Putting the 'Trust' in Trustees
Social conservatives running for school board trustee seats in Edmonton
In the 2017 municipal election in Edmonton, the issue of gay-straight student alliances (GSAs) was such a provincial hot topic that it dominated the school board trustee election, which happens in October along with elections for mayor and council.
Groups organized in the ‘for’ or ‘against’ camps, such as Support Our Students and Parents for Choice in Education. In addition, churches like Fusion Fellowship have two pastors involved in the school board.
This year, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson’s endorsement of a school-board candidate seems the most notable thing in the election. But, despite appearances, there’s far more at stake.
Bridget Stirling, the current Ward G trustee in Edmonton who is not running for re-election says the widely decried Alberta curriculum, COVID-19, support for 2SLGBTQ students and even issues some believe to be settled, like standardized testing, are all in play in this vote.
“There are a bunch of social conservatives running and they are less obvious than other times,” Stirling says. “During the pandemic, people are paying attention to other things. In 2017, GSAs were a big part of the conversation.” But this year, Stirling says many people are asking candidates about anti-vaccine and anti-masking views in this election.
Besides the pandemic, the other key issue is about the United Conservative Party’s efforts to revise the kindergarten to grade six curriculum.
“A lot of people seem to be focusing primarily on the position on the curriculum,” Stirling says. Interestingly, this does not seem to be divided across ideological lines.
“When you look across the political spectrum, even fairly conservative people that I talk to don’t like the curriculum,” Stirling says. “I have spoken to conservative teachers who definitely share concerns on things like the developmental appropriateness of it.”
Where a larger divide in opinion seems to exist is on the COVID-19 pandemic and other social conservative issues like GSAs and marriage equality.
Sherry Adams, a trustee for Ward I, has made several comments that relay false information about the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19.
Adams, who is not running again, also co-pastors a church, Fusion Fellowship, with Dawn Hancock — who is running for Ward E.
In June, the church hosted a panel discussion that asked, “Could a Covid Passport possibly be the Mark of the Beast of Rev. 14”.
This is a popular discussion among people who are involved in Bible end-times prophecy. The panel didn’t declare the passport to be the mark of the beast, but panelist Ray Baillie did describe it as an, “anti-Christ kind of tool”.
Rage emailed Hancock for comment on this discussion as well as her views on mental-health supports in schools, pandemic response measures and her colleague’s remarks on Invermectin and COVID-19 vaccination.
Hancock did not respond to requests for comment.
Other trustees have also shown a commitment to social conservative values.
Esther Ekpe, who is running in Ward B, has signed on to the Alberta Christian Accord on behalf of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a Nigerian-based Christian denomination.
WE DENY
All attempts to revise and reinterpret the time honoured traditional and biblical understandings of sexuality, morality, righteousness, and salvation. We understand them to be modern day heresies contrary to the revealed will of God.
Lisa Shefsky who is running in Ward C is similarly running on a values platform. From her website, one of those values is on safety. Shefsky says on the site that she, “supports an individual’s choice to wear a mask and/or to vaccinate” but goes on to say that credible science is being ignored or censored. She does not link to these facts but goes on to talk about “freedom of choice” (emphasis hers).
Her website also states, “certain movements, if tweaked to be inclusive, would strengthen the fabric of education and community such as adopting and practicing that "All Lives Matter”’ (emphasis hers).
William Haines, a candidate for Ward H, has expressed support for an exemption on masking during COVID-19 in grades Kindergarten to three.
Catholic School Board
While the Edmonton Public School Board is facing a lot of turnover, the city’s Catholic School Board has the opposite problem—there aren’t many people looking to run.
Global News wrote a story about the onslaught of acclaimed trustees. One such person is Debbie Engel. She’s entering her eighth term in the position, having won her first election back in 1998, 23 years ago.
Engel told Global: “I think the number one thing we are facing is the challenges that COVID has presented. School boards have been left to a lot of decision making.”