Betsy DeClercq (incumbent)
Betsy DeClercq鈥檚 first teaching job was also her last.
The incumbent school trustee spent 34 years with the Jasper Elementary School, beginning immediately after she completed school and retiring in 2005.
鈥淚 feel very privileged to have taught there for my entire career,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was a wonderful, wonderful school and still is.鈥�
DeClercq, who鈥檚 served two terms with the Grande Yellowhead School Division, said retirement proved to be a lot more difficult than she could have ever imagined.
鈥淚 retired in 2005 and after I kept thinking, 鈥榶ou made a mistake,鈥欌�� she said with a laugh. 鈥淚 really regretted retiring. In September I even went back to the school to see the kids, so I subbed for a couple of years and then the opportunity for the school board trustee came up and my colleagues and friends encouraged me to do that.鈥�
DeClercq, who raised her own two children in Jasper and has two grandchildren here, decided that her friends were right, being a trustee would be the perfect position.
鈥淚 thought it would be a good transition because I certainly know what happens in the schools,鈥� she said.
In 2007, DeClercq was acclaimed for the position, as no one else put their name forward. In 2010, she ran against Gerry Lettner and was elected by the community.
鈥淜ids are my priority,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are the future of our country and we need to make sure they have a quality public education.鈥�
Gerry Lettner
Gerry Lettner understands the importance of a quality education.
Not only does he have 32 years of experience teaching at a post-secondary level, he also has five children who鈥檝e been through the school system and two years as a trustee under his belt.
Lettner has been in Jasper for five years and ran in the 2010 election for school board trustee.
鈥淎t that time I was relatively new to the community,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd I thought what better way to get immersed in a community than to let my name stand for election.鈥�
Currently, Lettner is teaching one online class for Selkirk College in British Columbia. His previous experience was with Fairview College in Fairview, Alta. There he helped develop a turf grass management program.
鈥淚 was actually the first instructor hired into the program and I saw it succeed. I was there for 32 years鈥� until the program was discontinued. 鈥淪o I was there to open the door and there to lock it when I left,鈥� he said.
It was also in Fairview that Lettner was elected to the Grande Prairie District Catholic School Division. But his term was cut short when he and his wife Alice relocated to Jasper.
鈥淭he whole concept of learning and education is something that is near and dear to me,鈥� he said.
As well as teaching, Lettner is also a member of the municipality鈥檚 Communities in Bloom and Greenspace Advisory committees.
What are the three most important issues facing the school board right now?
Betsy DeClercq (incumbent)
a) A major issue that is affecting our Jasper Junior/Senior High School right now and other schools in our division is declining enrollments. There are many contributing causes to this but the bottom line is that here in Jasper we have 93 students in grades 10, 11 and 12. This is the smallest enrollment we have had for decades. Each of our students should have the ability to access equal and equitable education that has the same look across the province. This becomes extremely difficult when our student numbers drop as government funding drops with it. Our Jasper High School staff has done an excellent job of working around this difficulty with creative solutions. We are fortunate that with the support of parents and students we are able to say that small is successful, but choices for our students are more limited. As a trustee, I feel strongly that the board has to continuously work with each community to enhance educational opportunities for our students and to advocate with government for small rural school viability.
b) Another issue that goes hand-in-hand with this one is that of sustainable provincial funding for school divisions. Schools need to be able to rely on predictable funding and not have to continually be trying to function with funding cutbacks. Money for planned maintenance and repair of our aging schools has been kept in board reserves, but government doesn鈥檛 want us to accumulate reserves. Funding requires continued dialogue and advocacy with our government.
c) Another issue is the need for student representation on our school board. We need to hear more loudly and clearly what our students need to have a successful school experience. I have been asking our board to consider having a student trustee(s) and at this time we are looking into a strategy that would accommodate this possibility.聽 Student voice is a crucial partner to building a quality education system.
Gerry Lettner
a) The Jasper joint Junior/Senior High School and Francophone School.
Completion of this school project on time and hopefully with an adequate budget is important for Jasperites and the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division.聽 The budget allocated for the new school does not end with construction.聽 Classroom and office furnishings, learning resources and gymnasium and band requirements must not be overlooked.聽 The commitments made to the Jasper Sustainability Club for Youth must be included.聽 Demolition of the existing school, remediation of the site and its transfer to the Municipality of Jasper is part of this project.
b) Adequate, stable, sustainable and predictable funding.
Provincial funding remains a real concern for all school boards.聽 Over the past decade, the Province of Alberta first mandated school divisions to increase their reserves for ongoing infrastructure maintenance, and a few years later required these same school divisions to reduce their reserves to compensate for a provincial funding shortfall. School boards must continue to lobby the province for adequate, stable, sustainable and predictable funding for education.
c) Student learning.
Hiring, mentoring, supporting and retaining excellent teachers is an important responsibility of the school division. Teachers provide our students with a safe, dynamic and challenging educational experience.聽 Our educational system is inclusive for all learners and there is great diversity among students in their preparedness to learn. Parental (care-giver) support can be invaluable in assisting teachers in providing the best possible learning experience.
[accordion title="What experience do you think best prepares you or qualifies you to be a trustee?"]
Betsy DeClercq (incumbent)
I have lived in Jasper for 41 years. I taught grades 2 to 6 at the Jasper Elementary School for 34 years. When I retired in 2005, I missed working with children, so I continued to substitute teach in both of our schools. It was fun to see grown up students who I had taught in Grade 4 and were now in high school! For the last six years I have been your school trustee and I am definitely prepared to serve for another four years with enthusiasm and dedication.
Gerry Lettner
My wife Alice and I have a family of five children and four grandchildren. Our experience with children, learning and education is extensive.
I served as school trustee prior to relocating to Jasper five years ago. During my time as trustee, I served as: vice chair of the board, chair of the ATA negotiations committee, chair of the school, council liaison committee and member of the building committee. There were also several ad hoc committees and conferences.
Education is a significant part of my professional career. I received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and a Master of Science from Michigan State University.
Professionally, during my 32 years in post secondary education I was active as an instructor, program coordinator, program developer and industry liaison.
Over and above these responsibilities I served one term as faculty representative on the Board of Governors and five years as president of the faculty association.
It was necessary to maintain a high level of professional relations with a great variety of instructional and administrative staff.
[accordion title="What is your motivation for running in the election this year?"]
Betsy DeClercq (incumbent)
I have a passion for children, and to be a small part of the opportunity to share in the educational process for our students is very special.
Also very motivating to me are my two wonderful grandchildren living in our community and, in a couple years, little Myles will be in school! I am very excited about our spectacular new Jasper Junior/Senior High School and our ongoing collaboration with Ecol茅 Desrochers. I would like to continue to pursue the possibility of a student trustee or trustees on our board and our division still does not have a Health and Wellness Policy鈥攕o there is definitely more work to be done. If re-elected, I am also going to request more meetings by video-conferencing, which means less driving back and forth to Edson for me, which also means less cost for our division. Please come out to vote on October 21.
Gerry Lettner
Student learning is my motivation.
A comprehensive education needs to encourage curiosity, problem solving and critical thinking, humanitarianism, self-confidence and respect for others. Learning opportunities provided by our schools need to be reinforced with real life experiences, both of which include successes and failures. High quality education is tremendously important at all levels. A highly effective learning environment takes time to evolve. It is all important for young learners to develop positive learning attitudes and skills. Learners should be encouraged and expected to strive for their full individual potentials in a supportive and caring environment.
