At its Inaugural Board Meeting held November 7, 2022, nine elected trustees were sworn in and the Vancouver School Board elected Trustee Victoria Jung as Chair of the Board and Trustee Gurpreet Faridkot as Vice-Chair.
Chair Jung and Vice-Chair Faridkot will serve in those capacities until the next annual meeting of the Board in November 2023.
As Board Chair, Jung's primary responsibility is to safeguard the integrity of the Board's processes and represent the Board to the broader community. Among her duties, she will ensure that the Board engages in regular assessments of its effectiveness and relay directly to the Superintendent any concerns or questions as communicated to the Chair by trustees, parents/guardians, students or employees, which may significantly affect the administration of the District.
As Vice-Chair of the Board, Faridkot will act on behalf of the Board Chair in the Chair's absence; and shall have all the duties and responsibilities of the Board Chair. Faridkot will also assist the Board Chair in ensuring that the Board operates in accordance with its own policies and procedures and in providing leadership and guidance to the Board.
As Board, the nine trustees serve learners, their families and the public education system for a four-year term. Trustees ensure schools provide students with opportunities for quality education. They set education policies that reflect the aspirations of the community and that are consistent with overall provincial guidelines.
Together with a full audience in attendance at the inaugural meeting, the Board and District staff were honoured with a traditional Indigenous welcome and a song of welcome by Alec Dan, member of the Musqueam Nation.
The first regular meeting of the Board of Education will take place November 28, 2022, at the Education Centre.
Learn more about the role of Chair, Vice-Chair and trustees.
