ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Juliet
WHERE I COME FROM
My name is Juliet Bushi, and I am running for the position of Board Trustee (Ward 3 & 4) in the Windsor-Essex Catholic School Board. As a way of introduction, I am a mother of three adorable children and a wife to my best friend and partner. Beyond the home, I am a passionate educator and an active member of my community with many years of professional and volunteer experience. I lived in Regina, Saskatchewan, for over two decades before moving to Windsor. As an educator, I worked with pre-service and in-service teachers in a supervisory and advisory role. I am also the founder of a nonprofit organization (Canahari Multidisciplinary Summer Programs) that provides educational support and life skills to Black students and students from economically marginalized backgrounds. Almost four years ago, I moved to Windsor to pursue my career as an educator and researcher. Over these years, I have come to love and learn about the education system in Ontario and the city at large through the lens of my children and my experience as a student, educator, non-profit founder, and an active member of my community. I have been in awe of the work that has been done to set up such a dynamic school system but also compelled by the work that still needs to be done to keep it equitable and inclusive for all. In these years, I have made a commitment to serve, and these principles have guided my pathway: community service, education, and advocacy.
A THRIVING CAREER
My roles in education and healthcare have given me insight into the post-secondary, elementary, and high school systems, as well as the challenges parents and students face. Being an elected trustee is not new to me. Before moving to Windsor, I was a school board trustee with the Regina Catholic School Board. This role has deepened my appreciation for the permeation of faith in education, as well as the power of collective advocacy and ally-building. I am aware of the challenges school boards face (funding, teacher/staffing shortages, larger class sizes, and unprecedented government interference, to name a few). As a member of several board committees, I advocated for transparency, equity and accountability while also prioritizing the needs of our students, teachers and families. As a former member of the University of Regina Faculty Association (URFA), I also served on various committees to advocate for job security, health and safety, academic freedom, pensions, and benefits, thereby helping sessional lecturers flourish. I also advocated for changes in human resource policies and practices that create opportunities for racialized individuals and people with disabilities.
MISSION STATEMENT
Equity Meets Opportunity
As an advocate, I have sat on two bargaining tables, negotiating the rights of sessional lecturers and our students to ensure they get the best support they need to achieve academic excellence. I have worked with community organizations and youth-led initiatives to address social issues that affect our students. In my role as an advocate, I ensured that inequitable measures, policies, and practices that continue to deny racialized students, staff, and faculty opportunities to succeed are dismantled.
Our classroom has become more diverse, with children from various backgrounds with unique learning abilities. I believe that there is more work to be done in making sure that our teachers are well prepared and our classrooms are well equipped. As such, I am a strong advocate for an accessible and equitable education system where our students can learn and grow in a culturally safe environment and where teachers are well-equipped to understand and safely address inequitable practices and barriers both inside and outside their classrooms.
If elected, I will work hard to ensure:
That our children have access to innovative, enriched learning opportunities.
That our teachers are well informed, and our classrooms are equipped with the right resources.
That school plans and policies reflect the diversity of our schools and our province.
That teachers and EA's can apply culturally relevant pedagogies in their lessons.
That our schools are a site for reconciliation and anti-racism education where children do not have to navigate the school system but can find schools as a site for refuge
That our students, teachers, and staff have access to mental health support
That our children will be given the best possible resources to become lifelong learners and achieve personal growth and academic success.
On October 26th, vote for Juliet Bushi for the Windsor-Essex Catholic School Board Trustee (Ward 3 & 4). Let's Keep Education a Priority.