Rod Ross is seeking his eighth term as a member of Langley Board of Education.
First elected in 1990, he has been a member of the board since that time, except for the period 1996-99. He is running for one of the five Langley Township seats on the board.
He said the current board is functioning well, the district is healthy financially, its leadership is passionate and committed to excellence and it has a new vision to be an "innovative, inspiring and unified learning community."
He pointed out that three new schools have opened, a new superintendent has been hired, the accumulated $13.5 million deficit has been paid back and the district is in an enviable position as compared to many other school districts.
Ross is concerned about the need for more school facilities, particularly in the fast-growing Willoughby area, where "growth is going through the roof," he said.
"We have set the task for our teachers to create an environment where "learners are knowledgeable, skilled and innovative," and we will have to model this at the board table even more so. It is time for us to look for innovative ways to design, build and fund our buildings. The current paradigm of the government funding our every building need must be challenged."
Ross is also calling for testing the emergency preparedness protocols in place in Langley schools, to ensure that schools will be ready for a big earthquake.
"My belief is that schools will be expected to support the broader community that it lives within. Therefore, our level of preparedness needs to be elevated to go beyond our school walls," he said.
Ross noted that he always uses the tagline "We are all in this together" in his campaigns, and "it is still foundational for me in everything I do. Langley schools and community is a great place to learn, work and live, but we must never forget that it is a team we play on and no one succeeds when someone loses. Life is not meant to be a zero-sum game.
"We must ensure that every student is successful. Our society cannot afford to to lose even one. It may seem quaint, but I do believe we can do great things together."