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AT YOUR SERVICE: School district introduces two new specialty academies

Question-and-answer feature calls on those elected to office in Langley
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Do you have a question you’d like to see put to the Langley school trustees? Email your idea to editor@langleyadvancetimes.com.

Langley Advance Times is offering this weekly feature, called “At Your Service.”

It’s another forum in which to put questions to our local politicians about key issues facing our community and its residents.

Using a basic question-and-answer format, elected officials will be asked one question at a time and given the opportunity to respond (to a maximum of 250 words) on that said issue.

Alternating between elected groups, Langley City and Langley Township councils, Langley school board, Langley MLAs, and Langley MPs each have a chance to participate.

The answers provided will be published in their entirety online Sundays.

MOST RECENT:

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QUESTION

Each school trustee was asked the same question: Is growth in choice programs, such as arts and French immersion, keeping up with the rapid growth in the district’s student population, and if not, what should be done to expand those programs?

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ANSWERS

Board chair Candy Ashdown

A. This trustee failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.

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Trustee Holly Dickinson

A. The district is doing a great job of supporting and expanding choice programs.

During the past few months, the board was excited to approve two new academies: An elementary school outdoor learning academy and a rugby academy program at D.W. Poppy.

French immersion programs need to be examined separately, as the struggles to maintain French programs is due to a nationwide shortage of French teachers. Remedying this deficiency will require innovative solutions and collaboration between federal, provincial, local governments, and their partner groups.

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Trustee Charlie Fox

A. There are two ways to respond to your question;

1. Are the variety of choice program offerings keeping up with our student growth? The answer to that question is answered based on demand and sustainability through the grade school years. For example, to expand the type of ‘choice’ programs we would only respond to an identified need and also the need to ensure any program implemented would be able to sustain itself through Grade 12 from its starting year.

2. Are the number of existing choice classrooms (e.g.French immersion, I.B., etc.) keeping up with demand. Any expansion of the choice program offerings would be based on several criteria including, but not exclusive to: student interest, available classroom space, teacher availability (every district is presently experiencing problems getting French immersion teachers for example) and program costs.

The district has always been at the forefront of choice program learning options for students.

We as a district recently added two learning academy opportunities, outdoor education and rugby at D.W. Poppy, so we are constantly reviewing and balancing the issues of opportunity and need of choice opportunities for students.

In conclusion, this is an area of continuous review and consideration for our district.

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Trustee Joel Neufeld

A. This trustee failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.

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Trustee Sarb Rai

A. This trustee failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.

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Trustee Tony Ward

A. This trustee failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.

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Trustee Marnie Wilson

A. This trustee failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.

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UP NEXT

Next week, Langley MLAS are being asked: What is the provincial government’s role in helping get more people out of their cars, and what are the best tactics for a community with urban, suburban, and rural elements like Langley?

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Watch for their answers online Sunday.

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PAST COVERAGE

AT YOUR SERVICE: City council weighs in on supervised consumption sites

AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley trustees applaud positives found amid pandemic

AT YOUR SERVICE: Township council weighs in on lack of industrial land

AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs see feds as partners in SkyTrain to Langley

AT YOUR SERVICE: Creating more housing, on all fronts, critical to stabilization: MPs

AT YOUR SERVICE: Heat wave another call to action – City council

AT YOUR SERVICE: Pools need to be part of Township-wide recreation planning

AT YOUR SERVICE: No current need for year-round schooling in Langley, trustees agree

AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs suggest staying the course on battling of B.C. wildfire

AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs call for borders to be safely re-opened

AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley City council wants to keep higher density development north of Nicomekl

AT YOUR SERVICE: Passports key to keeping B.C. businesses open, people safe during pandemic

AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees ponder what kids are missing out on during pandemic

AT YOUR SERVICE: Education should trump rules for vaccination of health-care workers, suggest MLAs

AT YOUR SERVICE: How to handle rising housing prices

AT YOUR SERVICE: City council divided on call for indoor pool

AT YOUR SERVICE: Council ponders vaccine requirements for workers

AT YOUR SERVICE: Skyrocketing enrolment prompts intensified lobby by trustees

AT YOUR SERVICE: Political stripes aside, MLAs agree heat dome was tragic and action required

AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree much must be done to right wrongs for Indigenous

AT YOUR SERVICE: Is pay parking in the City a viable consideration?

AT YOUR SERVICE: Some suggest more needed to protect floodplains from development

AT YOUR SERVICE: Monitoring student transport not good use of school district resources – trustees

AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal caucus floats all-party committee in reaction to emergencies

AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley MPs address issue of rising food costs

AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook

AT YOUR SERVICE: Future of Aldergrove core up for debate

AT YOUR SERVICE: Trees and more greenspace at root of climate change solutions

AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook

AT YOUR SERVICE: Councillors differ on future of SkyTrain beyond Langley City

AT YOUR SERVICE: Bigger schools not necessarily solution to rising land costs

AT YOUR SERVICE: High gas prices of concern for MLAs of both stripes

AT YOUR SERVICE: Military readiness for climate disasters must be ensured – says one MP; other says army only one piece of bigger puzzle

AT YOUR SERVICE: Empty homes can be safety concern, but not huge concern in City

AT YOUR SERVICE: Most of council content with current pothole repairs

AT YOUR SERVICE: Survey gives school district tools for staff recruitment, retention

AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal MLAs call for overhaul to B.C.’s student funding model

AT YOUR SERVICE: Canada must continue its support of Ukraine, MPs

AT YOUR SERVICE: Best use of industrial land paramount to Langley City councillors

AT YOUR SERVICE: More ALR land needs to be used for farming: Most of council

AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley is attractive to school staff, but given rapid growth trustees agree more must be done

AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MLAs agree more must be done to make life affordable in B.C.

AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal parties working on multiple fronts to end hate crimes

AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley City ponders cannabis retail policy

AT YOUR SERVICE – Most on council say parks and rec plans address future growth

AT YOUR SERVICE: School district moves forward on reconciliation efforts with Indigenous partners

AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree diking upgrades needed, divided on if enough is being done

AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MPs disagree on whether 2 billion trees can be planted by 2030

AT YOUR SERVICE: In light of SkyTrain coming, Langley City embarks on parking study

AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley Township should consider schools for future cooling centres

AT YOUR SERVICE: Despite challenges, trustees affirm Langley is ready to accept more refugee students as need arises

AT YOUR SERVICE: Opposition MLAs critical of NDP’s affordable housing record

AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal clean energy efforts lauded by MP

AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs debate how feds chose to halt trucker convoy

AT YOUR SERVICE: New Langley City council look for solutions to rising costs

AT YOUR SERVICE – A few Langley Township council members speak to ongoing single-family home demands

MOST RECENT – AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees hope Santa can deliver more provincial funding this holiday season

AT YOUR SERVICE: Political views aside, MLAs wish residents health and safety this holiday

AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree new year’s resolution must focus on inflation

AT YOUR SERVICE: New floodplain report coming to council this spring

AT YOUR SERVICE – Protected bike lanes on key Township roads is encouraged by council

AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees divided on question of socializing kids

AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree much to be done to safeguard against climate-related disasters

AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree new year’s resolution must focus on inflation

AT YOUR SERVICE: City’s residential garbage pickup remains status quo – at least for now

AT YOUR SERVICE – Protected bike lanes on key Township roads is encouraged by council

AT YOUR SERVICE: Pair of trustees agree parent engagement is critical and can grow

AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree much to be done to safeguard against climate-related disasters

AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs debate how should the criminal justice system should be reformed to deal with habitual offenders

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Roxanne Hooper

About the Author: Roxanne Hooper

I began in the news industry at age 15, but honestly, I knew I wanted to be a community journalist even before that.
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