Tom Sunderland
Candidate for the Hamlet of Sherwood Park, Electoral Subdivision No. 2
Q: Why do you want to be a school trustee, and what experience do you bring to the role?
A: I am driven to find ways to serve my community. I place a high value on the concept of service before self. It gives me purpose to be part of a team that is striving towards something that is greater than itself, a trait that undoubtedly developed during my 16+ years with the Canadian Armed Forces. My time with the military has given me the tools required to be an asset to EIPS.
I volunteered with the Committee of School Councils over the last year and witnessed a team that I want to be a part of. I engaged with teachers, administration, and parents/guardians who truly care about the success of our students. After seeing many experienced trustees move on to new adventures and not seek re-election, I saw an opportunity to step up and add my skills and experience to EIPS.
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: I believe the role of a leader is to add value and clarity to the operations of their team, and to protect them from outside influences when needed. I know this is an area where I possess the skills to make a difference. Through strong advocacy to the province, industry partners, and local leaders we can achieve success, and mitigate risk.
The key: be right, and be clear. That starts with proper stakeholder engagement with both our experts in education within EIPS and the parents/guardians of our students to find out exactly what resources we are missing, why we need them, and what negative effects our students will experience if we continue to go without those resources. From there, we can inform decision-making and have the best chance of success. The same process applies for inevitable changes to legislation and policy, and ensuring our regional voice is heard.
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: In short: resource constraints. The mission of EIPS is to provide high-quality, student-centred education. With a student population of almost 18,000 students (and growing), fulfilling that mission takes a lot of schools, teachers, staff, and funding. Historically, that funding has failed to keep pace with growth and inflation. Scarcity causes competition between key priorities, and it has been our teachers who have consistently stepped up to keep the EIPS mission on track.
We need to ensure that we not only do great work with what we have, but keep an eye on the horizon, and grow our capacity to educate at the same pace of our growing community. That means more schools and more teachers, for more students. This can only be achieved through advocacy for public education, fiscal responsibility, and long-term strategic planning.
Q: What kind of relationship should a school division and its Board have with its community, its parents and its families?
A: We need a relationship that is close and collaborative, built on trust and transparency. High quality and relevant decision-making cannot occur without the support of the community. The previous Board displayed a strong belief in teamwork and open-minded collaboration, and I intend to maintain and improve upon this where I can. Parents/guardians will continue to be engaged in planning and decision-making processes. It is the duty of Trustees to represent the local interests of their division, and that is a duty I take very seriously.
My personal leadership style includes keeping everyone well-informed, maintaining trust and credibility, and being willing to explain the “why” behind a decision. No decision-making body is perfect, but it is critical that we have the humility to listen to feedback and improve upon mistakes.
Q: What do you believe should be done to ensure diverse, equal, respectful and inclusive environments in schools?
A: EIPS has done an excellent job in prioritizing this type of environment. I will work to maintain that. Creating positive learning and working environments is a key goal under the current EIPS Four-Year Education Plan for 2022-2026, and it needs to continue to be a key goal beyond 2026.
It is evident that EIPS looks at all new policy through a lens of respect and inclusiveness. Especially in response to changing policy dictated by the Government of Alberta, like the updates to the Education Act and Fairness and Safety in Sport Act. It is clear that empathy and support to students were priorities when EIPS drafted their own policies, and I intend to continue that practice.
This goal is also being achieved by our front-line leaders, like the creation of the all-female Mechanics class at Bev Facey Community High School. These types of innovative initiatives need to continue to be supported and celebrated.
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: Every student needs the opportunity to follow their own unique path, and parents/guardians need choices that support that. These alternative programs are critical to those goals. Therefore, we need to maintain and grow our list of alternative programming.
Having robust alternative programming within public schooling is especially important when considering the broader educational landscape in Alberta. We need to stay proactive and creative to ensure that our students are well-prepared for the future they will encounter. It will be increasingly important to keep pace with technology to stay relevant, and anticipate the future employment landscape for our students. Continued investment in programs like Campus EIPS collegiate programing and considering new innovations like expanded online options will ensure our students can meet all their educational goals within EIPS.