Tina Patterson for TOL SD35 School Trustee

10/12/2026

I'm Tina Patterson, and I'm running for Township of Langley (TOL) School Board Trustee.

I am running to bridge the gap between district decisions and kitchen table realities. My goal is simple: to ensure that local families and frontline educators are always heard.

***A FAMILIAR FACE IN OUR COMMUNITY***

Many of you already know me from my years of local involvement. You’ve likely seen me:

🔵Volunteering in my kids classes

🔵 Supporting youth sports by coaching baseball and basketball, acting as team parent, or snapping photos on the football field.

🔵 Leading in local governance on school committees, PACs, DPAC, and Dry Grad boards.

🔵 Advocating for education by fighting for equity, addressing critical school issues, and securing funding grants.

***FIRST-HAND CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE***

🔵 I have lived in Walnut Grove for over 21 years, raising my children here in the TOL graduating from our public school system. As a current educator, I am not a sideline observer. I am in the schools right along with your kids every day.

🔵 I see exactly what families and students are facing. Our households are deeply impacted by rising economic pressures, mental health challenges, and the struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance in an increasingly digital world.

***PROVEN LEADERSHIP & OPERATIONAL SKILLS***

My approach to school district governance is driven by a deep, multi-faceted understanding of our education system:

🔵 Diverse Educational Roles: Experienced as a high school classroom teacher, Acting Vice-Principal, Aboriginal Learning Department Head, and Gifted Teacher Facilitator.

🔵 Systemic Advocacy: Motivated by my personal journey as a parent of a neurodiverse individual, I work closely with community partners to build truly inclusive learning environments.

🔵 Collaborative Governance: Proven operational skills gained by chairing Joint Health & Safety, Staff, and Professional Development (Pro-D) committees.

***INDEPENDENT AND ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU***

🔵 Residents of the Township of Langley, I am running independently. I am not part of a slate, nor am I beholden to political party affiliations.
I am running strictly to serve you, your children, and our community. I would be honoured to have your vote.

For more information, check out: www.TinaPatterson.ca

🗳️General Election Voting Day is October 17th

✅ Authorized by Tina Patterson, Financial Agent, [email protected]

10/11/2026

10/11/2026

Mental health care in schools cannot be treated as an afterthought. ⏳

There is a silent struggle happening at many Langley kitchen tables right now—and it’s one that parents often carry alone late into the night.

When your child is anxious, overwhelmed, or struggling to even walk through the school doors, you look to our education system for immediate support. But the reality is heartbreaking.

Current counselor-to-student staffing ratios mean our incredible school counselors are stretched to the absolute limit. As a result, local families are facing massive waitlists just to get an initial check-in.

Waiting weeks for help simply isn't an option.

Early intervention shouldn't be a luxury dependent on your ability to pay for private care. As an educator, I've seen firsthand how a single, timely conversation with a school counselor can change a student's entire trajectory.

We must re-evaluate our staffing ratios and prioritize mental health funding directly within the SD35 budget. Our kids cannot afford to wait.
Let's bridge the gap between district budgeting and the mental health realities our families face every single day.

10/10/2026

LAST ADVANCED VOTING DAY TOL (Municipal)

You’ve got two options:

LANGLEY REGIONAL
AIRPORT
5385 216 STREET

~AND~

JAMES KENNEDY
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
9060 - 212 STREET



Note: If you miss today's advance window, General Voting Day is next Saturday, October 17, 2026

10/09/2026

Geography shouldn't dictate student safety. 🗺️🚌

While central Langley gets transit upgrades, many of our student transit routes remain limited, leaving kids walking along roads without proper sidewalks or streetlights just to get to a bus stop.

Safety doesn’t stop at the school property line. We need a School Board that actively advocates the Township of Langley council to sync sidewalk development with school bus routes. Let’s make sure every child—no matter where they live in the grid—has a safe, reliable, and accessible path to their education.

👇🏼 What is the biggest transit or safety challenge your kids face getting to school in our township?

Vote www.tinapatterson.ca

10/08/2026

When you are out door knocking, turn a corner to see your own sign down the street. 💛 Thank-you for your support and motivation…you kept me going after a long day in the classroom!

10/07/2026

🗳️It’s advanced voting day !

Today’s voting location is at the (LEC West Gym)
at 7888 - 200 Street.

Go to www.tinapatterson.ca

10/07/2026

⏸️ Hitting Pause on AI: Equipping Students for Real-World Success

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Should schools teach kids to use AI first, or teach them to think first? 🧠

Today’s educators face challenges that even Orwell may not have imagined—a direct threat to a student's ability to think critically, read deeply, and compute accurately. This isn’t a student capacity issue; it is a systemic surrender of basic learning functions.

For years, teachers have raised alarms about declining focus, core literacy, and resilience. Today, those anecdotal warnings are firmly backed by research and falling test scores.

Now, add another complex layer to the classroom: conversational artificial intelligence.

While AI holds potential, navigating its output to safely unlock its benefits requires a fully developed pre-frontal cortex. That is a biological capacity our children do not yet possess. It is unfair to expect it of them, and as adults, we risk setting them up for failure.

🖥️ Why I Support an Immediate Pause on AI Chatbots in BC Classrooms:

🎯 Prioritizing Foundations: Our primary focus must remain on genuine human literacy, authentic communication, and safeguarding emotional development.

🎯 Pro-Child, Not Anti-Tech: We are witnessing the harms of a predatory "Attachment Economy," where algorithms monetize children’s attention, fueling digital dependency, anxiety, and an erosion of independent thought.

🎯 Protecting SD35 Schools: Our Technology Plan and AI Steering Committee are already grappling with massive concerns regarding data privacy, FOIPPA compliance, and AI inaccuracies.

🎯 Supporting Teachers: Educators should be teaching, not acting as the "cellphone and AI police."

This protective stance mirrors the broader shift we are seeing across the country, building on provincial bell-to-bell restrictions and the highly anticipated federal legislation introduced by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Classrooms must remain sanctuaries for focused learning, human mentorship, and deep peer-to-peer engagement. Before introducing powerful, unregulated conversational tools into School District 35, we must prioritize the digital well-being of our youth.

Getting back to our essential question — Should schools teach kids to use AI first, or teach them to think first? 🧠 Let me know your thoughts🔻

10/04/2026

🗳️Please check out my responses to voter questions!

🎯 Share your thoughts by replying to this post!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HKyfSgvLW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

1. Primary Caregivers and Parental InformationDo you believe parents are the primary caregivers and educators of their children and should be kept meaningfully informed about significant matters affecting their children at school?Absolutely. Parents are the primary stakeholders and partners in their...