Troylana Manson
Candidate for: School Trustee 73 – TEA1
Contact Information
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Website: Click to View
Facebook: Click to View
Phone: 778-220-4635
Personal Information
Resident of: City Centre
Current Occupation: Retired K-12 Public Education Teacher
Political Experience:
This is my first time running as a candidate for any local, provincial or federal elections.
Biography
I am a retired teacher, wife, mom and longtime Kamloops community member.
I spent 21 years teaching in SD73, from rural to urban schools. I began my SD73 career in January 2000.
I also taught 4 years at Thompson Rivers University, including college preparation and special education programs.
Teaching has always been about more than academics for me.
It is about seeing the whole student.
It is about understanding what gets in the way of learning—and finding ways to help.
MY EDUCATION
I hold a Bachelor of General Studies from Simon Fraser University.
I completed an Instructor Diploma through NAIT and my Professional Teaching Certificate through SFU’s satellite Indigenous program at Tk’emlúps.
I also completed Special Education courses through Thompson Rivers University.
BEFORE TEACHING
My first career was as a hairdresser.
I began at age 18 and worked in the profession until I was 25, when I began university.
Later, I owned and operated successful businesses in Kamloops and Merritt.
Those years taught me something I still carry today:
Listen to people. Build relationships. Solve problems. Show up.MY COMMUNITY WORK
Retirement did not mean stepping away from my community.
I have served on and participated in many boards, committees and community initiatives, including:
BC Community Living Association Executive Committee
Kamloops-Thompson Teachers Association Executive Committee
Kamloops-Thompson Retired Teachers Association Executive Committee
BC Retired Teachers Association’s Communications Committee
Community Action Team: Kamloops
Foundry Kamloops: Family Advisory Committee
Mustard Seed Liaison Committee
HotNite in the City Executive Committee
Sagebrush Community Association: Catchment School Committee
Kamloops Family History Committee
Grade 12 Graduation Committees
KTTA Staff Representative at four SD73 schools
My community work has also brought me alongside families and individuals experiencing mental health challenges, substance use, homelessness, stigma and grief.MY FAMILY
I am married to Bart, a retired Registered Nurse who worked in Interior Health’s Mental Health and Substance Use services.
We have two sons.
Levi, 33, is a Registered Nurse at our local Royal Inland Hospital.
Our son Aaron died in 2021 at the age of 26.
Losing Aaron changed our family forever.
It also deepened my understanding of what families experience when they are trying to navigate mental health, substance use, stigma, grief and systems that can be difficult to understand.
I do not bring his story forward to have all the answers.
I bring what I have learned from it.
Endorsements
Troylana Manson – Candidate for School Trustee 73 – TEA1
Troylana will be a dynamic asset to the public & board with her related experience and personable skills.
Answers to Questions from the Public
Parents and the community: How should the Board handle situations where parents, students, teachers, and the wider community strongly disagree about school policies or what should be taught in schools?
Troylana Manson Answered
Listening to the concerns in full, understanding where there may be a value or end goal difference, and then learning about the evidence-based rationale for the policy often can resolve the disagreement. However, there are times when the Human Rights Code or the School Act come into play. Neither is within the authority of the Board make changes. Context and policy are needed here to understand what can or not be negotiated, so asking more questions, clarifying, and keeping the lens of the Human Rights Code is required.
Measuring success: At the end of your four-year term, what specific results should parents, students, and voters look at to determine whether you were successful as a school trustee?
Troylana Manson Answered
Rather than a 4 year end result, I want parents, students and community members to see results of my advocacy every month, with specific requests for data, reports on programs and services that show how are students are responding (outcomes), and for the board to discuss ways to improve both their learning environment and student wellness and safety. The specific questions that help tell a story about our students’ learning and environment will be important to generate. Educators, as myself, have a set of skills and experiences that have not been represented at the board table in the last 2 elections; this perspective is necessary for a better understanding how board policy, and resource allocations affects the classroom.
