My values
#1: I believe in public SCHOOLS
I attended public schools and all three of my kids attend CBE schools right here in Ward 8: one in elementary school, one in middle school, and one in high school.
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I send my kids to CBE schools because I trust the Calgary Board of Education. I see the proof with my own kids: The CBE provides a world-class education.
My values
#2: I believe in continuous improvement
The reason the Calgary Board of Education is one of the best school boards in the world is because of a commitment to continuous improvement. Elected trustees provide the community oversight and community voice that keeps our education system accountable and responsive.
My values
#3: I believe in being careful with money
You should see how good I am with stretching a dollar. Whether it's balancing the budget of my own household (I'm still driving the same car I bought in 2006) or keeping my work and volunteer projects in the black, I am always vigilant about the bottom line.
I'm a public-school parent, but I'm a taxpayer, too.
Being a strong advocate for kids and being a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility are not mutually exclusive. It's the Alberta way. Our province was built by people who've known that it's not always about spending more money. Usually it's about making sure we're spending money on the right things.
My values
#4: I believe in OUR kids
I am floored by the depth and breadth of the CBE's program offerings. From programs geared towards academic excellence to programs tailored to students with complex needs, there's a program or two or three to suit almost every learner.
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I will work hard for your kids and your families and keep public education high on the list of Alberta's priorities.
Here's why I'm running again.
I've loved serving my first four-year term as your elected school trustee! I love:
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Engaging with parents. If I'm re-elected, I will keep coming to school-council meetings, participating in school community events, meeting with parents and listening to your priorities.
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Advocating for your kids. I'm proud of the strong relationship that our current CBE Board of Trustees has built with the provincial government. If I'm re-elected, I will keep sharing our business case for continued investment in Calgary's kids, Calgary's schools, and Calgary's future prosperity.
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Bringing back some good, old-fashioned pride in the CBE. Calgary was founded in 1875 (Happy 150th birthday, Calgary!) and the CBE was founded in 1885. Together, we've had a fabulous 140-year run. Calgary is one of the world's best places to raise a family because of our strong public education system. We have some of the best and brightest people in education working for the CBE. If I'm re-elected, I will keep sharing this great news with Calgarians.
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But I also have big plans if voters give me a second term.
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​If I'm re-elected, my priorities for my second term would be to:
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Increase the number of before-and-after-school spaces at CBE schools.
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Advocate for additional dedicated learning spaces for kids with learning disabilities and neuro-diverse learning needs.
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Convince the provincial government to finally fix the broken way that school utilization rates are calculated in this province.
Priority #1: Increasing the number of before-and-after-school-care spaces at CBE schools.
How we're doing now:
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I've been a strong advocate for before-and-after-school care during my first term.
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I'm proud that amidst record enrolment and surging utilization across CBE schools, the CBE was able to add a net total of six new before-and-after-school care programs in the 2024-25 school year.
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There are now 104 before-and-after-school-care programs operating in CBE schools, which means approximately 75% of CBE elementary schools accomodate third-party before-and-after-school-care services.
How we could do even better:
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I would like to see 100% of CBE elementary schools connected with an on-site or walking-distance before-and-after-school-care provider.​​
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I would like to see zero (0) Kindergarten-to-Grade 2 students on a waiting list for an on-site or walking-distance before-and-after-school-care spot.
Priority #2: Advocating for additional dedicated learning spaces for kids with learning disabilities and neuro-diverse learning needs.
How we're doing now:
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I'm proud that the CBE welcomes every single student.
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I'm also proud of the wide array of programs and services that the CBE offers to diverse learners, including:​
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Specialized Classes. These are specialized classes located within community schools.
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Unique-setting schools. These are schools where the entire building is dedicated to programming for students with complex needs, learning dsabilities, or behavioiural complexities.
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Inclusive classrooms. The CBE is committed to making every single classroom an inclusive learning space, because in Alberta, the first placement option for educating students with special education needs begins in inclusive settings within the community schools. Examples of making every classroom more inclusive include: dimmed lights, tennis balls on chair feet to minimize noise, stationary bikes for movement breaks, etc.
- Currently, of the CBE’s approximately 143 000 students, more than 25,000 CBE students have special learning needs and more than 40,000 CBE students are learning English as a new language.
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Of the CBE’s approximately 25,000 students with special learning needs, about 3,500 kids attend specialized classes within their community schools or unique settings designed to support students with neurodiverse learning conditions.​​​​
​How we could do even better:
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We need more spaces for kids who are living and learning with neurodiversity.
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​Why this matters to me.
I understand that there are benefits to keeping neuro-diverse students together in inclusive settings.
I understand that schools in Alberta receive the lowest-per student funding in Canada and that the shortfall amounts to the CBE receiving $180 million less per year than comparably sized school boards in other parts of Canada.
I understand the limited spots in our specialized classrooms and unique-setting schools are full and we can't afford to add more spots.
But it's mind-boggling to me that parents or guardians can be called multiple times to pick up their child from school due to disregulated behaviour and yet, still, their child might not qualify for one of the CBE's limited spots in specialized classes or unique-setting schools. If I am re-elected, I will fight for our students with complex needs. ​​
​My Platform
Priority #1: If I am elected for a second term, I will push for the provincial government to finally fix the way school utilization rates are calculated.
School utilization rates matter.
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One of the main reasons our classroom have some many kids in them is because public schools have to have as many
Priority #3: I will make the business case for restoring early intervention supports.
Priority #4: I will advocate for a new curriculum that prepares our kids to thrive.
Priority #5: I will do right by the kids and parents who are calling for schools to be places of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Priority #3: Convincing the provincial government to finally fix the broken way that school utilization rates are calculated in this province.
Why this one matters:
Wait! Hold on a minute!​ Maybe you saw the phrase "school utilization rate calculation" and thought: Boring. I'm out!
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Well here are some ways that this obscure little calculation might be impacting YOU:
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If you live in a "new" neighbourhood built in the past 40 (!) years and there's still no school and the kids in your neighbourhood have to bus over 10 km to their nearest "community" school, then you've been impacted by the provincial government's school utilization rate calculation (because for decades the provincial government has said they won't build schools in new neighbourhoods while there's still space available at schools in established neighbourhoods).
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If your elementary-school-aged child is in a class with more than 30 kids or your high-school-aged child is in a class with more than 40 kids, then you've been impacted (because in order to achieve 100% utilization, many schools would have to have 40 kids per class, even in kindergarten!).
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If you're still waiting for your school to get a before-and-after-school space, then you've been impacted (because a childcare space can make the school's utilization rate look worse).
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If you're wondering why your school doesn't already have a flex space for neuro-diverse learners, then you've been impacted (because flex-spaces make a school's utilization rate look worse).
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If your child, urban or rural, attends a vibrant school with hundreds of students enrolled that is nevertheless techncially listed as "half empty" on the school enrolment report and at risk of closure, then you've been impacted. ​
How we could fix this:
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Schools can operate more effciently and offer richer programming to students when school buildings are well utilized.
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Knowing the utilization rate of school buildings is important.
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But the current school utilization calculation used by the Government of Alberta is broken.
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The current calculation has been in place with three different political parties in power. It's time to fix this. The provincial government needs to scrap it's needlessly complex school utilization calculation, which is based on square footage and includes things like staff rooms, hallways, and gym stages.
Instead, I'd like the CBE Board of Trustees to advocate for:
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A new, common-sense school capacity calculation based on the number of classrooms in the building multiplied by 25 students. And by "classrooms," I don't mean the gym, the gym stage, the staff room, the before-and-after-school space I menion in Priorty #1 above, or the flex room to meet complex learning needs that I mention in Priority #2 above. By "classrooms" I just mean actual classrooms.
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The same school utilization rate rules should apply equally to public schools and Alberta's government-chartered schools. Currently, the government's charter schools are exempt from reporting on their school utilization rate, which means the public doesn't get to find out which charter schools are half-empty and under-utilized.
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Schools should be eligible for full funding for the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Grant at either 75% utilization or at a minimum of 200 students enrolled in the school. Currently, the CBE (like other public school boards across Alberta) receives less than full funding for janitorial services, etc. for schools that are "less than 85% full" based on the provincial utilization rate calculation, even when these schools serve hundreds of students and are, in reality, fully utilized. ​
About Me
My EDUCATION
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B.A. in Political Science (graduated at the top of my class)
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Masters in Business Administration
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Both degrees are from the University of Alberta.
MY WORK WORK
I am currently in the midst of serving my first term as an elected CBE trustee (Oct 18, 2021 to Oct 20, 2025).
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Prior to that, I worked as an analyst and project consultant in the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors.
Career highlights include a stint as a Policy Manager in the Premier's Office (circa the Premier Klein era) up in Edmonton and as a Strategist in the City Manager's Office here in Calgary. ​
I've really rolled up my sleeves as a school volunteer. Over the years, I've been the chair of school council, the person in charge of getting the new playground built, and the go-getter who brought in the before-and-after-school-care program.
I've done a lot of volunteer work outside of the school system, too, including various Board governance roles with a residents association, a community association, a public transit advisory board, a United Way committee, and a museum fundraising society.
I moved to Canada in 1980, and I grew up in the Polish immigrant community in Edmonton. Even though I've always lived in English-speaking countries, I didn't learn English until I started school.
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In my 20s I spent time living in: Red Deer, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Poland, Ukraine and France.
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Calgary has been my hometown since 2006.
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My hobbies are reading, writing and skiing.
MY VolunteeR
Work
My SELF
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VOLUNTEER
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About Your Donation
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Thank you to every supporter who contributes a campaign donation of any size.
Whether you give $5, $50, $500, $5,000, or anything in between, I appreciate your generosity.
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My Campaign Goals
Fundraise to cover costs of lawn signs and flyers.
Win hearts and minds.
Get elected.
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Your Donation Options
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Write a cheque. If you choose to donate by writing a cheque, please contact my campaign so we can arrange the best way to pick up your cheque.
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The Fine Print
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Individuals can contribute any amount, up to $5,000 to any candidate.
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Donations to school board trustee candidates are not tax deductible.
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Only individuals who ordinarily reside in Alberta are allowed to make a contribution.
Acknowledgement of the Land
I acknowledge that many of the visitors to this site, as well as the children and families I will serve if I am elected, reside on the traditional territories of many diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples, who have lived and continue to live on these lands. I promise to work in the spirit of reconciliation, in the hope that it will contribute, in some small way, to creating a more just world.