Lareina Dibben

Candidate for the City of Fort Saskatchewan, Electoral Subdivision No. 1

Q: Why do you want to be a school trustee, and what experience do you bring to the role?
A: I’m putting my name forward because I can’t shake the feeling that too many kids are slipping through the cracks. Some wait for assessments that never come soon enough; others sit in classrooms where the teacher is stretched ten ways at once. As a teacher, counsellor, and now therapist, I’ve seen this struggle from every angle. And as a mom of neurodivergent kids, I’ve lived it at my own kitchen table. Since 2008, I’ve worked in schools all over the Division - sometimes as a sub for a day, sometimes longer - so I’ve seen how things play out. Additionally, I’ve spent years serving on parent councils and volunteering locally, including on the board of our Families First Society, with the local Furniture Bank, and helping grieving parents through Angel Whispers. All of that shaped me into someone who listens first, asks questions second, and fights for fair, transparent decisions.

Q: One of the primary roles of a school board is advocating for public education and the Division. How do you see yourself fulfilling this responsibility?
A: Advocacy can’t just be a buzzword—it has to look like something. For me, it looks like sitting with parents who are sick of hearing “we don’t have money for an assessment,” or talking with teachers who want real strategies, not another theory. Too often, children don’t get an ISP because they don’t have a formal diagnosis, and families can’t afford to pay privately for an assessment. That’s a funding problem, not a family problem. I’ll push hard for resources to cover assessments when they matter most. I also want to see EAs in the classrooms that need them and specialists who stick around to help teachers actually apply new strategies. At the same time, I believe in celebrating the wins—sharing the incredible things happening in our schools so the community sees the value of public education. Advocacy, to me, is being both the cheerleader and the squeaky wheel.

Q: What do you see as the biggest issue facing Elk Island Public Schools in the next four years, and what is your vision for addressing that issue?
A: Ask any teacher right now, and they’ll say the same thing: classrooms feel heavier than they used to. More students with complex needs, fewer supports to meet them. Meanwhile, the kids in the middle—the average learners, the gifted ones—sometimes end up waiting quietly while attention goes to crisis management. That’s not fair to them, and it burns out staff. I think the biggest issue is exactly that: complexity without the tools to manage it. Families wait months, even years, for assessments, and in the meantime, teachers do their best with school-level tools that only tell part of the story. My vision is for balance. Early assessments are adequately funded. More hands in the classroom. Specialists who roll up their sleeves and work side-by-side with teachers. And let’s not forget access—families shouldn’t have to bus their kids for hours to Sherwood Park just to get programming that fits.

Q: What kind of relationship should a school division and its Board have with its community, its parents and its families?
A: If trustees only show up in campaign season, they’re not doing their job. Parents and staff should feel comfortable sending an email, stopping you at an event, or even flagging you down at Safeway. And when they do, they deserve a straight answer—maybe not always the one they want, but an honest one. From my time on parent councils, I learned that respect matters more than agreement. People can live with a decision if they trust they’ve been heard. Teachers want their voices taken seriously and to just be told what they have to do when policies trickle down to their classrooms. I’d like to see more open doors—town halls, school visits, division updates that explain the “why,” not just the “what.” That’s how you build trust. And once you have that trust, you can work through disagreements without losing sight of the main thing: helping kids succeed.

Q: What do you believe should be done to ensure diverse, equal, respectful and inclusive environments in schools?
A: Inclusion must be more than just a poster on the wall. It lives or dies in the classroom. Right now, teachers are expected to meet wildly different needs, often with little backup. What would help? More educational assistants in the classrooms, more specialists who come back time and time again to help teachers with real strategies, and training that matches the reality of a noisy, unpredictable classroom that changes every year. That’s inclusion that works. And while supports for struggling learners is critical, we can’t forget the rest of the kids. They need attention and challenge too; otherwise, they drift or disengage. Respect starts at the top. When trustees make decisions that prioritize practical supports, teachers feel equipped, families feel welcome, and students—whether they struggle, soar, or sit somewhere in the middle—know they belong. Inclusion, to me, is making sure no student feels invisible in their own school.

Q: If elected, how would you support Elk Island Public Schools alternative programs—which include French Immersion, German Language and Culture, Ukrainian Language and Culture, Alternative Christian, Logos Christian, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Outreach and Sport for Life?
A: I think of alternative programs as doors of opportunity - they open different paths to success. They are vital for our children. It breaks my heart to think that families often face unnecessary hurdles just to access the services their children need or want to attend. No child should have to spend an additional two and a half hours on a bus each day just to reach a program that fits them. This kind of travel can wear them out before they even start learning and takes them away from being active members of their community.

I am committed to advocating for fair funding to keep these programs strong and sustainable, and I will ensure that families have convenient options closer to home. Choice is very important, but we must also focus on fairness. Every family in the Division deserves the chance to find a program that helps their child.