Image: Laurie Throness / Former two-term MLA Laurie Throness has announced that he plans to run for the vacant seat on the Chilliwack school board, which was vacated by MLA Heather Maahs after she won her Chilliwack North riding in October's provincial election.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Public service

Former Chilliwack MLA eyes return to public service, stresses academic achievement in upcoming campaign

Dec 17, 2024 | 3:43 PM

CHILLIWACK — Former two-term MLA Laurie Throness has announced that he plans to run for the vacant seat on the Chilliwack school board, which was vacated by MLA Heather Maahs after she won her seat in October’s provincial election.

Throness was an MLA for a little over seven years in the Chilliwack-Kent and Chilliwack-Hope ridings. Prior to that, he worked as MP Chuck Strahl’s chief of staff in three federal departments in Ottawa. In the 1980s, he worked for MLA Harvey Schroeder in Chilliwack.

Throness holds a PhD in history from Cambridge University, a master’s degree in public administration from Queen’s University, and several other degrees.

“I spent my entire elementary and secondary education in the public system and almost all of my post-secondary education as well, so my commitment to the public system and to academia in general is unquestioned,” Throness said. “I would like to dedicate my energy and experience to improving public education in School District 33.”

In a statement to Fraser Valley Today, Throness says serving on the Chilliwack Board of Education would fulfill two of his lifelong passions.

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“Serving on Chilliwack School Board is a way to combine two of my lifelong passions – academics and public service,” Throness said. “When I was MLA I heard a number of complaints from parents and teachers that too many of our students are not equipped to face the wide world when they graduate, so I’d like to redirect the focus of the Board toward academic achievement.”

Throness says his top priorities are centered around academic achievement, fiscal responsibility, enhanced classroom attendance and discipline, and enhancing relationships between parents and the system.

More specifically, Throness expressed concern over the academic achievement within SD33. According to a fact sheet provided by Throness, equity, inclusion, collaboration, kindness and innovation are listed as core values of the Chilliwack School District, but not academic achievement.

Further to that point, Throness said a Framework for Enhancing Student Learning report from 2024 said half of SD33 students in grades 3-8 are not on track for comprehension and thinking reading assessment. In all but grade 7, Throness said those student achievement scores deteriorated from the year prior.

In a writing assessment that each school completes at least once a year, student achievement is at the 55 per cent proficiency mark as an average score across grades 1-8, which is down from the prior year, Throness noted. In grades 4, 7, 10 and 12, students demonstrate 70 per cent proficiency or less in language arts.

“On all of the above measures, Indigenous children, those of diverse abilities, and children in care scored much lower than the total,” Throness said.

Throness cited several other concerning FESL metrics, including students who took the Student Numeracy Assessment & Practice (SNAP) test. In grades 2-7, all students demonstrated proficiency of less than 63 per cent, including grade 6’s mark of 45 per cent proficiency.

In their report card on mathematics, Throness said students are falling short. For example, grades 4, 7, 10 and 12 exhibit proficiencies of between 68 per cent and 72 per cent. He said the report concludes, “Based on our numeracy data, we have work to do.”

Throness also said the report does not appear to test grade 12 students broadly, the crucial year of graduation.