Winnipeg Election 2022

Sandy Nemeth - Louis Riel - 3

What got you into politics?

When our kids had been in elementary school for a few years, I began to engage with our school board to learn more about the people, processes, and policies that were informing their educational experience.  The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn and so early in 2010 I began to attend regular school board meetings.  Parent voice was not well represented around the board table at the time and I ran successfully in the fall election on a platform that included bringing parent perspective to discussions and decision making.  Since then, I’ve been deliberate in seeking out parent/caregiver voice whenever possible to ensure that perspective is always included at the board table.

What experience will you bring to compliment your role as (Mayor / Councillor / School Trustee)?

I have a level of expertise in governance and strategic planning specific to the work of school boards, which has been honed and developed through 12 years of being a trustee.  I understand the role and its inherent responsibilities, the time commitment, the need to stay informed on current and emerging issues, and how importand it is to be visible in, and engaged with, our school communities.

 Past chair and current vice-chair; Louis Riel School Board
 Past vice-president and current Region 5 Director; Manitoba School Boards Association Executive
 Chair; Louis Riel Endowment Fund Committee (Riel-Evate)
 Member; Provincial Education Funding Review Committee
 Member; Dakota Community Centre Board of Directors
 Column contributor; Community Review East

What are some issues that you would like to stand for in your role as (Mayor / Councillor / School Trustee), and why are these issues important to you?

This is by no means an exclusive list, but I will continue to support:

 continued investments in full-day kindergarten, mental health wellness for students and staff, and our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism initiative
 the use of data to inform conversations, decisions, and the monitoring of progress
 concerted efforts to reduce the achievement gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students
 endeavors with a goal of mitigating the impact of poverty on student engagement and success
 advocating to government for funding that is adequate, sustainable, and predictable
 transparency and accountability in decision making
 opportunities for engagement with students, families, staff and the public

These are important because they are all linked to student engagement and ultimately to student success.

Do you have any other comments regarding your candidacy?

Our communities need and deserve trustees who understand elected governance, who are visible, engaged, and present in their community, who stay informed on current and emerging issues, who are committed to the work, and who demonstrate effectiveness in the role.   This has been my mantra, approach and promise to the LRSD community since I was elected in 2010 and the level of service  I’ll continue to provide.