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Heather Grieve

Candidate for School Trustee 73 - TEA1

The District has significant targeted funding for Indigenous education, and it’s really important that we continue to work closely with the Indigenous Education Council, which has representatives from the seven local First Nations. The IEC provides guidance on how those funds should be used to support Indigenous students.

We also need to continue looking at what the data is telling us about Indigenous student achievement. Graduation rates have increased, which is positive, but there is still a significant difference between Indigenous students receiving a Dogwood diploma and those receiving an Evergreen certificate. We also see differences in literacy and numeracy achievement, and we need to better understand what is contributing to those gaps and where we can provide additional support.

Knowing our students and understanding what they need to be successful is really important. The Indigenous Student Voice group has also provided incredibly valuable insight into some of the barriers and challenges Indigenous students are experiencing in our District. That student voice needs to be part of the conversation when we are looking at how we improve outcomes.

There is also an opportunity to look at an in-house Indigenous Education Worker certification program. Working with the IEC to determine whether that is something they support would be a great opportunity for consultation and collaboration, while also helping us build capacity within the District. We have had vacancies that have impacted some of the supports available to students, so finding ways to build that capacity is important.

Consultation and engagement are incredibly important in this work. Continuing to work with the IEC and the seven local First Nations, as well as students, families and staff, gives us a better understanding of what our students need and how we can make sure the targeted funding is having the greatest impact.