To the editor, in response to Letter: O'Hagan expands on reasoning for school board takeover.
My mother, Linda Jamieson, was serving on the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board when she passed away suddenly in October 2021. The last two nights of her life were spent in board meetings serving in a role that she was so proud to hold (one of those two nights was her 68th birthday, which she could not celebrate with us because of a scheduled board meeting).
Many times throughout her 17 years as a school board trustee, my mother was acclaimed to the position, but this did not mean that she took it any more lightly than she would have had she been elected. As someone who has lived in North Bay for most of my life, and as a teacher in the separate school board, I am thankful when people put their names forward to serve our community. No matter how a person ends up serving, whether elected or acclaimed, I would hope that they would take their position seriously and want to serve to the best of their ability.
It is hard to make any significant change if we sit back and wait for someone else to do it (or for the province to take over). Hopefully, all those who have been elected to serve will do the job that they were given the responsibility to do within the system as it exists right now while they push for the changes that they feel are needed.
My mother was not only a separate school board trustee but also a dental hygienist and faithful church parishioner. She was often approached while at work or out in public by people wishing to express their concerns about education. She took these concerns seriously and wanted to get answers for people. My mother valued the time she spent on committees that focused on special education and Indigenous matters. She wanted to learn more about how to better serve those who could be most marginalized.
I do not feel as though anyone who has put their name forward to serve does so without really wanting to serve their community. Again, I am thankful to those who do so. All of these people need the support of the community that they serve.
Cristin Jamieson
North Bay
