Hi, I’m Dalia Shehata

Access to education means more than having a desk in a school.

A student who is being bullied, a student who cannot navigate an inaccessible environment, a student whose disability-related supports aren't being implemented consistently, or a student whose family cannot get the information they need is technically in the system—but may not actually be able to access their education.

I want us to look at the barriers that prevent students from participating, learning and belonging, and ask what we can do to remove them.

I have spent years working around inclusion and accessibility, and one thing has become very clear to me:

A policy is only useful if it changes what happens in real life.

I want the Board to take a closer look at how accessibility policies are implemented, how barriers are identified, and how families and students can actually access the supports they need without having to repeatedly fight their way through the system.

That includes looking seriously at disability, neurodiversity, physical accessibility, communication, sensory needs and the many barriers that aren't immediately visible.

Individual Education Plans are supposed to help ensure students receive the supports and adaptations they need to access their education.

But creating a plan and consistently implementing it are two different things.

I believe we need stronger district-level policy, accountability and consistency around IEP implementation so that the support written on paper is actually the support a student experiences at school.

That doesn't mean turning trustees into case managers.

It means making sure the district has the policies, processes, training and oversight necessary for those plans to work.

Families should not have to become professional investigators to understand what is happening with their child's education.

Clear, timely and accessible communication matters—especially when something goes wrong.

The events in Tumbler Ridge have also reinforced how important communication and coordinated response are when communities face a crisis. The province has emphasized the need for safe, caring and inclusive school communities and appropriate protocols for supporting school communities during critical incidents.

I believe our district needs clear expectations around communication: who communicates, when they communicate, what families can expect, and how information reaches the people who need it.

I would also want to examine how provincial commitments and lessons from events like Tumbler Ridge translate into actual district policy and practice—not simply statements of intention.

A parent voice doesn't mean a parent-only voice. I am running as a parent, but I don't believe the School Board should be governed from a parent-only perspective. Schools are communities. Students, teachers, education assistants, support staff, administrators, families and the wider community all have a role in making them work. If one part of that system isn't supported, the whole system feels it.

I grew up in schools where we stood when a teacher walked into the classroom. We respected our teachers, but that respect didn't come from being afraid of them. Some of the teachers we respected most were the ones who were both cool and strict — they had high expectations, they knew their subject, they cared about us and they expected us to show up and do our best.

That experience shaped how I think about education today. Teachers need to be respected as professionals, supported in their work and included in the decisions that affect their classrooms.

And teachers aren't the only people who make a school work.

Education Assistants can be the glue that holds a student's day together. They build relationships, notice the things other people might miss and often provide the consistency a student needs to participate and feel successful.

School secretaries are often the people who know everyone — the students, their parents, the siblings, the families who are having a hard time and the kids who walk through the office every day. They are often the first person a family encounters when something goes wrong.

And custodians can have an incredibly important role too. Sometimes the person who makes a student feel welcome and safe isn't the person standing at the front of a classroom. It might be the custodian who knows their name, says hello every morning and notices when something is different.

Every one of these people contributes to the culture and functioning of a school.

That's why I don't want to be a trustee who simply brings a parent perspective to the table. I want to listen to the people doing the work, understand what they are experiencing and make decisions that recognize how interconnected the system really is.

I also believe strongly in collaboration outside the education system. Our kids don't exist in isolation from the community. Their wellbeing is connected to recreation, transportation, extracurricular activities, community organizations and the opportunities available to them outside the classroom.

Through Happimess, I brought eight local businesses together for the Squamish Sampler, giving kids the opportunity to experience a range of activities they might never otherwise have tried — while helping families explore what our community has to offer without having to pay for eight separate programs just to discover what their child enjoys. I've also worked with a neighbouring business to coordinate transportation and share a bus, reducing unnecessary trips and emissions. And yes, we were technically competing businesses in a small town. If two businesses that compete for customers can sit down together and figure out how to share resources because it benefits the community, I don't think collaboration between different levels of government should be considered particularly revolutionary.

If we are already spending the same taxpayers' money, I want to see governments talking to each other about how we can use those resources more effectively. That means building relationships with the District of Squamish, community organizations, recreation providers, Indigenous partners and other levels of government, and looking for opportunities to coordinate rather than duplicate. And when it comes to children, I think extracurricular opportunities are more than just something to fill their free time. Sport, art, music, outdoor recreation and other activities can give kids connection, confidence, friendships and a place where they feel they belong.