Teacher Attraction and Retention

Last night I participated in a "teacher attraction and retention" project as part of parent council for Hillside Community School. All of the Parent Councils from the school district were invited to the library at Hillside and representatives from a few other schools were there. We were told by the consultant that there will be a spike in children starting school in the next 3-5 years and attracting and retaining new teachers will be even more important than it currently is. We started by choosing a photo out of several that the consultant set out on the table, the photo that best described what teachers meant to us. Then we listed the positive and negative aspects of the profession, finally we talked about how we could solve the problem.

What can we do to attract teachers to Grande Prairie and keep them here? More importantly- and what I find to be the real issue- how do we attract more people to the profession? I suggested that if education were properly funded more kids would consider a career in teaching. Its one of the toughest jobs and we constantly ask them to do more with less. We need to support education and make it a top priority.

If you've never participated in this kind of project and ever have the opportunity I highly recommend it. Was it a success in the sense that the consultant got the answers he required? I dont know, but it made us think about our teachers and what we can do as parents to support them.

Traffic Circles

My initial reaction to the plan to put two roundabouts in the downtown area of Grande Prairie was a negative one. I dont have the confidence that the general public is going to take to this change well. I think quite a few people will be confused, the change from one way to two way alone is going to take a real adjustment period. But the more information I get about this plan the better it sounds and I admit, Im starting to warm up to the idea.

There is a difference between traffic circles and roundabouts, though we tend to use both words to describe one thing. You dont see many true traffic circles here and I suspect that when comments about other countries taking traffic circles out are made the roundabouts that are planned for Grande Prairie are not what is being talked about. Roundabouts are a lot less confusing and depending on the details of this plan, they could work really well.

This is a matter I will be paying close attention to, especially as a downtown business owner. The general public needs more information about this plan, and I am on a quest for knowledge:)

Running for Alderman

I've decided to run for Alderman, one thing I like about municipal politics is that it is non partisan. The council members are working for the people and do not have to vote along party lines. Im impressed with the work that City Council has done the past 3 years, a lot has been accomplished! I'd like to see that momentum continue, to have a city where families can grow, teens feel that they have a lot to do, and a downtown that welcomes all walks of life.

I am a downtown business owner and this area is important to me. There is great potential for new development, something that the city should look at very carefully. Its no secret that crime rates drop when people live in an area, so the possibility for affordable housing in the downtown core should be examined.

I am a mom of 4 busy young boys! We love the outdoors and often use the trail system. We've been to the parent link centre and the indoor playground. There are things for my children to do now, but I often wonder what they will be doing when they are teens. Grande Prairie needs to support our young adults and have a variety of things for them to do. I want my kids to continue enjoying what this city has to offer from now into adulthood.

Iam excited to enter this process, this new phase of my life. I look forward to meeting new people and representing mothers like me in the city of Grande Prairie!

Buying the York

Alright, everyone has an opinion on the city's decision to buy the York hotel, Im no exception. I know some people are concerned that council acted out the wishes of the Mayor, even though he was not part of the discussions on the issue. I know some are concerned that the Mayor profitted from the city's decision, but this was a great move! I drove past the hotel yesterday and the area is quiet, a couple people in the resteraunt that looks to still be open, a security truck parked outside, but other than that there isnt anyone around. Granted, getting rid of the hotel does not solve all of the problems, but its a start.

Its not that the transient crowd has done anything to our patrons or staff, they have been pretty harmless, but not many people want to park across the street from a place where drugs and prostitution are readily available. Now parents can feel safer bringing their children to our toy store.

I am excited and pleased with where my tax dollars have gone! The city now needs to keep control over what is developed there and when. Here is a chance to recreate a downtown that all people can feel safe and get excited about!

Branding Our City

Grande Prairie is comming up with a new brand. A slogan that can be used to then update our logo. I think this is a wonderful idea, our logo is outdated and we have grown so much in the last few years. It was announced in the paper yesterday that the first draft was presented to council. "Opportunity for Entreprenurial ingenuity" was what was suggested. Wait, did I spell that correctly? A couple of the Alderman were skeptical of this, with good reason. Do we want to paint our city as just a place to open a business? Not to say that our unique and varied economy isnt a good thing, infact it is a great thing. Is this all that we are though? And what kind of logo are we going to get from this slogan?

Im glad that this is not the final result, there is definitely more work to be done. Grande Prairie is rich with talented artistic people and cultural programs and festivals. These things should not be overloo9ked, especially when some of the suggestions I hear are "Grande Prairie, a nice place to be from". People dont know about our creative side, it is something Id like to see highlighted for those who currently think Grande Prairie is an oil town and nothing more.

Buzz about the bees

I attended the city council meeting tonight and was impressed by a speech given about Honey Bees. When I first heard about the city wanting to declare a day for the Honey Bee I wasnt sure of my thoughts on this. After hearing the support from a federal researcher (who's name escapes me at the moment) I think it is a great idea! What better way to educate and excite a community about a cause so important. Im really looking forward to what council plans and how this day will unfold. It sounds like an event the kids will enjoy too.