What’s your occupation? (Current and/or past):
SD45 School Board Trustee (seeking 3rd term). Prior to that I worked with Rogers Media focused on Marketing and Sales for online education products for K-12, public libraries and colleges across Canada.
Who inspires you? (Real or fictional)
Pauline Johnson (1861-1913) was a ground-breaking Canadian poet and performer of Mohawk heritage who fought against expectations of race and gender in her time. Her remarkable life broke through barriers and inspired generations with her creative talent and pride in her indigenous heritage. My 2 children attended the West Vancouver school named after this formidable woman and in the spring of 2023 a special celebration will be held in her honour as part of the centennial/100th commemoration of Ecole Pauline Johnson and its legacy.
Please list any current and/or past committees or organizations you've been a part of in your career.
BC School Employer’s Association, District Rep; Metro Branch BC School Trustees, Vice-Chair; Human Resources Committee SD45, Chair; Coho Society of the North Shore, Director; Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60, Member; Childcare Services Working Group, District Rep; Metro ELL (English Language Learners) Committee, District Rep; District Parent Advisory Council, Executive; Ecole Pauline Johnson PAC, Chair; WV Memorial Public Library Trustee; WV Memorial Library Foundation, Chair
What are your school board priorities for the next term?
The Board should continue to focus on recruiting and retaining top talent in our school district. Metro Vancouver is a large area with a competitive employment environment for skilled workers. A concerted effort to attract great teachers, custodians, education assistants, administrative workers and skilled trades must be a priority. Our district has a positive culture of innovation, respect and opportunity for all that makes working for West Vancouver Schools a destination of choice – and well worth the ferry ride to get to work at BICS!
What do you think the biggest challenges in education today are, and how will you work to tackle them?
A balance between technology and nature-based learning for students should be a priority. It simply cannot be one versus the other. Students need to be grounded by their physical, natural environment – in many ways guided by First People’s principles - and transform those skills to function successfully in our modern tech-driven world. Our robotics program is phenomenal, and students compete at the highest level from ages 12+. At the same time, BICS has a new, accessible $125 K playground and Rockridge is currently building an outdoor learning classroom. Our youth need the best of both worlds to thrive.
Why do you want to serve as a trustee for the next four years?
It has been an honour to be a voice for Bowen Island constituents and to ensure student success and accountability to taxpayers since 2014. Excellence in education will always be a priority but provincial funding realities, inflation and the reduced size of our international fee-paying program will be a challenge. I will put my 8 years of experience to help mitigate any impact on the classroom experience. I will always champion innovative programming such as Honour Choir, First Aid, Carpentry or Entrepreneurship and will support vibrant school communities that all students and families feel proud to belong to.
Contact:
www.nicole-brown.ca
Facebook: NicoleBrownSD45
604-765-2025
