CHMA is featuring Meet Your Candidates interviews with local candidates for May 10 elections. You can find them all here.
One of the many contests on the ballot for May 10 is that for seats on the province’s District Education Councils (DECs). People in the Tantramar region can choose to vote in either the Anglophone East or Francophone Sud school districts.
Michelle Folkins is the current Tantramar representative on the Anglophone East district education council and is running again this year. Here’s Michelle in conversation with CHMA’s Erica Butler:
TRANSCRIPT:
CHMA: Michelle Folkins, thanks for joining us.
MICHELLE FOLKINS: Thank you for having me.
CHMA: So for those who might not already know you, Michelle, tell us a bit about yourself.
MF: Well, I grew up in Sackville. I went to all three of the schools there. And I married my husband, Kurt, from Dorchester. And we decided to settle here in Dorchester to raise our family. I have two kids. My daughter currently goes to Dorchester School here, and my son is in Sackville at Tantramar Regional High School.
CHMA: Okay. And how long have you served on the Anglophone East council?
MF: So far it’s been five years, but I’ve been on the council for the District Education Council.
CHMA: Right. So that’s when one term plus the extra COVID year that everyone had.
MF: Yeah, that’s correct. Honestly, before that, I hadn’t really known that there was a District Education Council. So five years ago, during our sustainability study, that’s when I had heard about it. And it really piqued my interest. And I decided to run in that upcoming election, five years ago.
CHMA: Tell us a little bit about that role, for people who aren’t familiar with it. Because as you say, it is one of those things that can easily slip past, people don’t really realize what’s going on…
MF: So the District Education Council… They use policies and standards set out in the Department of Education, their framework, and we establish our policies and things from there. Other responsibilities are, we have one employee, that’s the superintendent of the district. And we monitor things like student achievement, via policies for how they’re achieving for their math and their literacy and things like that.
We are also the bridge from the community to the district. So if the community has any questions or concerns that they can’t seem to get answered within the education system, they can refer them to us, and we try to get their issues and concerns resolved for them.
And the one thing that had piqued my interest at the very beginning is the infrastructure that is overseen by the District Education Council.
CHMA: Okay, so they’re in charge of the state of the schools essentially, right?
MF: Essentially, yes.
CHMA: So what factored into your decision to run for another term?
MF: Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed the past five years as the DEC member. You get to see the school system from a different side, and all the wonderful things that happen in our schools, in our district alone, and also in the rest of the districts in the province. We do meet every so often, and we get to hear stories, and hear initiatives that are taking place in other districts as well.
And being able to bring issues and concerns to the table, not only for the Tantramar-Memramcook area, but for the rest of the district too, that’s been good. And to bring a solution or voice for those issues is something I really enjoyed doing. And it is extra rewarding when you get to see the issues and concerns resolved. It doesn’t always happen. Sometimes it’s an ongoing thing. But it’s a plus when you get to see them resolved.
CHMA: So now do you have issues that you’re hoping to highlight in your campaign or going forward?
MF: I would like to keep going with some of the issues that are ongoing. One of those things is infrastructure. We certainly need to find ways to get that deferred maintenance list down. And make sure that we stay on top of the maintenance before it does become a bigger issue. While it does hinge on the Department of Education’s approval for those items on our list, I wonder if there’s a better way to get the items approved each year.
Like currently, we usually sit around about a $65 million deferred maintenance list. So it’s a big number. It’s a little intimidating. So how do you work on it? How do you get those projects approved, right?
Like I said, that was my main reason five years ago when I ran and that’s still at the the foremost part of trying to get a good handle on that.
CHMA: Now in your in your time on the Anglophone East DEC, what what are you most proud of during that time? And then on the flip side of that, what would be something that you’d like to change?
MF: Gosh, we have seen so many things happening in the schools… Being able to advocate for Port Elgin to get new windows put in. I was able to get that on the list for them. Sackville, the big issue that was brought up was the Marshview school. In the first year that I took my seat on the DEC, we were able to get that Ernst and Young report started and going. And that was released to the public, and then that led to the 409 happening for that area. [Editor’s note: Policy 409 is the NB Department of Education policy on multi-year school infrastructure planning.]
So I guess it’s in that sense, it’s good to see things finishing up, and being able to do things about that.
But some things that are still ongoing within the district are, like, your budgeting. Money is always the issue, for certain things. And our EA shortages, which again leads back to funding that’s required for them. So that will also be on the list of things that I’m hoping to continue. It’s something this DEC fought for, and it’s something that I’m hoping to continue on for the next four years.
CHMA: Alright Michelle, is there anything else you’d like people to know when they’re heading out, as early as this Saturday but, but up till May 10, when they’re heading out to vote? Anything else they should know?
MF: I just say get out and vote and be safe while doing it, right? And vote for me! [laughs] What member wouldn’t say that, I guess?
CHMA: Alright, sounds great. Thanks very much for your time, Michelle. We really appreciate it.
MF: Thank you again.
