Image: Katie Bartel / Chilliwack trustee candidate Katie Bartel.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack school board by-election

Chilliwack trustee candidates disagree on their vision to be the next SD33 trustee

Feb 13, 2025 | 1:28 PM

CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack Board of Education by-election candidate Katie Bartel issued a statement Thursday (Feb. 13) in which she highlighted concerns about opponent Laurie Throness’ responses to a recent questionnaire from the Chilliwack Teachers Association.

According to a news release, Katie Bartel stressed the importance of collaboration and respect for all district partner groups in effective educational leadership while highlighting what she referred to as a “lack of thoughtful responses” by Throness pertaining to the Chilliwack teachers’ union’s questionnaire ahead of the upcoming by-election on March 1.

The teachers union’s questionnaire examined a variety of topics, including the candidates’ motivations for seeking election, their understanding of the trustees’ governance role, and their stance on significant issues such as public funding for private schools. Additionally, it explored each candidate’s strategies for staying informed on key educational concerns and their approach to advocacy in addressing challenges like inadequate funding, staffing shortages, and school overcrowding. By asking these questions, the CTA sought to provide its members and the broader community of voters with a better understanding of each candidate’s priorities and vision for Chilliwack’s public education system.

Throness’ responses were brief, while Bartel wrote more extensively about her stance on various issues, including the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). According to the B.C. government, the Foundation Skills Assessment is an annual province-wide assessment of all B.C. students’ academic skills in grades 4 and 7.

Throness was asked to respond to a somewhat loaded question: “The FSA does not accurately reflect student progress or give enough salient information for teachers to use to adjust or update instruction. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?”

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Throness responded by saying he wasn’t sure he could agree or disagree with the CTA’s statement.

“I’m not sure I know enough about this tool to agree or disagree with the statement, and I would look forward to learning more about it. I do know that we require benchmarks to determine student progress,” Throness wrote in his response to a question about FSA.

In her response, Bartel said she passionately agreed that the FSA does not accurately measure student progress or provide teachers with meaningful data to better guide and inform instruction. She said standardized tests like FSA only offer a narrow glimpse into certain students’ learning and fail to capture the full scope of a child’s growth, strengths and needs.

“I believe effective leadership in education requires collaboration with all district partner groups,” said Bartel. “The CTA questionnaire is an important opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their understanding of the challenges in our school district and show respect for educators as critical partners.”

Since announcing his candidacy, Throness has consistently voiced concerns around academic achievement within SD33. 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. 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 were 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.

Image: Laurie Throness / Chilliwack trustee candidate Laurie Throness.

Bartel, a parent, advocate, and former DPAC chair, acknowledged concerns over Throness’ admission that he did not have enough knowledge of the FSA to comment, despite using FSA data to shape his platform.

“This glaring contradiction reveals a lack of preparation for the role of trustee and disregard for educators and families who have long voiced concerns about how the FSA is administered and used,” Bartel stated. She also highlighted what she called his broader failure to engage with partner groups or understand the Strategic Plan Refresh process, which is a collaborative effort happening now with input from partners and the wider community to shape the district’s future direction.

“Trustees who don’t listen to partner groups cannot lead effectively,” Bartel emphasized. “Educational success depends on collaboration and decisions informed by lived experience, not just data points. Chilliwack deserves trustees who come to the table with empathy, understanding, and a genuine commitment to collaboration. I am ready to be that leader.”

Bartel encouraged community members to engage in the district’s ongoing Strategic Plan Refresh and provided a link for participation: Strategic Plan Refresh 2024-2025.