Goals

I've been asked by a few teachers what motivated me to run for this office, and I see that as a very valid question.

Oh my! No one can see it, but I just wrote a twenty paragraph diatribe, trying to explain everything that has sparked my interest in working for teachers. Let me spare you that and answer simply: I want to be a voice for those who cannot or do not speak for themselves.

I have arrived at a point in my career (and it has taken a while) where I have learned to say 'no', both for myself and for others, when simple requests begin to mount up to unreasonable workloads. It's the story of the straw and the camel, but these days, our loads are all we can manage from day one. Too many of us accept overload and burnout as part of the job and this must change. We must speak up for ourselves and for others.

I have been trying to do just that at the local level, speak up for those who are not ready yet to speak for themselves. I feel we must all do the same. No one in this profession is super human, though most of us try to be (some very convincingly) in order to fill the student needs we identify. If we continue to allow those additional straws to be added to our packs, we will break and the students will suffer.

Locally and provincially, I want to see teachers united, helping one another define and redefine our roles. We are not everything to all. We need help and support from those with other areas of expertise. Education needs supports from companion departments and can not bear the burden alone. We need to speak up for ourselves, and I am ready to be heard.

That's why I'm running.