With all the recent talk of negativity of soon-to-be past and present school trustees on the School Board, Tuesday night's meeting (November 29, 2011, City Hall) was a breath of fresh air.
Out-going trustee, Lori Watt issued called a motion for the creation of district anti-homophobia policy. Far from quiet, Voice trustees, myself included jumped in with both feet. Out-going trustee, Jim Goring called for a proactive approach to the motion. Rather than "anti" could it not be something positive, he asked.
I asked for the policy to be broader. Why anti-homophobia I wondered? Why not acceptance and inclusion of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gendered and transsexual, questioning, inquisitive and asexual students? Why indeed.
Casey Cook re-iterated the need for the Board to work toward a positive motion; one that supported all our students. The result? A request for staff to come back with a motion that would support all students in New Westminster in achieving their greatness no matter their sexual orientation. No toxicity this night.
The recent press doesn't quite capture what happened on Tuesday night, as it misses the reality that when trustees measure a motion on its merit and not the author or timing of it, good things can happen on the Board for the benefit of our students and staff. Far from the political obstructionists they have been painted to be, Voice trustees put the safety and well-being of New Westminster students above all else.
Jim Goring, thank you for your zen-like positivity these past three years. I will miss you, as will all Voice trustees, students, parents and the community.
Thank you to Lori and Brent for their years on the New Westminster Board of Education.
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