There will be a new face on the Wild Rose School Board.
When nominations for the board closed on Monday incumbent Mae Tryon was returned by acclamation in Ward 2, which covers the Breton area. In Ward 1, which includes Drayton Valley current trustee Daryl Scott was also acclaimed, along with newcomer Charlene Bearhead. Prior to nomination day we asked Bearhead for some information on who she is and what she will bring to the board.
Can you give us a little of your personal background?
I was born, raised and educated in Drayton Valley. My parents, Bud and May Wiseman came here in the early 1960s, my dad passed away here three years ago and my mother still lives here. I moved away to get my education degree from the University of Alberta after graduating and I started my teaching career in Parkland School Division upon my graduation from the UofA. Since that time I’ve spent my career working in education and education related fields. I have permanent professional teaching certification from Alberta and Manitoba. I’ve had the honour of serving as a teacher, education leader, and education consultant over the years in organizations including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Pathways to Education Canada, the College of Alberta School Superintendents, the Alberta School Boards Association, the University of Manitoba and the University of British Columbia. I work for Canadian Geographic and the National Film Board. I moved back to the community last August after nearly 40 years away.
Why are you seeking a seat on the school board?
I’ve decided to let my name stand for a Ward 1 seat on the school board for Wild Rose as I want to give back to the community and be in service to the children. I have been blessed with many amazing opportunities over the years and I hope that my experience and connections will prove beneficial to the children attending school in Wild Rose School Division, and more specifically in Drayton Valley and area.
In an ideal world, how do you see the relationship between the board, the teaching staff and the community at large?
I hope that we are able to work together in a collaborative and cooperative manner in which we as a board find ways to acknowledge the views, hopes and concerns for students, parents, staff and the community overall. We won’t be able to accommodate everyone’s requests and demands but I hope that we will seek solutions that put the children first at all times and that are based on some middle ground in which all involved can see the purpose and benefit to the decisions that will need to be made. Relationships aren’t easy but it’s the key to all good things moving forward.
What are the most important issues you think the board will need to address over the next four years?
I think that there will be many issues that we will be facing including curriculum, student/staff safety, representation of the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the children in our schools and their families. It will be important for us to seek to understand how students and their families define educational success for themselves and find ways to accommodate diversity in education so that every student can experience success as they, their families and their communities define that success.
