CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – The race for school board trustee seats was tight, and the results weren’t released until the early hours of the morning, but it meant a good morning for newcomer Kat Eddy.
Eddy inched past trustee Ted Foster by five votes.
She admitted she’s a bit overwhelmed by her new position, with many new things to learn in the next few months, but she says she also feels encouraged knowing that experienced school board trustees will help guide her.
“I know they want nothing more than for me to achieve my goals in that role, so I know that I’ll have lots of support,” she said.
Eddy is the executive director for the Campbell River Literacy Association. Her bid for a school board trustee seat was inspired by the students and parents she worked with, who she said felt hesitant to approach teachers regarding their children’s education.
“I want to encourage parents to talk to their educators. I want to open up those lines of communication. I don’t want our school district to be a service, I want our school district to be part of the solution. And in order to be part of the solution, you have to hear many voices… you need the voices of the whole community.”
She acknowledged the community first needs to heal from the campaign season, and the discontent it sowed around SOGI 123, before moving forward. Eddy also reiterated one of her biggest talking points throughout the campaign season: encouraging teachers and educators to take risks with and improve their use of technology.
“We need to move forward in our practice because the world is moving forward, and because kids are engaged when it comes to technology. So let’s take the risk, let’s try some new things, let’s be inspirational, let’s be a shining beacon,” she said.
Eddy also emphasized the importance of helping Indigenous students value their culture and heritage by finding more ways to include them in classrooms.
