Asked from the audience if non-incumbent school trustee candidates had attended a board meeting before the notorious Matrix Report meeting last year and if they would be running if it wasn’t for that report, many admitted they hadn’t.
Martin Stewart said he hadn’t attended any, that the meeting “gave me a good kick in the butt,” he said adding that he has always been highly involved in his children’s education.
Julie Austin said she hadn’t, that the Matrix meeting had been a real eye opener.
Lynnette Kershaw said she hadn’t attended board meetings but had been very involved in the PAC.
Ross Milligan said he would not have run if not for that meeting, which “did galvanize us” to get involved.
Barry Kurland, who is involved in the OCQE group advertising, but appears the least involved with the other members, said he’d attended three or four over his 30 years as a teacher, “usually to ask for money, which they always gave me.”
Janet Touhey, non-slate member, said she was not involved before and is not running because of the Matrix Report, but because too many previous trustees got in by acclamation.
Jill Pinkerton was the only other one to have attended meetings before and said after her involvement in the school system “for me choosing to run is the next logical step.”
writer@pqbnews.com