October 11, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY
Surrey Students NOW know communication is key
Surrey, BC - Surrey Students NOW is running four women for School Board Trustee with a message that Surrey kids matter. This means students will be at the forefront of every decision made at the board table.
Our candidates have the experience of attending years of Trustee meetings and have seen the silence and apathy of the current Trustees. We vow to conduct ourselves differently. We want Surrey families and staff to know we are available to them and will honour outreach and communication.
Our communication plan commits to:
• initiate regular meetings with Mayor and City Council to ensure they understand the pressures on our schools and students when our schools are over-crowded.
• have Trustee representation at City Council meetings.
• work with community groups, grassroots organizations, and all levels of government on the district’s role in minimizing gang involvement and recruitment in Surrey.
• hold quarterly town halls to invite families and citizens to share their concerns and ideas for bettering our communities.
• be available to Parent Advisory Committee’s wanting us in to hear from their families.
• open question period at our school board meetings to include dialogue and have our school board meetings be on the record.
This will be done to build trust between the school board and our community. We want to know the concerns and to hear from families with a goal of making education a partnership based on collaboration and outreach. Surrey kids matter and they need Trustees that will have their back.
September 22, 2018
Surrey Students NOW to host a free information session on Inclusion
Surrey, BC – On Wednesday, September 26th at the Newton Library from 7-9pm, Surrey Students NOW is hosting an information session titled “Inclusion 101.”
“We firmly believe that all children in our district have a right to safe and inclusive classrooms and schools,” says Charlene Dobie, School Trustee Candidate.
Sonia Andhi, School Trustee Candidate concurs, “Safe spaces are essential for all of us, but especially for our students. Respect and inclusivity in our schools will continue to create healthy dialogue and growth.”
This free information session is open to the public.
There are two parts to the information session:
Professor Jen Marchbank will be speaking on the resource SOGI 123 to address concerns and misinformation about the resource being used in our schools. Additionally, Youth for a Change will be speaking on inclusive language and practices.
“We’ve had families reach out to us asking about these resources as this affects a loved one. We want families to know that their children matter,” says Cindy Dalglish, School Trustee Candidate.
“All students need to have access to positive spaces for conversations about diversity and acceptance. Surrey Students NOW commits to supporting staff in creating these spaces where they don’t exist,” says Mary-Em Waddington, School Trustee Candidate.
Surrey Students NOW is running because Surrey kids matter.
September 19, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY
Surrey Students NOW Platform has been released
Surrey, BC - Surrey Students NOW is pleased to release their election platform. As the largest school district in the province, Surrey deserves to have candidates that are knowledgeable about issues facing our students. We are prepared with solid ideas that will work for our district.
The Surrey Students NOW platform addresses three pillars:
- Safe and Supported Students
- Funding
- Overcrowding and Portables
Within each pillar is our commitment to all Surrey students, families, staff, and our community.
For our platform details: http://www.surreystudentsnow.com/our-platform.html
Surrey Students NOW knows that all kids matter.
Trustees oversee an annual budget of ~$800 million, are responsible for setting policies that affect students and staff, are expected to effectively communicate with all levels of government, and advocate for the needs of our students.
Surrey has gang recruitment happening as young as 10 years old. Surrey schools are overcrowded. Surrey students are receiving less funding than other Districts. And many students are going without supports they need for access to a full and equitable education.
It is important to elect candidates that have proven their engagement with public education in Surrey. It is imperative to elect those that understand the issues and risks to our students. It is in Surrey's best interest to vote for candidates that will keep students at the forefront of every decision and will make positive change through a strong and realistic plan.
Surrey Students NOW is running because Surrey kids matter.
September 10, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY
Exciting Announcement! Surrey Students NOW introduces a fourth candidate
Surrey, BC - Surrey Students NOW is pleased to announce the addition of a fourth candidate to our team. Sonia Andhi will bring experience to the Surrey School Board through her work as a Surrey based social worker and family counsellor. With over 30 years experience, she understands our youth and families.
She is knowledgeable about our schools, experienced with our youth, and has worked closely with community partners. Sonia is a welcome member of the Surrey Students NOW team and will make an outstanding trustee.
Surrey Students NOW has already committed to support ALL students. As a credible and strong candidate, Sonia adds strength to the work we want to accomplish as trustees to support ALL students. While Surrey First Education trustees have noted that they “do the best for the most,” Sonia agrees that supporting most is not enough and has proven it through her grassroots initiatives.
Sonia’s leadership within the Shakti Society - a non-profit society dedicated to empowering individuals, families and communities - demonstrates her ability to collaborate and support efforts to build a safe and connected city. Sonia’s ongoing work with children, youth, and families has kept her in touch with the needs of our children.
It is time for change. We need trustees that recognize that all kids matter and will do more to ensure all students feel safe and supported, with resources and staff in their classrooms.
“I have always believed that children are our greatest wealth and if we don't take care of our children, nothing else will matter,” says Sonia Andhi.
August 27, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY
Advocating for positive solutions to Surrey school portables
Surrey, BC - Surrey School District has a long history of overcrowding and of using portables for classrooms – it has to stop and Surrey Students NOW is ready to tackle the issue, unlike the current Surrey trustees, Surrey First Education.
In a recent interview, Surrey school board chair Laurie Larsen said “… it doesn’t look like it’s an achievable goal there will be no portables” when talking about Surrey’s portable problem. While vice-chair Terry Allen said, “we’re never going to stop this madness.”
Surrey First Education has given up.
There are nine school projects in limbo, including one that was approved in 2016 in the high-growth Grandview area. That is 7,000 seats waiting for the go-ahead to start construction.
“What is the hold-up? Where is the collaboration between the city and the district on these important projects? The current trustees have only had two meetings in four years with the city councillors. That’s simply unacceptable,” says Surrey Students NOW trustee candidate Cindy Dalglish.
“Portables are supposed to address a temporary problem, but we see them being used across our District as permanent fixtures at too many schools,” says Surrey Students NOW candidate, Mary-Em Waddington. “Every student in Surrey matters and deserves to be a part of their school community.”
Surrey Students NOW trustee candidate Charlene Dobie agrees.
“We cannot give up now. We have a provincial government that wants to work with us, wants to work with the city. With new and diverse voices at the table we can find solutions to this problem,” Dobie says.
Surrey Students NOW will work with all levels of government to find better solutions to get students out of portables and into classrooms. The promise by the NDP government is an important first step, but the city needs to fast track permitting for the nine approved projects in order for additional, and much needed, funding announcements to happen.
“Lobbying municipal and provincial governments on education issues of importance to the school district and its communities” as per “What is the role of the Surrey Board of Education?”
Surrey needs school trustees that will fulfill their mandate and advocate for students and families.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Advocating for positive solutions to Surrey school portables
Surrey, BC - Surrey School District has a long history of overcrowding and of using portables for classrooms – it has to stop and Surrey Students NOW is ready to tackle the issue, unlike the current Surrey trustees, Surrey First Education.
In a recent interview, Surrey school board chair Laurie Larsen said “… it doesn’t look like it’s an achievable goal there will be no portables” when talking about Surrey’s portable problem. While vice-chair Terry Allen said, “we’re never going to stop this madness.”
Surrey First Education has given up.
There are nine school projects in limbo, including one that was approved in 2016 in the high-growth Grandview area. That is 7,000 seats waiting for the go-ahead to start construction.
“What is the hold-up? Where is the collaboration between the city and the district on these important projects? The current trustees have only had two meetings in four years with the city councillors. That’s simply unacceptable,” says Surrey Students NOW trustee candidate Cindy Dalglish.
“Portables are supposed to address a temporary problem, but we see them being used across our District as permanent fixtures at too many schools,” says Surrey Students NOW candidate, Mary-Em Waddington. “Every student in Surrey matters and deserves to be a part of their school community.”
Surrey Students NOW trustee candidate Charlene Dobie agrees.
“We cannot give up now. We have a provincial government that wants to work with us, wants to work with the city. With new and diverse voices at the table we can find solutions to this problem,” Dobie says.
Surrey Students NOW will work with all levels of government to find better solutions to get students out of portables and into classrooms. The promise by the NDP government is an important first step, but the city needs to fast track permitting for the nine approved projects in order for additional, and much needed, funding announcements to happen.
“Lobbying municipal and provincial governments on education issues of importance to the school district and its communities” as per “What is the role of the Surrey Board of Education?”
Surrey needs school trustees that will fulfill their mandate and advocate for students and families.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY
Surrey Students Now responds to BC Government 2018 Budget
Surrey, BC - The 2018 BC Government Budget has good news for families across BC when it comes to housing and childcare. However, Surrey Students Now is disappointed to see no new funding for much needed capital to reduce portables across the Surrey School District, as promised in the NDP platform.
The Budget notes that 3700 new teachers need to be hired and that $2billion has been dedicated to ‘maintain, replace, renovate or expand schools across B.C., from Surrey to Prince George’. However, no new dollars for Surrey capital projects was announced. The 320+ portables costing the district ~$5 million from the District’s operations budget will continue to exist.
The Surrey School District’s February “Progress Report on Active Capital Projects” details 15 current capital projects in various stages of planning and construction. Some of these previously announced projects are still waiting for the funds to be transferred from the Province while others are held up in the City of Surrey permitting department.
Surrey continues to grow as a city and schools are bearing the brunt of this growth.
The City is content to put new developments near schools which cannot support additional student populations. Added to this, the City is not utilizing earned taxes from secondary suites to support schools further perpetuating overcrowded schools. We welcome ~1000 new students each year to the District. At the pace we are going, by 2020, we will have ~10,000 students in portables.
School capacity, teacher and education assistant recruitment and retention is impacting Surrey families including families with children with special needs. We look forward to ongoing conversations with Minister Fleming to advocate for Surrey students needs.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Surrey Students Now responds to BC Government 2018 Budget
Surrey, BC - The 2018 BC Government Budget has good news for families across BC when it comes to housing and childcare. However, Surrey Students Now is disappointed to see no new funding for much needed capital to reduce portables across the Surrey School District, as promised in the NDP platform.
The Budget notes that 3700 new teachers need to be hired and that $2billion has been dedicated to ‘maintain, replace, renovate or expand schools across B.C., from Surrey to Prince George’. However, no new dollars for Surrey capital projects was announced. The 320+ portables costing the district ~$5 million from the District’s operations budget will continue to exist.
The Surrey School District’s February “Progress Report on Active Capital Projects” details 15 current capital projects in various stages of planning and construction. Some of these previously announced projects are still waiting for the funds to be transferred from the Province while others are held up in the City of Surrey permitting department.
Surrey continues to grow as a city and schools are bearing the brunt of this growth.
The City is content to put new developments near schools which cannot support additional student populations. Added to this, the City is not utilizing earned taxes from secondary suites to support schools further perpetuating overcrowded schools. We welcome ~1000 new students each year to the District. At the pace we are going, by 2020, we will have ~10,000 students in portables.
School capacity, teacher and education assistant recruitment and retention is impacting Surrey families including families with children with special needs. We look forward to ongoing conversations with Minister Fleming to advocate for Surrey students needs.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 15, 2017
MEDIA ADVISORY
Seismic upgrades help make Surrey schools safe
Surrey, BC - Surrey Students Now believes all children and staff should be safe in their school buildings. Today’s announcement of seismic upgrades to Mary Jane Shannon Elementary and Bear Creek Park Elementary ensures those children and staff will be in safe schools soon.
Both schools were considered the District’s highest priority seismic upgrades with only five other seismic projects, at a lower rating, yet to be completed. We recognize that there is still much work to be done throughout the Province on seismic upgrading and look forward to those announcements as well.
Portable classrooms will be used at Mary Jane Shannon Elementary for the duration of the construction project, and then removed. Surrey Students Now is critical of portable classrooms when they become permanent fixtures on school property, and because of the significant costs the District incurs against its operations budget. However, this seismic upgrade project represents an appropriate use of portable classrooms.
Surrey Students Now appreciates the invitation to today’s announcement, to not only see the Government’s continued commitment to adequately fund and support the Ministry of Education mandate to “Make schools safer by accelerating the seismic upgrade program,” but also to interact with enthusiastic students at Mary Jane Shannon Elementary as they demonstrated their ability to code miniature robots called Ozobots.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Seismic upgrades help make Surrey schools safe
Surrey, BC - Surrey Students Now believes all children and staff should be safe in their school buildings. Today’s announcement of seismic upgrades to Mary Jane Shannon Elementary and Bear Creek Park Elementary ensures those children and staff will be in safe schools soon.
Both schools were considered the District’s highest priority seismic upgrades with only five other seismic projects, at a lower rating, yet to be completed. We recognize that there is still much work to be done throughout the Province on seismic upgrading and look forward to those announcements as well.
Portable classrooms will be used at Mary Jane Shannon Elementary for the duration of the construction project, and then removed. Surrey Students Now is critical of portable classrooms when they become permanent fixtures on school property, and because of the significant costs the District incurs against its operations budget. However, this seismic upgrade project represents an appropriate use of portable classrooms.
Surrey Students Now appreciates the invitation to today’s announcement, to not only see the Government’s continued commitment to adequately fund and support the Ministry of Education mandate to “Make schools safer by accelerating the seismic upgrade program,” but also to interact with enthusiastic students at Mary Jane Shannon Elementary as they demonstrated their ability to code miniature robots called Ozobots.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 8, 2017
MEDIA ADVISORY
Surrey Students Now Welcomes a Long Over-Due Capital Announcement
Surrey, BC - Surrey Students Now is pleased with the announcement from the BC government of $31 million for two capital projects in Surrey School District #36.
This announcement - for a school in the Grandview Heights area and an addition to Pacific Heights Elementary School - marks a positive step forward in eliminating portables in our District. The schools selected are in one of the three primary areas that continues to see rampant development.
Provision of new school capital projects not only creates much needed space, but also eliminates considerable expenditures from the districts operations budget to finance portables at the expense of much needed Education Assistants, Learning Resource Teachers, classroom operating funds, and more.
The funding announcement demonstrates positive movement in addressing space issues in a community experiencing hyper development and will continue to see an influx of students over the coming years. It is refreshing to see capital announcements made ahead of significantly overcrowded schools in this particular area, but we have many schools in other areas of this District that are completely overcrowded, and those communities need schools announced too.
We are also mindful that over 1000 students per year enter this District. We will continue to advocate with the government for equitable access to capital space across the district, for current and future students.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Surrey Students Now Welcomes a Long Over-Due Capital Announcement
Surrey, BC - Surrey Students Now is pleased with the announcement from the BC government of $31 million for two capital projects in Surrey School District #36.
This announcement - for a school in the Grandview Heights area and an addition to Pacific Heights Elementary School - marks a positive step forward in eliminating portables in our District. The schools selected are in one of the three primary areas that continues to see rampant development.
Provision of new school capital projects not only creates much needed space, but also eliminates considerable expenditures from the districts operations budget to finance portables at the expense of much needed Education Assistants, Learning Resource Teachers, classroom operating funds, and more.
The funding announcement demonstrates positive movement in addressing space issues in a community experiencing hyper development and will continue to see an influx of students over the coming years. It is refreshing to see capital announcements made ahead of significantly overcrowded schools in this particular area, but we have many schools in other areas of this District that are completely overcrowded, and those communities need schools announced too.
We are also mindful that over 1000 students per year enter this District. We will continue to advocate with the government for equitable access to capital space across the district, for current and future students.
Grassroots Parent Groups Advocate Together for Public Education
As we near the end of the calendar year and are just over 100 days into the current school year, it is a time of reflection in our province. Many will recognize some positive steps made in public education during the year: the Supreme Court of Canada ruling on class size and composition continues to be implemented and funded; seismic projects are being announced with greater frequency; and there is increasing recognition of the value of public education and the undeniable deficiencies still present in a system which has faced chronic deprioritization for 16 years.
But public education isn’t yet the priority it should be, that is, as a societal benefit to all. Parents and families still await long-overdue changes that will make education more accessible and equitable for all learners across the province.
Parent advocacy continues and grassroots parent groups are working together now more than ever. On December 1, 2017, six parent advocacy groups--BCEdAccess, Nanaimo Parents Supporting Public Education, Parent Advocacy Network (incl FACE), Richmond Schools Stand United, Seismic Safety For BC Schools, Surrey Students Now—met with BC Premier John Horgan and Minister of Education Rob Fleming. The representatives of these six groups spoke with Premier Horgan and Minister Fleming about some key issues facing the public education system. Together, the parent representatives made six recommendations to the government (see below).
We thank Premier Horgan and Minister Fleming for taking the time to listen to the collective parent voice, and we look forward to more such meetings in the future. Our recommendations are only the beginning of many changes that are required to provide a quality, equitable public education to all the children in our province. The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services has also made some strong recommendations for public education funding in the 2018 Budget. We encourage the government to view our recommendations and the Committee’s recommendations as important steps on the road to building the public education system that BC’s children deserve.
About Our Non-Partisan Organizations
BCEdAccess has over 1250 parent members, from all over BC, and we are growing every day. Our mandate as grassroots volunteers is to advocate publicly for equitable access to education for students with special needs, and to provide their parents with support, education and training around that right.
Nanaimo Parents Supporting Public Education is an organization formed by parents concerned about the chronic underfunding of public education in BC and the effects it has on the quality of our children's education. We work to bring attention and awareness to issues within our public education system both locally and provincially.
The Parent Advocacy Network is a collective of parents and community members who share a commitment to public education. We work to address the devaluing of public education in Vancouver and across BC by holding government accountable and helping effect policy changes.
Richmond Schools Stand United is a parent-led group advocating for safe schools and equitable access to public education across our city and the province.
Seismic Safety For BC Schools is an advocacy group committed to ensuring all schools in BC are earthquake safe.
Surrey Students Now is a group composed of parents concerned for the education of the community’s children.
As we near the end of the calendar year and are just over 100 days into the current school year, it is a time of reflection in our province. Many will recognize some positive steps made in public education during the year: the Supreme Court of Canada ruling on class size and composition continues to be implemented and funded; seismic projects are being announced with greater frequency; and there is increasing recognition of the value of public education and the undeniable deficiencies still present in a system which has faced chronic deprioritization for 16 years.
But public education isn’t yet the priority it should be, that is, as a societal benefit to all. Parents and families still await long-overdue changes that will make education more accessible and equitable for all learners across the province.
Parent advocacy continues and grassroots parent groups are working together now more than ever. On December 1, 2017, six parent advocacy groups--BCEdAccess, Nanaimo Parents Supporting Public Education, Parent Advocacy Network (incl FACE), Richmond Schools Stand United, Seismic Safety For BC Schools, Surrey Students Now—met with BC Premier John Horgan and Minister of Education Rob Fleming. The representatives of these six groups spoke with Premier Horgan and Minister Fleming about some key issues facing the public education system. Together, the parent representatives made six recommendations to the government (see below).
We thank Premier Horgan and Minister Fleming for taking the time to listen to the collective parent voice, and we look forward to more such meetings in the future. Our recommendations are only the beginning of many changes that are required to provide a quality, equitable public education to all the children in our province. The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services has also made some strong recommendations for public education funding in the 2018 Budget. We encourage the government to view our recommendations and the Committee’s recommendations as important steps on the road to building the public education system that BC’s children deserve.
About Our Non-Partisan Organizations
BCEdAccess has over 1250 parent members, from all over BC, and we are growing every day. Our mandate as grassroots volunteers is to advocate publicly for equitable access to education for students with special needs, and to provide their parents with support, education and training around that right.
Nanaimo Parents Supporting Public Education is an organization formed by parents concerned about the chronic underfunding of public education in BC and the effects it has on the quality of our children's education. We work to bring attention and awareness to issues within our public education system both locally and provincially.
The Parent Advocacy Network is a collective of parents and community members who share a commitment to public education. We work to address the devaluing of public education in Vancouver and across BC by holding government accountable and helping effect policy changes.
Richmond Schools Stand United is a parent-led group advocating for safe schools and equitable access to public education across our city and the province.
Seismic Safety For BC Schools is an advocacy group committed to ensuring all schools in BC are earthquake safe.
Surrey Students Now is a group composed of parents concerned for the education of the community’s children.
| Six Key Recommendations/Presentation |