The final endorsements of the secondary teachers is out -they went with a set of eight trustees: all five COPE candidates plus three of four Vision (Bacchus, Clement, Lombardi). Controversial school trustee Sharon Gregson was not endorsed: “guns and schools don’t mix,” said one observer at the general meeting. That’s a sentiment that I endorse.
See also: The Report Card
Sharon Gregson is also on the Vision Vancouver/COPE slate but not on the union’s list. Guthrie Warman explained: “The issue of Sharon Gregon is that teachers are very leary of someone who has a stated philosophy that everyone should be able to carry a concealed weapon. That is our only issue with her but when that story broke a couple of years ago, we had a great many calls in this office from teachers about our support of her in the last election.”
To be fair to Sharon Gregson, at the VSTA general meeting teachers generally supported Sharon’s voting record as a trustee and expressed appreciation for her hard work as a trustee. The only reason that secondary teachers could not endorse Sharon is because of her previously expressed opinions regarding concealed weapons. Guns and school violence are a serious professional concern for teachers. However, teachers do look forward to the opportunity to work with Sharon Gregson as a trustee in the future, and we wish her well in her candidacy.