They may be on strike, but that isn't stopping the Alberta Teachers' Association from offering its support to their favoured candidates in school board elections across Alberta.The Western Standard has compiled a list of all the trustee candidates endorsed by the ATA. First up, for Edmonton School District No.7, Alex Marshall, a former teacher, prioritizes: "1. Adequate Funding for All Schools and Staff.""2. Protecting Vulnerable Children from Scapegoating.""3. Working with Other Boards and Outside Agencies.".Next, Chuck Smit, running for the Edmonton School District No.7, is a former firefighter/paramedic turned longtime school volunteer and school council chair. He focuses on:"Stable, equitable school funding is critical to support staff and meet growing student needs.""Smaller classes need more teachers & resources to support every student properly.""Boost academics with proven teaching, better curriculum, and strong literacy/numeracy programs.".For the Calgary School District No.19, Jenny Regal has over 34 years of teaching experience and 31 years in leadership roles with the ATA. Her key areas of focus are:"Ensure that schools are safe & caring for all by following local policies & processes that work.""Advocate for appropriate & predictable funding to support learning for every child every day.""Support teachers in filling the curriculum & assessment resource void created by the government.".Running for Foothills School Division No.38 is John Evans, who has previously served as a school board trustee and wants to prioritize: "1. Maintaining Public Education: Protecting Alberta’s public education system from privatization.""2. Advocating for Mental Health & Medical Support: Schools are avenues for mental health, medical needs, and safety.""3. Retaining Fine Arts: Ensuring all students have opportunities in the arts.""4. Addressing Classroom Complexities: Securing additional funding to meet diverse student needs.""5. Equity in Rural Education: Providing equitable opportunities and services for rural communities.""6. Expanding Rural CTF Opportunities: Strengthening Career and Technology Foundations programs in rural schools.""7. Advancing Full-Time Kindergarten: Advocating for fully funded, optional full-time kindergarten.""8. Ensuring Safe and Balanced Athletics: Opportunities for all students to achieve personal bests.""9. Protecting Elected School Boards: Defending the autonomy of democratically elected boards.".Kaye Schindler, a candidate for Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14, has 34 years of teaching experience and later served as an assistant principal and principal.She states she will prioritize:"Funding public education to match rising enrolment and support every student’s needs.""Ensuring teachers have the tools and resources needed for the new curriculum.""Establish goals and priorities that put students’ needs first.".Kelly Dick is running for the Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14, she has grown her own business, as well as coached and volunteered in youth sports. These are her areas of focus:1. "Promote Growth and Success for All Students — every student deserves the opportunity to thrive."2. "Enhance High-Quality Learning and Working Environments — essential for both students and staff.3. "Strengthen Public Education Through Effective Engagement — trust & transparency are foundational.".Kelsey Hynes, is running for Greater St. Albert Catholic School Division.She is a former teacher and local community volunteer, and she wishes to focus on the following:"Investing in creative learning paths to support every student’s unique journey to success.""Acting now to build an inclusive, equitable, and effective education for all learners.""Fighting alongside parents and staff to fully resource classrooms for student success.".A candidate for Edmonton School District No. 7, Marcelle Kosman, is an English instructor at the University of Alberta, a researcher, podcaster, and public educator.Kosman claims to focus on the following:"Ensure all public schools in Edmonton are safe places of learning for 2SLGBTQIA+ kids of all ages.""Advocate fiercely to the province for the reinvestment urgently needed to sustain public education.""Ensure all public schools have the resources to support students of all abilities and backgrounds.".Mark Swanson, running for Edmonton Catholic Separate School Division No. 7, has experience as a teacher, vice principal, and principal.Here's some of the things Swanson claims to prioritize:"Appropriate funding that matches system growth and increasing classroom complexity.""'Safe schools for all.'""Maintaining fully funded Catholic Schools as the alternative to secular public schools.".Running for Parkland School Division No. 70, Natasha Maloney, has been a volunteer, contractor, and employee with Parkland School Division.She wishes to focus on the following:"Public Education Funding.""Health and Well-being of Students and Staff.""Infrastructure – Supporting Long-Term Sustainability.".Natasha Warnock is running for Black Gold Regional Division No. 18, and has been an educational assistant and wants to focus on the following:"Engaging with communities. Connection is the heart of our community. Every Voice is valued and heard.""Supporting students, I am dedicated to ensuring every student has resources, support and opportunity.""Planning for tomorrow, I believe in forward thinking policies that prepare students for the future.".Sarah Doll is running for Edmonton School District No. 7.She is the co-founder of Hold My Hand Alberta, an advocacy group for equity in education, and wishes to focus her campaign on the following:"Protecting and defending public education.""Increasing classroom support and working towards true inclusion.""Focus on student mental health, well being, belonging, and school culture.".Christine Light is running for the Lethbridge School District No. 51.She has been an Early Learning Educator, a therapeutic parent, and a peer counselling, focusing her campaign on the following:"Champion public education and advocate for full funding to provide essential supports and resources.New school builds and modernizations to allow for lower class sizes and innovative learning spaces.Strengthening student achievement results and improvement in Division Assurance Results.".Craig Whitehead, running for Lethbridge School District No. 51, is a former teacher and a former trustee for Palliser School Division and Lethbridge School Division.His proposed priorities are"Advocating for sustainable funding so that we can meet the needs of all students.Reducing classroom sizes and increasing support to combat the complexities of the classroom.Adequate support for teachers and staff to ensure our students become critical thinkers.".Emmanuel Anom is running for Lethbridge School District No. 51, and has a background in educational leadership, most recently as the Dean of Lethbridge Polytechnique.He wishes to prioritize:"Improving student achievement.Managing enrollment growth and school facilities.Securing adequate funding and optimizing budget expenditure.Supporting student mental health and well-being.".Running for Edmonton School District No. 7, Holly Nichol works in policy governance and program development support at the University of Alberta.What she wishes to work towards as a trustee is:"Revise and leverage policy to optimize current funding, given uncertain provincial support.Partner with stakeholders to improve working/learning conditions within EPSB schools.Protect marginalized students from harmful legislation and government overreach.".Jan Sawyer, running for Edmonton School District No. 7, is a former teacher, principal, and current school board trustee.What she wants to focus on if reelected is:"Adequate, sustainable, and predictable fundingInfrastructure: new, modernized, and well-maintained learning spacesStudent and staff well-being".Jeff Milner is running for Lethbridge School District No. 51, and is a former high school teacher with over 10 years of experience.He wishes to prioritize:"Inclusion for our most vulnerable students including minorities and those that identify as LGBTQ+Being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars while also pressing the government to allocate more.Classroom sizes and complexities are harming student learning and this needs to be addressed.".Jill Osborne is a candidate for Parkland School Division No. 70, and is a current trustee for the division.Upon reelection Osborne wishes to focus on:"Success-Through Learning Support and Meaningful Opportunities.Wellness-Nurturing the whole child so that every student has what they need to thrive.Community-Supporting environments that foster a sense of belonging and connection for all.".Kristia Scott is running for Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14, and she is a teacher and long-term parent-volunteer, taking up school council roles. Scott's priorities consist of:"Preventing the politicization of the board table, a non-partisan approach to issues in education.Advocating for funding class size, complexities, enrollment, curriculum, capital projects, staffing.Protecting the autonomy of the locally elected school board who best understand community needs.".A candidate running for Rocky View School Division No. 41, Kristi Puszkar, is "a parent, and a long-time advocate for wellness, inclusion, and Indigenous representation."Puszkar's priority areas include:"Transparency & Collaboration – Open communication and genuine partnership with families and staff.Funding – Advocate for equitable, sustainable funding that meets the needs of growing communities.Infrastructure – advocating for more space for our record growing population.".Leah Floyd is running for Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14, and has over 20 years of experience as a teacher.As a trustee, Floyd would like to focus on the following:"Supportive Schools: Students first budgeting, expanded opportunities, and safe schools.Engaged Communities: Parent engagement, community connections, and stable leadership.Bright Futures: Long-term stability, experienced educators, and post-secondary success.".Linda Lindsay who is running for Edmonton School District No. 7, is a former teacher, curriculum coordinator, and assistant principal.Lindsay wishes to implement:"Robust funding for public education, supporting smaller class sizes and supports for all learners.Safe, welcoming, accessible and inclusive high quality education for everyone.Planning for the future. Plan and build to accommodate Edmonton’s unprecedented student growth.".A candidate for Rocky View School Division No. 41 is Melyssa Bowen, the current trustee for Ward 3 on the Rocky View School Board for Airdrie.Bowen wishes to implement:"Advocating for school infrastructure, lower class sizes, and investment in public education.Engaging with teachers, parents, and community members to include their voices in Board decisions.Supporting safe and inclusive learning and working environments for all students and staff.".Michelle Browne a local author, artist and small business owner, is running for Lethbridge School District No. 51.Browne's priority areas are:"Creating a local policy overriding Ministerial Orders 27 and 29Banning Gen AI use locally in curriculum generation, homework, and on school computersFighting for more funding for educational assistants and more teachers, to help disabled students".Nancy Hunt is running for Edmonton School District No. 7, and has had her own business, Nancy's Notes Music, as well as management experience in corporations.As trustee, Hunt would like to focus on:"LOWER CLASS SIZE: set best practices including teacher:student ratios, and support for complexitySTAFF AND STUDENT WELLNESS: embed wellness into school culture so we are all supporting each otherSUPPORTING ALL STUDENTS: teachers always need to know there is class support available when needed".Running for Edmonton School District No. 7, Nickela Anderson has experience in opinion research, program and leadership evaluation, and public engagement.As trustee, she would want to focus on:"Equitable Funding – Ensure stable, adequate, and fair funding for all schools.Inclusive Learning – Support diversity, complex needs, and newcomer students.Student Well-Being – Prioritize mental health, safety, and belonging in schools.".Saadiq Sumar is running for Edmonton School District No. 7, is a professional engineer and currently serves as the trustee for Ward G in the Edmonton School District No. 7. Sumar's priorities include:"Equitable per-student base funding and support for increasing complexity in the classroomPreserving safe & high-quality learning for all students i.e. new curriculum and equity for studentsMore 21st century learning spaces for students to address increasing demand and class sizes"
