Green Party trustee to chair Vancouver School Board

Green Party trustee Janet Fraser has been elected chairperson of the Vancouver School Board.

Fraserwas electedonMonday at an inaugural meeting of therecently elected nine-person board. Shewas a VSBtrustee from 2014 until all nineVSBtrustees were fired last October forfailingto pass a balanced budget. Fraser wasre-elected in a by-election earlier this month.

Her election marks the first time two Green Party members have chaired two elected boards in the same city: the other chair is Michael Wiebe, heading the Vancouver Park Board.

Fraser does not command a majority on the VSB.The board is made up of people from other municipal political parties including the Non-Partisan Association, Vision Vancouver and the new OneCity party.

"The voters have elected a diversity in the nine trustees," said Fraser. "I think we have to reflect that in the way we work at the board table."

Moving forward

Frasersaid collaboration is key while tackling the challenges facing the VSB. As a member of the previous school board, Fraser said she was aware of the disrespectful conduct that was reported during the last board's tenure.

"I didn't realize the full impact it was having on our staff," Frasertold The Early Editionhost RickCluff.

Frasersaid the investigative report ordered by WorkSafeBCwhich foundthe previous board created a toxic work environment, gave her much needed distance and a chance to reflect on how to best move forward.

"As the chair I have a leadership role, I have to make sure board meetings are conducted in the proper manner," said Fraser. "It won't be hard, because I think all the trustees are on board with that."

Fraseracknowledgedthe boardneeds to function efficiently, asthis schoolyear has been rife with confusion largely due to a shortage of teachers.

"This is an ongoing issue across the province, but there are unique aspects in Vancouver," said Fraser, acknowledging that some teachers do not want to work in Vancouver because of the high cost of living.

Fraser said while the VSB can't control affordability in Vancouver, they are havingdiscussions around covering moving costs for inbound teachersand "creative home-stay arrangements."

"I want to see how those could be implemented and what the possibilities are," said Fraser, who stressed the immediate concern for the VSB, beyond renewing public confidence in the board, is teacher recruitment.

With files from The Early Edition