Oct. 15, 2007 UPDATE: Trustee offers belated apology to District Parents citing ‘misunderstanding’ and feeling unsure of her welcome at DPAC meetings as her excuse for using the public platform of a board of education meeting to interfere in the internal processes of Vancouver’s District Parents’ Advisory Council and then to call her liaison school principles to lobby them on DPAC’s internal processes. But, she’s sorry that anyone felt ambushed by her surprise question and that anyone took offense at her intervention into the internal processes of a parent organization.

As recorded in the official reports going to the Board of Education meeting October 15:

District Parent Advisory Council – Bylaw Change

Trustee Gibson referred to the Notice of Motion regarding the bylaw changes dealing with at-large (rather than area) election of District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) executive members. Trustee Gibson expressed her concern commenting that on the surface this change is more than a bylaw change and a broader discussion is needed. After a brief discussion, L. Anderson, Associate Superintendent, Continuing and International Education, agreed to meet with DPAC and members of District Management and trustees to further discuss the issue.

Such meddling in the democratic affairs of a Board of Education partner organization is a sad reflection on the majority trustee. Such interference would not be tolerated by other partner groups -such interference should not be tolerated by parents. It is only appropriate that the trustee apologize publicly for her actions. One wold hope that the Board of Education will also issue a formal statement making clear that it has no intention of interfering in the democratic processes of any of its partner organizations.