Priority #1 More Funding for Surrey Schools

The current board says that nothing more can be done to advocate for funding, but I disagree. I personally had the experience of going to a Surrey School Board meeting and asking the current board a question and never even receiving an answer. Successfully advocating for more funding is hard work; but it can be done if the school board has the necessary experience successfully working with governments and is willing to put in the necessary work. I have been hearing from parents that current members of the school board are not even showing up for meetings that they are supposed to attend. I can promise you I will show up anywhere I am invited... but that's just the minimal first step. With greater transparency and community engagement, together, we can successfully lobby the provincial government for more funding!

My approach to creating change in the system:

1. Invite the community to board meetings and open houses.

2. Go to where they are (i.e. school events), so we know what is truly going on in schools.

3. Provide information to the community and be accountable to them.  

4. Work with the community to advocate for funding effectively.

5. Prioritize funding towards initiatives that will make education in Surrey more equitable

for all and make schools a healthy place for all students and staff.

Surrey is a huge swing riding in provincial elections. With a true community engagement

campaign, we do have the power to force governments to increase our funding and ensure that all

students of all backgrounds have the support they need to get the education they deserve.

Priority #2: Creative Solutions and Action NOW

Truthfully, sometimes provincial governments work slowly, and Surrey Schools need changes NOW. Making these changes will require creative collaborations with the community.

• We can work with other community organizations that have access to funding from other places and not just the Ministry of Education, to ensure our students have access to more mental health and social support resources now.
• We can even partner with them to apply for funding from other sources that aren’t the Ministry of Education or provincial government.

As someone who has successfully worked with 100 community organizations for the past 30 years, raised millions of dollars, and put in tens of thousands of volunteer hours; I believe I can get this done.

Priority #3: Safety in Schools

One of the most troubling issues that I have heard from families in recent years is increased concerns around bullying at schools and students feeling unsafe. I have also spoken with Educational Assistants (EAs) who have shared challenges that EAs face with unsafe working conditions and even violence and trauma on the job.

This problem can be addressed by:

• Community education and prevention programs can be implemented through community partnerships to teach students about healthy relationships and how to get help when they or someone they care about are unsafe.
• We can also partner with community organizations to increase access to services for children, youth, and families in schools.

Change is possible! On October 15th, please vote for me, Dr. Balbir Gurm, and TEAM Surrey Schools!