Four candidates are seeing voter support to fill a vacant seat on the Good Spirit School Division board.
The candidates are Craig Czinkota, Isabele O’Soup, Lenore Pinder, and Tim Sheppard.
The by-election to fill the Yorkton position is set for Sept. 23, with the polling taking place at the Godfrey Dean Cultural Centre.
Grasslands News sent each candidate a slate of questions and their answers follow.
What was it that made you decide to seek election?
Craig Czinkota – As a father of three children who attended the public school system in Yorkton, I thought it was time for me to give back something to our community. I also feel we need a strong voice, common sense, down to earth outlook to support our teachers, students, and our community. The importance of the education system must not be understated, and the pillars of community are established at this level.
Isabele O’Soup – I’m running because I want to contribute and give back to our educational structures. I’m a mom and a grandma, and it feels like this is about all our kids – not just mine. My own kids went through school right here in the GSSD, my grandkids are going to GSSD schools now, and so are their friends, and a lot of my own family and friends’ kids, too. So, when I think about the schools, I’m not just thinking about my own family, I’m thinking about the whole community of kids growing up here together. Once my own kids were grown, I kept thinking about what more I could do to give back to the community that helped me raise them, and now seeing my grandkids and their friends going to school, it felt like it’s actually the right time to step up instead of just talking about it. I don’t have all the answers and probably never will, I just want to show up, listen, and work with everyone else on creating the best possible learning environment for every student.
Lenore Pinder – I have a strong belief in publicly funded and publicly delivered education. The potential of every single student must be realized. The only way to do that is to ensure that the entire team of people that work within the Good Spirit School Division (from facilities, transportation, support staff, educators, administrators) are working in a safe, respectful, inclusive and supportive environment. As a Board of Trustees, we must ensure that we take care of all of the people that take care of the needs of all students.
Tim Sheppard – Yorkton is our home and I wish to be more involved in the community we love. I, along with my wife and children, have lived here for 11 years and I want to be a part of directing the quality of education available to our kids.
What do you see as the biggest issue the GSSD is likely to deal with in the term you would be on board if elected?
Isabele O’Soup – For me it’s not the thing everyone usually talks about. I think one of the real issues that doesn’t get talked about enough is mental health and bullying, and how those things can lead to kids disengaging or struggling to stay in school. I’m not saying every school or every classroom is dealing with this the same way, and I know GSSD staff work hard, but from conversations I’ve had with families, it’s clearly something on people’s minds, and I think it’s worth the board paying close attention to. A lot of kids are struggling quietly, and nobody really notices until it’s already become a bigger problem. Our teachers are trying their best, but the regular classroom setup doesn’t work for every kid, and I think they need more help and more resources to reach the ones who are falling behind. We live in one of the most mixed, diverse places around, Canada and the U.S. both, and every kid walking into that school comes from a different home, different background, different way of learning, and eats different things too, with how much processed food is out there these days compared to years ago. I just want every one of those kids to feel like somebody’s actually listening to them, so nobody slips through the cracks. I’m not blaming teachers or staff, everybody’s doing their part. I just think we all need to be a little more open to hearing each other out, because at the end of the day we’re all living here together and we all want the same thing, kids who feel safe, well, and ready for whatever’s next for them.
Lenore Pinder – Advocacy for correct resources to ensure that all students receive the best education and oversight to ensure that resources are allocated and utilized to the best effect for all students will be the most important issue that the board will need to successfully address.
Adequate, stable and predictable funding to school divisions is required to enable proactive and effective future planning.
Tim Sheppard – When I get elected, I will carefully consider each item that is put to the board, seeking to understand the issue, and give input that reflects traditional family values. There are issues of which I am aware in the broader context of public education in Saskatchewan. I want to be a part of offering respectful solutions to those issues.
Craig Czinkota – I think a big issue the GSSD is facing is growth in our city of Yorkton and all other communities in the area. We’ve seen an influx of new families making this area home, and their children are in the GSSD education system. This of course makes class size a factor and stretches resources to almost a breaking point. I’m a firm believer in access for all students regardless of or their background or culture. These variables must be considered and attended to, so that the classroom remains a place to learn. A solid education is one of the most important skills and experiences in a lifetime. A great education reflects our city and allows our communities, province, and country to grow.
What will you bring to the school board if elected?
Lenore Pinder – I believe that a strong board of trustees is required to ensure that all students have the support to succeed and be their best. I understand that providing the best possible education system within which all students thrive, requires leadership that is cohesive, collaborative and courageous. I am prepared to listen, learn, question and challenge in a positive and respectful way with my sights firmly set on ensuring that students come first and no student is left behind.
I believe that public education must be publicly funded and publicly delivered in a manner that demonstrates its value to the prosperity of our province and country. I will stand by these beliefs in all discussions, decision making, advocacy and conversations as a trustee.
Tim Sheppard – I currently work within a team environment, and I would maintain that mindset during my time on the GSSD Board. I have learned there is a time to listen and a time to speak. On a daily basis I manage staff and volunteers and recognize accountability is a value of good leadership.
Craig Czinkota – I’ll bring over 20 years of financial services, industry experience, and public relations. I managed the accounts of school divisions in a banking capacity. I understand the challenges that all school divisions face with budgets, expenses, and accountability to taxpayers. While finding ways to make the education system work better with strategies and priorities placing for all students first. I’m a firm believer in making education accessible for everyone in our community. I believe in letting our professional teachers do their job.
I also bring a lot of experience in volunteer work through athletic coaching in the whole province. This has given myself first-hand experience on working with all youth including indigenous and newly immigrated Canadians.
Isabele O’Soup – I’ve got a mix of stuff going for me honestly. I spent years chairing the Audit and Finance Committee for SIGA, and I was actually the first First Nations woman to ever hold that position. I’ve got a corporate governance credential from Director’s College in Ontario, I’ve sat on health boards, and I’ve spent over a decade in elected leadership roles, so I know my way around budgets, policy, and how a board actually needs to run. But I’m also just a regular hands-on person. I fix vehicles, mine or anybody else’s who needs a hand, I do my own repairs around the house, and I’ve never once been too good to roll up my sleeves and help somebody out, doesn’t matter who they are. I’m a big believer in women’s empowerment too, I think every woman should know how to change her own flat tire and not have to depend on somebody else to feel capable and independent. I try to live that out, not just talk about it. I think having that mix, the boardroom side and being a mom, a grandma, and someone who isn’t scared of hard work, gives me a pretty good perspective. I want to bring some fresh ideas to the table on things like mental health, bullying, and healthy food for kids, and I want to get there by listening first and working with the rest of the board and the community, not just doing my own thing. We’re all in this together and that’s the only way real change actually happens
