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Why School Trustee?
I have traveled to many places around the world
and lived abroad, with my work; and through that travel I have
been exposed to many different public and private
educational systems. I bring that diverse experience with me, passionate
that we all must work to preserve our first class Public Education
system; not just that it survives, but flourishes for the sake of our
children and Canada.
Seven years ago, I put
action to my words and took 66% of the vote to be elected the
Trustee for Ward 8, again in the last election had a resounding 79%
support of my work. I wish to continue my role as Trustee and look
forward to your support to achieve our shared goals.
Make Kids First
As a School Trustee and father, I feel strongly
to "Make Kids First".
In all that I do, I put our children at the
forefront to ensure that decisions are made to promote the
best available education and guarantee that students in the Peel
School system will flourish within the financial constraints imposed
by the Provincial Government, "Making Kids First"
is my mandate!
Demand same Provincial
Funding as other School Boards
Each student in Peel is under funded by $800 compared with the
Provincial average. Toronto School Board receives an addition $1,150 per student,
which translates to an annual shortfall of $170
Million and which, makes our students second class citizens
both in
the Province and our next door neighbour Toronto. As School Trustee, I have been a strong advocate and
will continue to demand the same provincial
funding that other School Boards receive.
What does this under funding translate to?
- Long wait times to have our children's needs
assessed
- Not enough computers in the classroom
- Out-of-date computers
- Insufficient textbooks and teaching tools
- Fundraising required to meet library and classroom needs
- Inadequate maintenance levels on our older schools
Demand fair Special Education funding
The Peel School Board is the lowest-funded board when it comes to
Special Education. Our High Needs Funding is the lowest of
all boards at $300 dollars per student - with the average at $600 dollars per
student. Being a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee,
I work hard to help our children with the greatest needs, advocating for the
fair funding they deserve.
Make our schools safe for learning
I will continue the mandate to make our schools safe for
learning. I want parents to be confident that their children are
protected. See School Safety in
Accomplishment Section
for details of my work!
Push forward renovation of our aging Schools
Peel has undertaken a renewal program with a budget of $100
Million for our aging schools. The schools in Ward 8 have an average
age of 20-years.
I will continue to advocate on behalf of our schools for
equitable renewal funding. This renewal applies to repairs as well
as upgrades wtih the latest energy saving technologies. I will
continue to demand from the Provincial Government our fair share of
funding for school renovation.
Reduce class sizes
I will continue my great progress of reducing class sizes from
24.5 in 2003 to 20.5 students as of 2006. Now all our classes in
Primary are at or below the primary class size of 20.
Improve our EQAO scores
I will continue to improve on the great progress made over the
last 3 years for EQAO Provincial Testing. Wards 2 & 8 are
leading the way to excellence for the Peel School Board through
innovative and passionate educators. Refer to the
EQAO Section for details of our exceptional performance.
However as well as the Ward is doing, there remain definite
challenges that certain school are facing and which require improvement.
As Trustee, I have addressed and will continue to address these challenges and do
my best to get the resources and attention necessary get the best
education for all our children in the Ward.
Continue to reduce
the portables in our schools
I have removed 11 of the 13 portables from Ward 8 Schools. In
Ward 2, there are only 4 portable. My goal is to remove all
remaining portables from our schools. Portable has come a long way
from the mold infested versions 25 years ago, however, having
everyone in one building and environment is the best way to have the
school work together.
NEW TO WARD 2
The combination of Ward 2 and 8 in this election brings new
challenges and opportunities for me as Trustee. My
record over the last 2 terms (7 Years) in Ward 8 speaks to the
effort I put into my community. I believe our education system
is very important. First and foremost, my role as trustee is to
advocate for you the parents of our wonderful children.
School Consolidation
On the horizon for the next term, both Ward 2 and 8 will see
possible consolidation of a number of our schools. Having the years of
experience working with our communities and Peel School
Administration, I bring the best possible voice to the table to
ensure our community gets the optimal solution and plan for the
future. See CONSOLIDATION of SCHOOLS Wards 2 and 8, below for more
details.
Declining Enrollment
The south are of Mississauga has been in severe decline over the last
5 years. The school board has setup a taskforce to examine the
decline and identify the changes required to safeguard the long-term future of
our
education system. You have already experienced what decline means
for our schools: less programming options, more split grades, less
staff in the office, less sporting activities and clubs - the list
goes on. Working with the Taskforce, I will continue to fight for
our community to get the best possible education.
CONSOLIDATION of SCHOOLS WARD 2
and 8
In the 2009 Annual Planning Document released in November listed
the following schools below the 60% Occupancy. This will trigger a
consolidation review in 2010, if they schools continue to below the
60% threshold.
- Willow Glen Public School ( Ward 2) - 171 FTE
- Clarkson Public School (Ward 2)
- 105 FTE
- Westacres Pubic School (Ward 2)
- 137 FTE
- King's Masting Public School (Ward 8) - 152 FTE
- Brookemede Public School (Ward 8)
- 243 FTE
FTE - Full
Time Equivalent
With my track record as a Trustee and experience working with our community, I am
the best person to work with our community to ensure the best
possible outcome is achieved.
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