After high school I studied early childhood education, special education assistant, and continued to seek out new knowledge and ideas for dealing with my own children and those I taught.
I have worked as a preschool teacher in the Creston area and Gibsons, and in daycare centers in various facilities from Calgary to the Sunshine Coast. I’ve also worked as a teacher’s assistant here in Creston and in Gibsons.
My most recent work has been with a non-profit organization called Pacifica Housing as a community support worker. There I did advocacy work for those on the street, and worked in a wet house, meaning some tenants had issues with addiction, others with mental illness and, in one case, a displaced senior. We called this place Medewewin, meaning “a place of healing” in West Salish, and for some this was their first home and where they learned life skills at their own pace. We worked together with other community support workers to improve their quality of life. I acted as liaison between the street people and the medical system. This involved many waiting rooms and making sure all doctors involved were on the same page with information. Many times this was a delicate balancing act to keep funding flowing and tempers calmed to serve the greater good.
What does this have to do with being a good school board trustee? My answer is simple: Many of the street people talked about their experiences with their education and the education system. I have seen the worst case scenarios of what can happen when children fall through the cracks! I am determined to do whatever it takes to not let anymore fall in. Their and our future depends on this vital task! It takes understanding and proactive dedication to make a great trustee and that is what I will provide.
Paullette Francoeur is seeking election as the Town of Creston trustee for School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake).
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The Advance asked each candidate for Creston town council and mayor, Regional District of Central Kootenay director and School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) trustee — as well as acclaimed directors Garry Jackman (Area A) and Larry Binks (Area C) — to submit about 300 words to describe their goals, background, qualifications, concerns — whatever mattered to them. Of the 27 candidates, only two, Jackman and Creston town council candidate Louis Mihaly, chose not to make a submission.