Category Archives: School Board Election 2020

Reasons to Vote for Tanya Foster on November 9, 2020

If you’re still wondering who to select for your Regina Public School Board Candidate for Subdivision Five, watch this video to learn about my goals for and my commitments if I am re-elected.

Voter Information:

https://www.regina.ca/elections/info-for-voters/regular-polls/

Regular Polls

Regular Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Monday, November 9, 2020.

To find your designated polling station, visit My Voter Info

Free transit will be available for both conventional and Paratransit users on Election Day, including your return trip.

Make sure to complete your Voter Registration Form and bring it with you. Forms will also be available at your polling station.

Why Vote for Me

Why Vote for Me

I have the education and the experience to serve well as a Regina Public School Board Trustee. In the past four years, I have advocated for greater investments in Education. When we were faced with unprecedented budget cuts, I voted to keep teachers in the classroom and not to cut Indigenous advocates. I have also brought the needs of the students in Subdivision Five to the Board Table. I will always push for greater equity, especially for students with all kinds of abilities and disabilities. I believe absolutely that education is one of the most important institutions in our society. We need to have a strong education system to develop empathetic and confident and empowered individuals who have the knowledge and skills to solve social problems, to cure diseases, to stand up and for the rights of the underprivileged, especially those whose voices have long been silenced by an oppressive society.

Personal Highlights During my time on the Regina Public School Board of Education (2016-2020)

It has been an honour to serve the Regina Public School Board of Education. There were many important and rewarding experiences. I am going to share just a few:

  • Attending the Annual Powwow to honour Graduates of Treaty Four Territory. I had never been to a powwow until I attended my first one in 2017 and I kept coming back to celebrate with the graduates. It was an honour to join in the festivities.
  • I also went to my first Feast and Round Dance. It was very relaxing and enjoyable to sit on blankets getting to know people and eating copious amounts of food. The food was delicious and a few people shared containers with me so that I could take some home. I am not a great dancer so I was a little apprehensive about participating in the round dance, but I think I managed okay. It is such a treat to dance to the impressive drumming by the talented group.
  • The Community Engagement Forums were highlights for me, as well. At one of the forums, I sat in a room with employees who shared about the mental health of their students. It was heartbreaking to hear about the many students who were suffering with debilitating depression and anxiety. I made a commitment to myself at that time that I would never stop fighting for more mental health support for our students (and our staff).
  • Attending the Allan Blakeney Adult Campus Graduation. I tried to attend every graduation to which I was invited, but I especially enjoyed the Adult Campus Graduation. I am so proud of those students! They faced many barriers to get to that place on stage. These are students with grit! Even when I have visited the adult campus and met with the students, I was so awed by their resiliency. A number of the students were recent immigrants who overcame language and cultural barriers to get that diploma. Other students had dropped out of high school at one time because of challenges they were facing, but they also walked across that stage.
  • Attending Treaty Four (and Métis) Flag Raisings. I was invited to two of these events, one at Albert School and one at the mâmawêyatitân centre. At the latter one, I was invited to give an address and to participate in the actual raising of the flags. It was an incredible honour. Below is a photo from the event

The importance of taking a risk

It is a great risk for me to run for the school board. It’s vulnerable. It’s uncomfortable. It’s intimidating. But, it’s worth it. Whether I win or lose, I will grow from this experience and, hopefully, I will empower others also to step out in courage.

Whenever we put our names forward in an election, we are asking people to assess us, to assess our integrity, our competence, our values, our track record, even our personalities. The ultimate assessment will come at the ballot box when people will cast their vote either for me or against me. They believe in me or they don’t. They trust me or they don’t. (There is a myriad of reasons for choosing or not choosing me on election day.)

But even before election day, we give people permission to enter our metaphorical homes as though we’re real estate for people to appraise. We open the door and invite people to inspect us: check out the structural integrity of the building; examine the layout to see if it allows space for your unique furniture (i.e., values and beliefs); peer into our closets, our underwear drawers, our catch-all cabinets; stick your nose into our kids’ bedrooms; scan the books on their shelves—The Art of War, The Republic, The Wealth of Nations, The Holy Bible. They may dredge up past photos which reveal various iterations of the house’s décor: utilitarian vinyl flooring from the 1970s; a print of Picasso’s Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon hanging behind the oval-shaped dining room table; luxurious linens, in hues of pink and grey, adorning a king-sized bed; a crucifix displayed in the kitchen; a potted Devil’s ivy, its vines twisting around the ornate nineteenth century china cabinet.  

For most people, it is a step of courage to run in an election because we are allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. And vulnerability sucks! Brené Brown says “You can’t get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability. Embrace the suck” (Dare to Lead, 9).

So, why am I running for school board when it means that I have to be vulnerable?

  1. I am not content to live a comfortable humdrum life, to settle, to stay on the sidelines. I want to be a person who overcomes adversity, who doesn’t give up when the battle grows fierce. By embracing new experiences, by learning about other ways of thinking and being, and by pushing past my perceived limitations, then will I grow.

  2. It’s a risk worth taking. Our education system needs strong governance to develop a sustainable plan for delivering quality education for all students, to promote a culture of safety and empowerment for students and staff, and to attract and retain qualified leaders to run the operations.

I am emboldened by witnessing the incredible acts of courage by others. For example, my sister lost a son and her husband in the space of three years; she has fought through the pain and loneliness and disappointment. In fact, all of my sisters have pushed through obstacle after obstacle. And my parents . . . Dad who quit school (maybe in grade 5 or 6) to take care of Grandma and the farm while his father was in the hospital with rheumatoid arthritis and my mom, the thirteenth of fourteen children, who experienced many personal difficulties. They bought their own farm. They raised five children. They kept pushing forward. I have a dear Indigenous friend (N.P.) who experienced intense discrimination and shaming. She walked through that pain. She forgave the bigots. She has embraced her Indigenous identity, has travelled to many nations, and has pursued her artistic dreams to use her talents and education to showcase the beauty of her people. And there are my dear Rwandan friends (C.K., D.K., A.N.) who came to Canada as refugees, who fought off the colonial labels and refused to cower. They are beautiful women who have really helped me to view myself also as a woman of strength and ability. They are so much better than I at shutting out the noise.

Fear is subjective. Some people are terrified of public speaking, yet they can fly a fighter jet into a warzone. I’m fearful to put myself out there, at the mercy of the media and the haters and the cynics and the critics. But, I’m willing to do it because it is good for me to push past fear, to live outside of my comfort zone. And, if I get elected, I will continue to put myself out there for the people in my sub-division.

Why I am not accepting donations

I am not asking, nor am I accepting financial donations. That being said, I will graciously accept my friends’ assistance with delivering mailers.

I am not rich . . . not at all. I live in a small bungalow in a blue collar neighbourhood with train tracks behind me. It’s not that I have buckets of money to spend on a campaign, but I have saved enough money that I can fund a modest campaign.

So, why am I not accepting donations?

1 There are people with more pressing financial needs and I would rather donations be given to them.

I have many friends who have lost employment because of the pandemic and associated public health orders. I have friends who are struggling to eke out a living on a measly income assistance payment. I have friends who live from paycheque to paycheque. (I have lived from paycheque to paycheque.) I have new immigrant friends who are struggling to find employment in this depressed economy. When I worked downtown, everyday I saw people who were relying on the generosity of others to get a meal. These needs are much greater than my need for campaign donations.

If anybody wanted to donate to my campaign, I would encourage them to give to the Regina Food Bank or Soul’s Harbor Rescue Mission or Carmichael Outreach or any other organization serving the underprivileged. I have given to many of these organizations.

2 There is a perceived conflict of interest when people accept donations from certain groups.

I am also concerned that accepting donations from certain groups could pose a conflict of interest. Trustees often hear union grievances. If I vote in favour of the union, I don’t want people to think that I have sided with the union because they have supported me. I respect trustees who have declared a conflict of interest and recused themselves from union-related discussions and decisions. However, I prefer to keep the lines of separation cleaner so I will not accept donations from unions or corporations. Frankly, I have great respect for candidates (from all levels of government) who refuse to accept donations from unions or corporations.

I have what it takes to be a trustee

I often feel that I don’t have what it takes: I don’t have what it takes to be a leader . . . I don’t have what it takes to get a promotion . . . I don’t have what it takes to be a trustee . . . Today, I am choosing to silence the “I-don’t-have-what-it-takes” refrain.

I am taking Brené Brown’s advice:

“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.”

Brené Brown

I am running in this election because I have what it takes to be a trustee. I am walking inside my story. I am owning it. I am not going to hustle for worthiness.

So, I am going to own my story. Here is a list of some of the things that qualify me to be a school board trustee:

  • I used to be a teacher. I know what it’s like to spend hours and hours preparing lessons, marking papers and assignments, communicating with parents, managing a classroom, leading and participating in parent-student conferences and meetings.
  • I am skilled at strategic planning, change management, business improvement, policy development and implementation, performance measurement and analysis, research and data analysis, etc. These skills are very useful to have at the Board Table. I know how to shape and execute a strategic plan. I understand the importance of communication and training to ready people for change. I hold people accountable. I push for evidence-based decision-making.
  • I have taken many facilitation courses and I have facilitated dozens (maybe hundreds) of meetings and consultations and forums. I know how to plan a meeting agenda and get through the agenda on time. I know how to use consensus-building tools to get agreement on a go-forward strategy. Even though Board decisions are made with a majority vote, it is always better to get full agreement.
  • I am a strong communicator. I am often called upon to emcee events, give eulogies, and provide greetings or formal addresses. I especially enjoy when I am asked to give an address at graduations. I am comfortable speaking to elected officials in the Government and in the Opposition. I can articulate well the issues that we are facing as a board.
  • I am empathetic and humble. I want to listen and learn from others. I do my best to make time for people. I listen to the students. I listen to the staff. I listen to the concerned citizens. It’s good to get out and march and protest for just causes, but it’s just as important to stand up for justice when no one is watching, to ally with the oppressed when no one knows you’re doing it, and to spend time just listening to the stories of others.
  • I have been a trustee for four years which means that I have four years of experience under my belt. The role of the trustee is unlike many other roles. It’s not the same as an elected member of the government and it’s different than an appointed board member of a non-profit board. I am finally getting the rhythm of the trustee role and responsibilities.
  • I care about people. I want our students to realize their full potential. I want the employees to feel empowered and validated. I care about the well-being of other trustees and our stakeholders.

In addition to the incredible wisdom I glean from Brené Brown, I also lean into what Michelle Obama says. In her book Becoming, she states:

“There’s a power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s a grace in being willing to know and hear others. This, for me, is how we become.”

― Michelle Obama

I am still learning to own my unique story. Michelle Obama, a black woman in the U.S., has faced greater challenges than I have; she has experienced unrelenting criticism and hatred. And when I feel the critics shouting in my ear, I remind myself of her dictum: When they go low, we go high. This is wisdom.

Regina Public School Board Achievements (2016 – 2020)

I have been a trustee on the Regina Public School Board for the past four years. Below I have highlighted a few of the initiatives and achievements that the Board initiated and/or endorsed:

  • Hosted the annual Community Engagement Forum, through which we solicited stakeholder input on critical issues facing the school division.
  • Prior to my election to the Board, trustees were holding an annual trustee-student form with students from all Regina high schools. During my term, I helped to initiate the trustee-student forum with Indigenous students. This forum gave us the opportunity to sit down with Indigenous students and hear about their experiences in education and get their perspectives on the education system.
  • I led the development of the Community Engagement Plan, which establishes goals, key actions, intended outcomes, and indicators of achievement. This plan will hold the Board accountable to building relationships with key stakeholders.
  • The Board drafted a Risk Management System for the School Division.
  • The Board endorsed the Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy, with its three strategic priorities:
    • Raise mental health awareness, reduce stigma and promote well-being;
    • Align administrative procedures and processes with the vision for promotion and protection of mental health in the workplace; and
    • Create and sustain a healthy and supportive workplace culture.
  • Initiated the Special Committee for Diversity, which developed a report containing 13 recommendations that the Board approved and requested that Division staff implement the recommendations.
  • Developed an Advocacy Plan to keep the Board’s advocacy efforts focused on a clear set of goals and strategic priorities.
  • Created the new Personnel and Organizational Culture Committee, of which I was the chair. Among other responsibilities, this committee provides recommendations for ensuring a safe and healthy workplace for all employees.