OK, Let's Vote — Sean Sookochoff
School trustee questionnaire — trustee-v1-2026-09-21
SD23 — Zone I (Lake Country and Central Okanagan East)
Submitted September 22, 2026, 13:47 Pacific; reviewed September 24, 2026.

Published with the candidate's explicit authorization. Answers below are the candidate's own statements, not independently verified outcomes or recorded votes. Original wording retained except normalized whitespace and the marked privacy redaction. Private contact and technical identifiers excluded.

1. What experience and perspective would you bring to the school board?

I've been a professional educator for 30 years and a classroom teacher in SD23 for 25 of those years. The classroom is the front line of education and teachers make it happen.

2. What are your three main priorities for the district, and what progress would you want voters to see in your first year?

1. Safe and Healthy Schools. Maintain Positive, learner focused environments where students are provided with opportunities to thrive. 2. Fiscal oversight on capital projects, annual budgets and maintenance projects. 3. Ensure school board governance is informed by today's classroom realities.

3. How would you assess whether students are learning and thriving, and what would you do at the board level if outcomes are falling short?

I would compare district generated achievement data with popular opinion and investigate discrepancies. Where shortfalls exist, I'll increase policy compliance and/or update policy to reflect today's classroom realities.

4. When needs exceed the available budget, how would you decide what to protect, change or defer? Please explain a trade-off you would be prepared to consider.

I want budget cuts to impact classrooms as little as possible. As an example, I will protect class size limits before backing an improvement project that is unrelated to front line learning.

5. What would you prioritize to improve access to learning and support for students with disabilities or diverse learning needs, and how would you measure progress?

I want every student to feel welcome and included by their school and their peers. Classrooms are mini communities and all children is invited. My actions will be grounded in community feedback. Listen first, lead second.

6. What board policies or oversight would you prioritize for student safety, belonging and well-being, including responses to bullying and discrimination?

An act of bullying can be a teachable moment. For this to happen, a supervisor needs to witness the act and address the issue. Educational spaces need supervision.

7. How would you work with local First Nations and Indigenous families on Indigenous student success and the district's education responsibilities?

I would lean heavily on the thoughts of my indigenous peers for guidance. Making sensitive and informed decisions with respect to indigenous culture will help me build on the progress already achieved by the outgoing board.

8. How would students, parents/caregivers and staff meaningfully influence board decisions, including people who do not usually attend meetings?

Email me or call me, let's talk.

9. How would you approach school space, maintenance, transportation or other capital and service pressures in your district? Which choices can the board make, and which need provincial support?

The board will approach these issues as a collective committee. We will weigh the options presented by the superintendent. The board will act in the best interests of those affected.

10. How would you oversee the superintendent and monitor the strategic plan while respecting the boundary between governance and day-to-day school operations?

The superintendent and the board will keep an open line of communication. Recommendations to the superintendent will be made as a board collective.

11. How would you keep decisions transparent and remain accountable to the public, including when you disagree with colleagues or must protect confidential information?

My opinion is one of seven. I will respect the direction that the majority of trustees wish to take, even if it differs from my own.

12. What interests or affiliations should voters know about, and how would you identify and manage potential conflicts of interest?

My social media presence is minimalistic and mostly personal. I'm affiliated with our local fish and game club as I'm an outdoorsman. I vote in every election but am not affiliated with any political party at any level.

Additional material: Is there anything else voters should know, or a public source supporting your answers? If you already completed the general questionnaire, you may identify an existing answer you want retained instead of repeating it.

No answer supplied.