Ahnaaf Hassan

Trustees, the Board, and the Province

Under provincial supervision, we’ve seen funding cuts affect our most vulnerable students. From the underfunding of special education, proven in a recent 6.4M cut, to the cutting of the model schools program, scrapping essential funding for lower-income communities, many in SSW and BEY. In my time on the board, but also growing up in model schools, I learned just how important this funding is to student learning. As Trustee, I will fight to restore equitable funding, to make sure our schools foster learning, regardless of location or income.

Bullying in Schools

Bullying and discrimination have no place in schools, but as a school board we need to equip our staff to handle these issues through staffing, resources, and training to properly understand cultural and religious views. By funding classrooms to have less students, more staff per student, and increased resources, we make sure teachers are able to properly take care of students and handle any issues that arrive before they snowball. As students learn this behaviour is not acceptable, we need to equip adults who teach it to them.

Class Sizes and Staffing

Working with principals and teachers in model schools, I created a report advocating for smaller class sizes, presented to multiple superintendents. The recent cut of class caps introduces classes larger than they should be, forcing teachers to be overworked. My priorities as a Trustee would be advocating for more funding for resources to help students learn, and smaller class sizes for more 1-1 time with teachers, to give students the opportunity to better ask questions and receive personalized help.

Special Programs and Program Access

As school boards handle and fund a wide range of programs, many come as more important than others. At the top of this list, is special education. By prioritizing it, we prioritize giving every student a basic standard of learning. Specialized programs in high schools need to be evaluated on an application instead of a raffle, while still leaving space for students with issues accessing resources and supports. Finally, programming like languages and arts need to be offered more widely so students can explore the curriculum available.