Name: Rosmy Jean Louis
Age:
Occupation/background:
I believe that I have a unique set of skills that prepares me to make a valuable contribution to our community through the school district. I am fluent in English, French, and Spanish and hold a Master’s and a PhD in Economics and a business degree with specialization in accounting. I have been a professor for 18 years, of which 10 are with Vancouver Island University, where I am currently the chairman of the Economics department and instructor for the MBA/MScIB Program. I have made a wide range of contribution to the existing literature in accounting, finance, economics, economics of education, and tourism. As part of my service to the Cedar community where I reside with my family, I have been a trustee and the chairman of finance for the North Cedar Improvement District over the last seven years, where I oversee a budget of more than $2 million.
Why are you running for school trustee?
I am standing for trustee because I am a concerned parent who would like to see that parents, staff and teachers get all the resources they need to provide quality education to all kids irrespective of where they live or their socio-economic conditions.
What three priorities are important to you and how do you plan to tackle these issues, if elected?
I believe there must be a vigorous social cost-benefit analysis with extensive consultation with the public before a decision is to be made about school closures. And, most importantly, stakeholders’ views must be heard. My stance on school closure has been consistent because besides its negative effects on communities and the school district’s budget, we must still consider the benefits of neighborhood schools. Closing schools without a good understanding of its present and future social cost to society has far more reaching consequences than what has been documented. Kids end up spending more time on buses, putting them at disadvantages to other kids with school in their catchment area who can go to after-school programs, and other activities that can further enhance their development. If you elect me as trustee, I will make sure that your vote is a vote for fairness in the allocation of the school district resources. I also intend to revisit all school closures within the last three years to determine if the proper due diligence was conducted in their closing because I believe some schools could have been saved.
If elected, I will ensure the improvement of the quality of education by providing teachers with the most needed resources, finding optimal class sizes and easy access to technology, and reducing the layers of bureaucracy.
How do you plan to work toward a balanced school district budget?
I will fight to increase government funding per child in every school. Education for our kids is an investment for both the current and the future generations; we need to lobby governments to have sufficient funding for our schools. Lessons from the Scandinavian and European countries where education is a sacred priority would be my guiding principle.