The Quesnel Observer asked all SD28 candidates the same four questions. They were limited to 300 words.
Donelly Clement declined to participate, while the remaining 12 candidates provided answers to these questions: A. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? B. What prompted you to run for school board? C. What do you feel are some of the challenges/concerns facing School District 28? D. How do you plan to address those challenges? E. What are a few fun facts about yourself?
My name is Wendy Mahoney and I am running for my third term as a School District 28 trustee. My family history has always circled around the importance of education. My father was a well-respected high school teacher in New Brunswick who was never afraid to fight for all his students. My father had an influence on many students, including our former superintendent, Sue-Ellen Miller. I learned my lessons from my father well. My Dad always said that education is the great equalizer.
Enabling all students to have the same access to the same education levels the playing field for all those concerned. As a little girl I watched my father go toe-to-toe with the local school board to fight for the students he believed in…and Dad always won. When my father passed away, many of his former students requested an open casket in church. These students were teachers, doctors, lawyers, a Canadian senator and a Giller Prize winner…I grew up seeing firsthand the transformative effect of a great education. I witnessed how an amazing teacher can gently till the ‘educational’ soil around which a child is planted.
I’ve been asked what I feel some of the challenges are that our district is facing. Over my past two terms, the board has struggled with ‘leadership’ issues/questions. Quite often the DAO (District Administrative Office) would operate business as they saw fit, without taking input or direction from the school board. With all the recent and upcoming DAO retirements, the DAO dynamic has slowly started to change. My goal would be to continue to support the recent changes the board has started to embrace.
As to some fun facts about me I’M A BRAND-NEW GRANDMA!!!…other than being a teacher and training other teachers, I’ve done my job. Dad would be proud.
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: rebecca.dyok@quesnelobserver.com
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