1. How long have you lived here? 18 years
2. What is your occupation? Independent publisher/proofreader/freelance editor.
3. Have you done any volunteer work here? Which group(s)? Treasurer of Ashcroft Elementary School PAC for four years. Have worked with Winding Rivers Arts and Performance Society for three years. Am currently working with the committee for the 2015 Ashcroft Wellness and Music Festival.
4. Have you served before on a Town Council or School Board? I’ve served as school trustee for the Village of Ashcroft since 2008.
5. Which issues are most important to you? My priority issue is to ensure that all students in the District receive the help they need to be successful. Locally, the most important issue is seeing through the successful transition of Ashcroft Secondary to a K-12 school, a process with which I’ve been very involved. I would very much want to work to expand the Trades programmes offered in all of our schools. And I want to ensure that students, parents, First Nations, and community members are engaged in what goes on in our schools, through better communication and inclusion.
6. How would you address them? I will continue to monitor closely the Ashcroft K-12 school, to ensure it is a facility serving the needs of all students, and of which we can all be proud. I will encourage the Board to hold early, and regular, discussions with the Village of Ashcroft regarding safety issues relating to roads and sidewalks (or lack of them) around the K-12 school. A Trades programme is already underway in the District, and I would work towards seeing that expanded, as well as discussing how plans can be put in place to help students find their place in a changing workplace environment. At my urging the District has begun work on more and better communications, as I believe it is most important that we find a way of keeping everyone informed of the great things happening in the Gold Trail School District. I’m also an advocate for special community events in the school district, and using them as a means of informing and engaging as many people as possible.
7. Additional comments: It has been my privilege to serve as Trustee for the Village of Ashcroft for the past six years. During much of that time proposed changes to the Ashcroft schools were being discussed, and I was able to ensure that a working committee comprised of many different voices was able to have input into what the new K-12 school will look like. I would very much like to continue working to implement the changes now underway in Ashcroft, and those proposed in other communities in our district, and to make further contributions to our growing record of student success.
Christopher Roden