spend this time with her, to take care of her, and to love her. I miss her deeply. I have no regrets of not running for BCSTA last year. Everything happened as it was suppose to be. Now that I have turned the page on my dissertation and looking forward to what’s next, I am following my intuition, my heart, and my passion in BC public education. I am an educator, researcher, and school trustee. I am an advocate of BC public education and believe that boards of education are integral to the success of students in BC public schools. I am announcing that I am running for BCSTA president.