Cort Ray Caldwell is running for School Trustee in New Westminster, and he answered my questions. Thank you for answering!
Obviously this is all satire, of course. In fact, Mr. Caldwell included this disclaimer: “Disclaimer: satirical responses may not mirror actual policy.”
The biggest issue in this year’s election is undoubtedly the replacement of New Westminster Secondary School, an issue that has been going on for at least a decade. Every legitimate candidate (sorry, Jim Bell) is on board with getting the rebuild started quickly. When you run for re-election in 2018, what promises will you make to convince voters that the NWSS rebuild will start in 2019?
Cort Ray Caldwell: Oh, wait… isn’t the new NWSS question rhetorical?
There was some recent discussion on Twitter about entering discussions with Richmond towards building a high school in Queensborough that will also take students from the Hamilton district of eastern Richmond. Two part question here: As school trustee, what will you do to ensure that New Westminster students at this Queensborough high school are reminded daily that they are better than their Richmond counterparts, and will you join forces with the pro-expansion council to annex Hamilton and make it part of New Westminster?
Cort Ray Caldwell: Queensborough students will soon be empowered and confident in their new state-of-the-art Save On Foods High, a third of which will extend into Hamilton and act as a beachead.
One of your fellow school trustee candidates asked why three schools (NWSS, Fraser River Middle, and Qayqayt Elementary) are being built instead of just one. That’s an excellent question. Why not one school? In fact, why not tear down all of our schools and take over the Anvil Centre as “New Westminster School”?
Cort Ray Caldwell: These plans have not yet been made public. We really expect to be on budget.
What is your favourite New Westminster school and why is it Urban Academy?
Cort Ray Caldwell: John Robson forever.
Enroling children for Early French Immersion in New Westminster means signing up within the first six months of your child’s life because of the first-come-first-served process. What will you do to change this and require parents to sign up their children for Early French Immersion before they are born?
Cort Ray Caldwell: I will help create a SD business company, promoting French Immersion Prenatal Supplements. Purchase of this nutritional program from a participating Save On Foods will fast-track applications (acceptance not guaranteed).
Fundraising for a playground at Qayqayt Elementary has been a community-lead effort. As school trustee, how many bottle drives and online contests will you help push instead of getting proper funding for these things?
Cort Ray Caldwell: My fundraising strategy will ensure no student is left behind.
- It will consist of a human train of students, canvassing in an continuous loop around New Westminster.
- Student enrollment will be guaranteed from Kindergarten, with no wait list, as long as the Preschool Loose Change ticket is completed.
- Top lEarners will be afforded silver whistles of personal responsibility for use before dawn.
- Each will be empowered to do creative projects and homework on the backs of students in front of them in the bottle drive train, thereby offering them an opportunity for early high school graduation and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning by the age of 11.
- Upon graduation students will be engaged as enabled community members and afforded the opportunity to work in the bottle drive train for either continuing education credits, or advanced placement in the train for their offspring.