My first year as School Trustee

By Darlyne Bautista

	Darlyne Bautista, School Trustee Winnipeg School Division, Ward 3

In October 2010, I was elected as School Trustee for the Winnipeg School Division. Over the past year, I have learned so much in this role. It is important for me to continue to share these experiences with you.

As a School Trustee, I am one of nine members who comprise the School Board. Together, we represent 77 schools in Winnipeg’s largest school division. These 77 schools are divided further into one of three wards that each Trustee represents. I am Trustee for Ward 3 (along with my two colleagues), which comprises the North End, Inner City, Tyndall Park, Garden City, Elmwood and Transcona neighbourhoods.

In this role, I enter discussions at an administrative level with the division’s superintendents, administrators, unions, provincial and government bodies. Our weekly board meetings delve into important issues like the school budget and taxes, programming, and student supports to name a few. The Winnipeg School Division is unique because of the bold decisions made here. For example, it is the first division to offer nursery classes without cost to its students; it also offers important special needs programming.

Further to my administrative role, I also continue with my grassroots community work. I feel the most important part of my job is visiting schools (so far I have visited nearly 30), attending parent council and community meetings, as well as getting to know the students and families. It is important for me that I become a part of the school community because it is the only way I can understand the needs expressed at all levels. Now, with most schools hosting a larger newcomer population (in some cases at least half of the student body) and facing rising needs in EAL (English as an Additional Language), I feel it is increasingly urgent to understand the concerns arising from this demographic transition.

I know all too well, as a child growing up in the North End, that our schools reflect the larger society we are a part of. I think in all my studies, my childhood was probably my greatest education. I went to an elementary school that was rich in aboriginal teachings and came home each day to a Filipino-immigrant setting (a time when Filipino-Canadians were still few in number). I grew older to understand that in each action and conversation I had there were also mixed assumptions about how much I understood. Perhaps it was my socio-economic background, my heritage, or my North End “swagger” that lead me to believe that the perspective I had was less common. Looking back, these experiences have allowed me the empathy to understand the cautiousness of some immigrants, refugees and northern aboriginals who enter our schools today.

When I first began in this role, it was interesting to learn the different perceptions out there about me. After all, I am the age of most young parents, a woman of colour, and a Trustee at that! For some, I characterize an anomaly or even a curiosity. This is something I embrace. When children often ask me, “Are you Filipino?” I realize it has little to do with what I actually look like. It has more to do with how they perceive themselves. You see, children need to see themselves in others to belong and fit in. They need to relate to the world around them and gather their importance in it. It is a means of perceiving that they exist and a way to build confidence in learning this. So, when I answer, I tell them “Yes, I am Filipina,” but I also tell them that “I am Canadian, too” because being part of both worlds upholds everything I hope they wish to see in me as a woman, a leader, and a young person too. It is my hope that in the four years I put into this term that these children will not only know that they can aspire to become anything, but also maintain the optimism, boldness, and creativity they have shown me.

Young Darlyne with her-brother and friend, Machray Elementary School, 1985	Darlyne performing at Ethnic Day, Machray Elementary School, 1986	Bautista’s graduation from St. John's High School, 1999

Darlyne Bautista was born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End where she attended Machray Elementary and St. John’s High Schools. She completed her BA (Hons.) from the University of Winnipeg and MA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has extensive experience working with immigrant families and youth. Contact the author at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or on her Facebook page, Darlyne Bautista for School Trustee.

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