School boards need 'active and committed' people, says trustee

A trustee on the English School District board has a piece of advice for people thinking of running in next month's election: "go for it."

Kim Cheeks, a central region trustee, told CBC's Central MorningShow that the Nov. 22 election is a chance for people to improve the school system for the English School District or theConseilscolairefrancophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador.

It'sthe first trustee election in six years, following the Progressive Conservative's board amalgamations in 2013

We need people on our school board that are going to be a very active and committed voice to improving the education system in our province.- Kim Cheeks

"We need people on our school board that are going to be a very active and committed voice to improving the education system in our province," she said.

Anyone who's interested in education and wants to get involved should run, said Cheeks, who has been involved with the English school district for 12 years.

"I know that this experience has change me as a person," she said.

"I can see it in some of the schools that I've been in, the difference that the decision-making processes that we've gone through, the changes that we've made in policy, tightening up of different processes and that kind of thing, has made a big difference in the lives of our students and our teachers, and our staff within the schools."

Serving as a trustee like any volunteer job can bevery rewarding but also very frustrating, said Cheeks.

"You can't always make the decision that you'd like to make," she said.

"As a parent, I've always believed that school is a very integral part of the community, but there are times when you have to make decisions that break your heart, really, when it comes right down to it."