Milt Williams wants to share the knowledge he’s gleaned over the past 24 years teaching in Red Deer’s public schools.
“I still have a strong desire to be involved in education and I want what’s best for schools and their students so that’s why I’m running for trustee,” said Williams, who retired last year.
Williams, 63, is married to another former teacher, Marianne, and the couple have four sons: John, Andrew, Daniel and James, who all went through the public school system.
“I have a variety of backgrounds so I think I bring in a unique perspective as a father of students who attended Red Deer Public schools and as a former teacher. ... It all makes me well rounded,” he said.
He was also in business before he switched gears and decided to teach, working as the store manager of operations for a national furniture retail chain and ran a number of small businesses over the years.
In 2009, Williams brought the MicroSociety program to Aspen Heights Elementary School — the only one in Canada.
This program operates like a miniature community within the school where students own and run businesses, hold elections and even have their own currency.
Williams was internationally recognized last year with the George Award at the MicroSociety Conference in Philadelphia.
“To develop a program like that was a lot of work but it was fun,” he said, adding it helped him with his leadership skills.
In terms of his platform, Williams wants to see classrooms stay a “reasonable” size, encourage the growth of critical thinking within the classroom and is advocating for an elected student representative to participate in board meetings.
“They would provide insight that board members won’t posses on contemporary things like cyber bullying for example.”
He also wants to promote more open communication between parents, trustees, teachers and the wider community.
“We have some school partnerships already with businesses, but I think we can expand on that; give them more options, develop critical thinkers through real world experiences. Let’s get them involved with the food bank, see what the SPCA does, stuff like that.”
Other Red Deer Public School candidates include Cathy Peacocke, Ray Yaworski, Bill Christie, Shari Hanson, Kerri Kenworthy, Lianne Kruger, Dick Lemke, Dianne Macaulay, Bev Manning, Ben Ordman, Jim Watters, Kurt Spady and Bill Stuebing.
rfrancoeur@www.reddeeradvocate.com