Here are my responses to some of the surveys that have been sent to school trustee candidates:
- River East Transcona Teachers Association (RETTA):
- my answers: https://retta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/FritzscheLJ.pdf
- all of the Ward 3 candidates’ responses: https://retta.ca/ward-3-candidate-responses/
- People for Public Education Survey:
- all trustee responses (RETSD Ward 3 starts at row 41): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PZeJHOaAsZobAXWOKJ0kC_nUHDAEi2Nn8hG1gZjwOwc/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- Grassroots Literacy MB survey:
- Through email I received a survey from someone with ARPA Canada, a reformed Christian political action group. They didn’t post candidate responses online as far as I know but said they were distributing them in local churches affiliated with them:
- Please tell us a little bit about yourself personally: Who are you? Why are you running? What values drive you in your aspiration to be a school board trustee?
I’m a parent of 3 school-aged children and a lifelong resident of the division I’m running in. I’m driven by a passion for education, a love of learning, and a desire for the community to be invested in the health of our public schools. - What issues are you passionate about and, in your opinion, what are the greatest issues facing our public school system?
I believe that one of the greatest issues facing our school system is the devaluing of the service that public education provides. My hope is that encouraging community engagement in the governance of this school division will be beneficial to both the schools and residents of the ward in that it will help residents understand the far-reaching benefits of a robust public education system, and ensure that the division isn’t out of touch with what the community wants. In that vein I’d say that greater transparency and cooperation between the school system and the public is an issue I’m passionate about. - Do you support or oppose the inclusion of SERC material in school health curriculum?
I think the SERC is a valuable resource for the Manitoba government to collaborate with when it comes to developing a health curriculum that is age appropriate for every grade and that helps our kids build a good understanding of what they can expect as they develop. Being open with this information and making sure that students get it from vetted sources will help keep them safe in the long run. - Should parents be notified when particularly sensitive material (e.g. sexual education) is discussed in the classroom? Should parents be allowed to request that their children be absent from a class when such material is being discussed?
It seems impractical for teachers to be expected to seek permission from parents whenever their child may be present for a lesson that could be considered sensitive material. For example parents aren’t sent permission slips home in advance if they want to keep their children out of a history class that discusses war or genocide, or a science class that teaches the big bang theory, so why should sexual education be treated differently? - Should the school board, district, or division notify or obtain consent from parents when a child wishes to use a new name or pronouns at school?
No, the school does not need consent from parents if a child wants to use a new name or pronouns. Depending on the student’s home life it could endanger them to notify their parents, so it’s safer to respect a child’s request to be addressed in a way that is suitable to them. - Should sexually explicit or descriptive material be available in school libraries? If so, at what grade level (e.g. in elementary schools, middle schools, or high schools)? How would you assist parents who have concerns about such materials being shared at inappropriate ages?
My answer to this question would depend on how you define “sexually explicit or descriptive material”, but I believe that librarians and teachers understand what types of reading materials are appropriate for different grade levels. If I was worried about material that my child was exposed to at school then I’m confident that the school would be open to hearing my concerns, but I also wouldn’t expect the school to impose censorship on libraries based on my personal issue with a text. - Some school boards across Canada have censured board members, school staff, or parents for controversial statements. Do you support freedom of speech, or do you think that it is the responsibility of the board to censor potentially offensive speech at school board meetings?
There are codes of conduct that board members and attendees are expected to adhere to during school board meetings, so if someone breaks a previously agreed upon rule then it is by definition the responsibility of the board to censure them.
- Please tell us a little bit about yourself personally: Who are you? Why are you running? What values drive you in your aspiration to be a school board trustee?
