Steinbach resident and dad of three, Brett Siemens says his reason for adding his name to the candidates for Hanover School Division Trustee for Ward 3 was simple. “I wanted to have a voice in my kids’ education. If I waited another four years, my oldest would be out of school. So, that was really the biggest thing for me. I wanted to be a part of my kids’ future.”
Siemens says as his kids grew up, he became more involved in their schools by being on the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and getting to know the principals and faculty. “I started to get passionate about education and the direction things were going at the HSD. It just felt like a good place to move up and work in a Trustee position.”
He says he was an Educational Assistant (EA) in Landmark a couple of years ago, which gave him an “inside feel of what was going on in the school and the pressures that EA’s are under these days. So, I hope that as a Trustee, I would be able to bring that to light and figure out a way to get more support for EA’s, but also that the students with special needs could feel more intertwined in the classroom.”
When looking at the current HSD board, Siemens says they have been doing many things well. His own children are enjoying school, “So there's always a positive vibe back. But, I'm curious to see what's gonna come next.”
Siemens says inclusion is very important. “We need to lead with love and that we make goals for our dreams that we have so that they can come to fruition. I know that every kid has to find that niche. We need to create classrooms where every kid can find their way to learn the best way. All my children learn completely differently from each other, and that's been a growing task all in itself, to try to figure out how to manage the way they're doing their schooling, and to still be able to give them advice so that they learn even a better way than they did before.”
As to what Siemens can bring to the board? He says, “I'm not afraid to get out there and talk to people and to get opinions and to understand what other people are saying and see things from their point of view. And I've found that sometimes it’s best not to direct people, but just give them a little bit of a different idea of what could be done.” Siemens says it doesn’t always make you a fan-favorite but, “it’s just something you have to roll with, because everyone is gonna be your friend and not everybody is gonna see things the way you see them either. Communication is huge. It's just so important to just keep talking and keeping the dialogue open.”
“I try to lead with honesty. I try to make sure that I'm open and honest about almost everything I do. I try to be very open and receptive to other people. If somebody wants to talk or meet or greet, I'm all for that. Absolutely.”
Siemens concludes, “I just want to get involved in the school and a part of my kids’ education. That's the biggest thing here, it’s just getting in there and seeing what there is that I can do. Because I feel like I have a lot to contribute.”
Municipal council and School Board elections take place on Wednesday, October 26.