2014 Election Archive

My name is Stephen Warner, and I want to represent Mississauga's Wards One and Seven as School Board Trustee. Don't let my age fool you: I have the experience and knowledge required to represent the people …of Mississauga. I have held leadership roles throughout my life, and have an active interest in education. Since 2011, I have been an elected member of the Toronto Synod, which is the democratic governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada. Earlier this year, I was elected to Canadian-wide General Synod, which meets triennially to discuss the major financial and doctrinal decisions of the Church. Most recently, I have been appointed to serve on Diocesan Council, which meets monthly to address the day-to-day operations of the Diocese. As such, I have great experience working within the political process. More

Jason Benoit has nearly 20 years experience working with parents, students and education professionals. He is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto …having earned a Bachelor of Arts, and Nipissing University having earned a Bachelor of Education. While training to become a teacher, he was the only student in 10 years to receive a perfect practical evaluation score in their first practicum. Jason has taught grades 6 & 7 and is qualified to teach up to grade 10. He has been teaching literacy and math skills in an after-school math and reading program for over 10 years. His passion for education and mentoring was first piqued when working as a camp counsellor at a GTA camp for at-risk youth. Jason is a certified hockey coach and has also coached a middle school basketball team to the district finals level. He is a life-long resident of Mississauga. More

Like many residents in Ward 5, I am a daughter of immigrants. My family and I came to Canada when I was 13 years old. Like all immigrants, we struggled to make ends meet. My parents had such a hard time …finding an affordable apartment, looking for jobs and learning English. Thank God for the public school system, I was able to get a great education, go on to earn a degree in Computer Engineering from The University of Waterloo and become a successful professional in the technology industry. More

With the interests of my community at heart, I strive to find common ground and achieve results. I know the importance of love.

Brad Hutchinson is an award winning community volunteer, author, public speaker, business owner, and family man. His passion is helping children and youth succeed. He has worked for many different school …boards across Ontario, specializing in restorative justice training and creating healthy school cultures. Brad currently serves as Chairman of the Mississauga Library Board. He was a community producer and host of Rogers television show called "Ways of the Shaolin". More

As your Peel District School Board Trustee for Wards 3 and 4 in Mississauga since 2010, I am honoured to be working with all of you - students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members in …my role as your Trustee. Since being elected, I have worked hard to support students, families and schools within our communities and to make improvements in programs and resources and buildings. I have represented the taxpayers of Wards 3 & 4 carefully and forged partnerships within the community to benefit students. I am delighted to have been able to work on community matters with our Mississauga Councillors Fonseca and Dale, our MPPs Damerla and Mangat. I continue to be an active volunteer in the community, most recently as a Board Member at Ecosource, and I continue my involvement with Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre, among others. I have involved myself in every way possible within the Board in order to benefit students – I have enjoyed serving, and continue to serve, on many committees, and I am a regular visitor to all the schools in Wards 3 and 4 which is absolutely the best part of this exciting job. With respect, I ask you to re-elect me on October 27th. More

Sandra Glover Clarke was born in the colourful Montreal West-end neighbourhood called Griffintown in 1964 to a robust Celtic family. Natural story-tellers, poets and artists woven together with hard working …blue and white collars influenced Sandra's early artistic studies of traditional feminine arts and crafts. Further education in Montreal, New York, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto in visual arts, theatre, writing and business developed Sandra into a mature and well rounded artist and teacher. Her beadwork, fiber arts, jewelry, paintings and drawings have been in exhibits throughout Ontario and sold around the world. Sandra's artwork is a staple at the Womynspirit Festival in Orangeville, Ontario and has pieces at the Rails End Gallery & Arts Centre in Haliburton, Ontario, Bancroft Art Gallery, Bancroft, Ontario, Creekside Studio in South Algonquin, The 2013 Highlands East Art Studio Tour, and in Mississauga, Ontario. Her writing is popular online, in social media and in publications such as Play2Podium, a positive magazine for special needs families. FamilyMattersBlog.com is Sandra's vehicle of expressing that families come in all forms and have vast interests. Teaching art to children, especially, children with learning disabilities and congenital health issues is Sandra's passion as she and her husband have two special needs children of her own. Sandra has been teaching art since 1998 and earned an Award of Distinction from the Peel District Board of Education. Nominated as Best Visual Artists by the Mississauga Arts Council MARTY Awards in 2013 and 2014. Sandra Glover Clarke divides her time between her home in Mississauga and her little cottage-in-the-woods in South Algonquin, Ontario. More

Nokha is an activist, social worker and successful small business owner with a passion for helping people in her community. Born in Lebanon, she came to Mississauga with her family at a young age. Her …dedication to community service began with her advocacy for social justice causes and volunteerism when she was still in high school. As a student in York University, she was heavily involved in student politics and activism for fairness and equity. Nokha went on to receive her Bachelor of Social Work and then a Master’s degree in Social Work. She is registered with the Ontario Association of Social Workers as well as the Ontario College of Social Workers. She started her career working for various not-for-profit organizations counselling women facing abuse and helping newcomers settle in Canada. More

I have been a resident of Mississauga for the majority of my life and have attended several schools within the Peel District School Board. I have lived in Ward 9 for the past 10 years with my husband and …two sons that currently attend school within the Ward. As a parent, I face the same challenges that you do. I know that navigating the education system can seem daunting but if we work together we can do it together. More

Eight years ago when I walked into my first Parent Council meeting, trying to wade through the Peel District School Board as a parent – the same school board that educated me from Kindergarten to Grade …13 – I would have been the first one laughing if someone had told me I would be running for School Board Trustee. Yet, here I am today, with enthusiasm announcing my candidacy as your English Public School Boards Trustee – Wards 9/10 Mississauga. Like so many of you, my life seems to be an endless buzzing of computers and projects strewn across the dining room table. As parents, we are constantly juggling – work commitments, helping with math homework that seems to be more about language than numbers, hoping that the lunch in your child’s bag really is school-friendly, forever filling in permission slips, volunteering, guiding our children for success in this 21st century world, and most importantly trying to remember the passwords to everyone’s Minecraft and Webkinz accounts. I’ve lived in Meadowvale and Lisgar for 17 years with my husband; I am a mom to a 15 year old son, an 11 year old daughter and a 6 year old rescued terrier. Being swamped and crazy busy, I do take myself lightly, but I take my commitments seriously. So the big question is, have I stopped laughing and why am I taking on this daunting task? In the last eight years I have been involved in four different School Councils as an executive member; I’ve been invited by Peel District School Board to inform and participate in focus groups and working groups on curriculum, transportation and parent engagement. I’ve acted as an executive both on Peel District School Board’s Ministry of Education initiated Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and the Mississauga West Chapter of Canadian Parents for French (CPF). I also have a passion for community leadership and collaboration, offering my skills and knowledge as an environmental scientist in defining stewardship with Lisgar Residents’ Association and Halton Region Conservation Authority as a Board Member. As my children became older, I saw the need for greater youth engagement; to have youth voices heard and for our children to have a strong and globally relevant education, building skills for real life jobs. I firmly believe that public education is the cornerstone of healthy communities; accessibility, equity and opportunity – both. The opportunities and challenges for our children have never been greater. My becoming your Public School Board Trustee is bringing the local youth and parent voices to the Board. A job, that fits me perfectly. Please remember your vote counts – October 27, 2014. More

I live in Ward 9, Meadowvale in Mississauga. I have lived in Wards 9 & 10 in Meadowvale for seventeen years and have lived in Mississauga my entire life. I decided to run again for Trustee in Wards 9 and …10 to further strengthen our schools and the communities, which they serve. Our schools need further improvement: needed maintenance and modernization, greater resources to meet individual needs, more community inclusion and also richer more relevant and more flexible programming. I want to ensure that we remove socio-economic, bureaucratic and system resource barriers to learning. I want to engage communities more in their schools and to deepen the dialogue between schools and communities. I want Wards 9 & 10 parents to be absolutely confident that sending their child to an area public school is an excellent choice and the right one for them to make. Our Ward 9 and 10 neighbourhoods are diverse and have diverse needs. Common to the community is a wish to see students engaged in learning that addresses their individual needs and which recognizes their individual learning styles and potential. As parents and community members we want to see our children succeed and want to be confident that they are well prepared for the futures that await them. Few matters are as important to us as the high quality education of our young. Delivering this education to all children is the vital mission of our public schools. My job as Real Estate Agent and my volunteer work on the District and Division councils with Girl Guides of Canada are both challenging and rewarding. In both my work in Real Estate and my volunteer work with Girl Guides of Canada the role is similar: I am responsible for the direction and performance of the business/organization. I act in the best interest of the business/organization and take decisions regarding the future of the business/organization. I must ensure that the business/organization remains sustainable and consider likely future challenges and prepare the business/organization to face them. I must be accountable for the business/organization and ensure that the business/organization is working effectively and efficiently. The absolute essential skills that are necessary in my Real Estate business are legal, financial and business management skills. These skills are required in order to understand issues and meet legal and financial obligations. I also bring skills such as encouraging team building, problem solving, facilitating decision making and maintaining good working relationships. My husband and I have been married for almost twenty-five years and we have three daughters. My own involvement with our schools began with my children’s start in our community schools. My youngest will enter Meadowvale Secondary School this coming fall. I have been an active member of Girl Guides of Canada for twenty-four years. Through the years I have had wonderful opportunities to talk and to work with children, parents, educators and community leaders from all parts of the Wards 9 and 10. I have learned a great deal from these experiences and believe that I have also managed to contribute to the public good. I have many interests outside of education. I enjoy camping and hiking with my family. We spend a great deal of time in the summer at the cottage or camping throughout Ontario. I am an avid woodworker and spend my quiet time cooking and scrap booking my family memories. Through continuous education with The Ontario Real Estate Association I have received many certificates and Awards. I hold certificates for training in Real Property Law, Mortgage Financing, Commercial Real Estate, Title Insurance, Architectural Styles, Pre-Listing Inspections, Home Staging, Grow Houses and RECO Code of Ethics updates. I also have received Long Term Membership Certificates from The Toronto Real Estate Board, The Mississauga Real Estate Board, Re/Max International and Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada. My next course will be to attain my Senior Agent specialization. Through my work with children with Girl Guides of Canada, I have also received many certificates and awards. I have received a Silver Medal of Merit, a Certificate of Excellence, Safe Guide Certificate, Outdoor Activity Leadership Certificate and a Certificate of Recognition from Hazel McCallion. School boards exist for children. In addressing matters related to their mandate, my role as Trustee must at all times be the children’s advocate. Educational policies must be judged first on what is best for the development of the whole child. While schools cannot replace the role of family, trusteeship means being partners with parents in ensuring that children, our greatest natural resource, are provided with the best possible educational opportunities to become the future citizens the community wishes them to be. More

Kathy is an involved, passionate and dedicated community volunteer and leader who brings energy to everything that she is involved with. As a mother of three daughters who have successfully been through …the Peel District school system in Ward 9 and 10, Kathy has been involved in school councils, in the community and in the classroom. Her knowledge of the complex issues that face our schools including transportation, portables, and bullying, in addition to her communication skills, make her an ideal candidate to improve the connection between schools, students, the school board and parents. Involved, available and passionate about our children education is at the route of why Kathy is the best choice for School Board Trustee for Ward 9/10. More

Hardeep was born in India and immigrated to Canada with his mother and father when he was three years of age. After living in Vancouver for a short period of time, the family moved to the Jane & Woolner …neighbourhood of Toronto. Shortly after Hardeep started school, his sister was born. He is a product of the Ontario public school system, attending classes from junior kindergarten through to what was previously known as OAC. He was married in 2007 to his lovely wife. In 2010 they were blessed with the birth of their daughter, who will be attending junior kindergarten in Brampton beginning September of 2014. This is the main motivation for Hardeep's decision to run for School Trustee. More

Suzanne has been a Brampton resident for almost 20 years and for over 10 years have been committed to making a difference in the Peel District School Board. She is passionate about her family, community …and using her voice to make a positive difference. In addition to her duties as a Trustee and Vice Chair of the Board, she serves on the Board of Directors with Rapport Youth and Family Services, is an Ambassador for the Brampton A’s basketball team, and volunteers her time with several organizations such as United Way Peel, United Achievers, and resident groups in Wards 2 and 6. She lives in ward 2 with her husband and two school aged children. More

Brittany has been a brampton resident for almost a quarter century, having attended peel district schools from jk-12, including schools in ward #2. Currently living in beautiful ward #2, brittany also …use to live in ward #6 and has a son currently enrolled in a ward #2 school. After giving birth to her son brittany decided to be a stay at home mom so she could spend quality time with her son. In her spare time she took up baking as a hobby and quickly turned young entrepreneur starting her own home based bakery called "brittly made" www.brittlymade.ca where she specializes in custom home made fondant cakes and treats! She often uses her talent with cake and cupcakes for fundraising and sponsoring local initiatives. Recently married to a local real estate agent, brittany enjoys spending quality time with her husband and son, as well as her family and friends who also live in beautiful heart lake. Some of her other hobbies include; swimming, cliff jumping, snowboarding, horseback riding, geocaching, road trips, arts & crafts, and she is an avid board gamer collector. Most importantly brittany loves being involved in the community! You can see this by visiting our "in the community" page. Some of the things shes done include: opening up her home as a donation station to sort and package donations for victims of the recent ardglen drive town home fires; spearheading an annual event called socks & sandwiches in an effort to help the homeless; working with neighbors and politicians to stop the "heart lake high rises"; using her talent with cakes and cupcakes for fundraising and sponsoring local initiatives! Brittany is interested in politics, because she wants to be a voice for the people, she wants to help! Hence her campaign for school board trustee. She wants to be your voice for what matters when it comes to the future of public education for your children, grandchildren, friends children, or your future children and grandchildren. Who better to represent you then someone young and ambitious, who is a voice for the people, and who has real life, first hand experiences being educated in the peel board? More

First I want to thank all the past and present Peel District School Board Trustees for their dedicated service and commitment to help our youth receive the best educational opportunities possible. These …trustees have provided the new school board trustees a platform from which to continue past programs and launch further initiatives to advance the education experience for our rising generation. Public service can be very challenging. There are clearly diverse opinions on the 'best solution'. Finding a consensus takes courage and perseverance. I seek your support and VOTE on Election Day (Monday October 27th). I pledge to do my best, to represent the citizens of Wards 3 and 4 honourably, and serve with vigour. More

Kids want to be engineers, entrepreneurs, musicians and journalists to improve the world around them. Often called the Millennials, they thrive on the potential to make a positive impact. Our schools need …champions who can mentor these altruistic visionaries. Many students leave high-school with a hazy view of what's next. We need to arm them with tools to leave high-school with a clear plan for their postsecondary education or their trade of choice - this requires a focus on developing selfdiscipline and goal-setting in the younger years. The earlier they can "test drive" their careers, the better their decisions. My own children's formal education was complemented with practical experiences. My sons enrolled in prestigious universities. The older graduated from MIT (Boston). The younger is a Canadian Air Force Squadron Leader at the Royal Military College (Kingston). My daughter, in grade 10, runs the Anand Lotus Yoga TV Show which won Brampton's Art Acclaim Award 2013. I relocated to Canada in 1999, upgraded my education and joined Siemens. I rose quickly to become Project Manager and Service Specialist. Equipped with industry knowledge, I volunteered to develop National Fire Code Standards with ULC and to instruct with Project Management Institute's Toronto chapter. I then decided to start my own company - Akal Fire, contractors for Dufferin-Peel School Board and hire trainees from Seneca College annually. My community has provided my family with numerous opportunities. I'm looking for a chance to give back. More

Both my husband and I were raised in Bramalea, so the choice was simple when it came time to choosing a community to raised our family. I am a mom to 2 amazing children: Ashleen is a grade 6 E-Arts student …at Earnscliffe Sr. P.S., and Ewan is a grade 4 french immersion student at Dorset Dr. My experience of being their “mom-ager” has given me a unique skill set that I can pass on to my constituents, having a vast knowledge of both the french immersion and arts programs offered in Peel. I love that Peel has so many unique programs to offer our students, as these help our kids tap into their “uniquness” and allow all students to thrive in school. If elected, I would ensure the boards current vision on supporting and expanding these programs. In addition, I have current knowledge of special needs services as Ashleen and Ewan have both needed extra support along the way. If elected, I would ensure that any family needing extra support would receive it and support them in any way possible. As a native of Bramalea as whose family has been living in Brampton for 75 years, my roots run deep in our community. I know how unique and amazing our community is. Whether you live in the “A” section or in Castlemore, the growth and sense of community pride is strong. Your local school is a meeting hub of your neighborhood, and should continue to be. I am a strong supporter of school volunteers creating the “Unsung Hero Award” along with my fellow council members, where we celebrate those who do so much for our school and community without a thought as to time commitments. If elected I would encourage volunteer work within our schools and community by connecting high schools with their elementary partners to allow high school students to complete their volunteer hours at their local elementary school. My “can-do” and ability to work with a team has benefited those around me in my community. Our new playground and Sound System at Dorset is a testament to what hardwork and team work can do. Please allow me to use these skills for your family! More

Amardeep Singh along with his family immigrated to Canada &have called Brampton his home for the last 12 years. Currently Amardeep is providing immigration and settlement consulting services at a firm …on a volunteer basis. He has been actively involved in community advocacy and has been a strong leader in helping motivate the youth. Over the years, Amardeep has gained fiscal managerial and leadership experience working for various businesses. Amardeep is a big believer that sports and extra-circular activities can provide a positive path to our youth. He has been playing and helping manage the Gladiators Cricket Club and is a big fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors. Amardeep believes in respecting taxpayers, investing in our children and ensuring parents have the tools they need to help their children succeed. With your support and trust, Amardeep looks forward to working and delivering results for his constituents. Together we can shape the leaders of tomorrow! More

I am an immigrant from Hong Kong with a strong background in education, community development and early learning and care through volunteerism and previous employments with university, school boards and …government. My career and volunteering experience has allowed me to become knowledgeable about the education system and recognize the importance of homes and schools working together in the best interest of students. I have been an active volunteer since 1997 and was honoured with a number of awards for my outstanding leadership and contributions to the wider community. I am always passionate and committed to women, children and mental health issues. And, nothing gives more tangible results or has a more significant impact than education! Being a retiree means I will be able to dedicate full time to the interests of my school communities if elected. More

Hello! My name is Bernadette Chatwin, resident of Ward #11 and I am passionate about public education. My husband and I have lived here in Mississauga for over 24 years. We have three wonderful children …(2 sons and 1 daughter). Our eldest son is currently attending high school in Mississauga in a program for students with special needs. During 1998 he was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) and later as low functioning Autism. My heart was broken and I worried about his future. Thankfully, despite the diagnosis he has gained many new skills. I attribute a lot of his success to the wonderful teachers and staff at Peel District School Board (PDSB). I can tell you first hand it was not easy and the road was rocky. Education budget cuts initially impacted his learning. I became a strong voice and advocated the best that I could never giving up hope. More

In the course of my 35 years as a history teacher, I was asked a great many questions about the past. My focus is now on the future, and in the upcoming municipal election, the future of public education …in Peel. On October 27th, voters across Ontario will choose those who they think will best represent them in their mayor’s office, on their municipal councils and in their school boards. If you live in Wards 6 or 11 in Mississauga, I would like to be your Peel District School Board trustee. Why do I wish to be your trustee and why do I believe I am worthy of your vote? The answer is simply that after 35 years as a teacher, and after over 25 years living and working in Mississauga, I know and care about what happens in Peel schools. The students in my classes here in Mississauga between the years 1985 and 2012 were a joy to teach. The evidence that they have become happy and productive citizens is all around us. My daughter’s formal education took place entirely in Mississauga, and it is my expectation that my grandson’s schooling will begin in a Peel public school in four years’ time. As an executive with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, I represented educators to the Peel Board and developed a strong – and I believe friendly – relationship with its leaders. The Peel District School Board has done a fine job of educating our children, and with my help and that of other citizens who care as I do, I expect that it will continue to do so in the future. More

My family and I have lived in Ward 6 in Mississauga for the past 17 years. Both of my children have attended schools in the Peel District School Board (Vista Heights Public School, Hazel McCallion Senior …Public School and Streetsville Secondary), where I have been actively involved on School Council. I have been volunteering and advocating in many educational arenas for the past 10 years. As a resident, education advocate and, most importantly, a working parent in the area, I understand the specific needs of both our community and our schools. With my passion for education and our children's success, I will bring a highly knowledgeable and fresh perspective to the position of Public School Trustee in Wards 6 and 11. More

Linden King is married with four children, and has been a resident of Mississauga for 42 years. Linden is an information technology professional who is currently employed as an Associate Director at Bell …Canada and has over 25 years’ experience working with leading edge technology. Previously, Linden worked for Oracle Corporations as the Global Voice over IP Architect Product Manager for voice and video communications. Prior to Oracle Corporation, he was employed with Toronto Hydro as the Supervisor of Telecommunications. More

Current occupation: Currently I am working for Mississauga Library (worked for Woodlands Library) and I am a member of Law Society of Upper Canada. Volunteer work/Community involvement: I volunteered for …Peel Distress Centre and Peel Police Division 11 and Mississauga Ribfest; I donated blood to Canadian Blood Services and love the community work. Priorities: Push 2nd language (like French or other popular languages) as a Credited compulsory course for all Peel District School Board students (In Mississauga, the top Non-official languages are Urdu, Polish, Panjabi, Chinese); Make sure the school bus arrive on time and do a good job; Let school put more time on Maths to improve students' Maths; Hire minority qualified teachers to match the diverse students' population; Shorten summer vacations to relieve parents' summer camp financial burden; Put more sports into class to relieve kids' obesity. Why are you running in this election? I have a Master degree. From Mississauga News, we know that many times Mississauga top students are Chinese Canadian (In 2014, Yi Xu had the highest average of graduating Mississauga students from the Peel District School Board and Stella Lau is the highest average from Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board). So far there isn't one Chinese ethnicity trustee in the Board. I want to share Chinese parents' education experience with other parents. I'll make sure we get the best Maths teachers to help students to improve maths skills. Some kids took their own lives because of school bully and I was extremely sad for those tragedy. I will put 100 % strict rules for anti-bully policy and I will make sure the school honor those policies. I am not happy to hear parents complaining about school bus, I will make sure when we renew contract, our Board will select the best of the best school bus company. I'll make sure students have enough exercises to relieve kids' obesity. More

Writing about myself brings me to think about how commonly we know ourselves as professionals in the community. I however, as your trustee candidate for ward 6 & 11 would like to tell you about me being …a mom first. As a mom, I believe my first and most valuable achievement is to think about, raise and look after my three daughters. Being a Mississauga resident for over a decade, I and my husband always strive hard to empower them with all the skills, opportunities to be successful and also to feel valued. As your trustee, I would like to achieve exactly the same for the kids from your household to achieve the same. Opportunities to build bridges of greater understanding, safe school environment, equity for all, meaningful educational support, early career support and relevant information sharing learning to build respect for our cultural diversity. With my over 12 plus years of community service experience as a community developer and community mobilizer for youth and families, I have learned that the best way to go about it is to connect, engage and empower the parents at the grass root level. Parents do have a significant impact on their child’s life, on their career choices, on their psychologically and physical growth and their personality development. We want parents to have advanced skills to impact decisions that matter the most. Parents like you and I. Parents who value their children, parents who want to get involve and parents who are actively engaged. But as your trustee, my strong focus will also on parents who fall between the cracks by building their capacity to be more involved. I am sure we all agree to create a strong link with each other and become helping hands at the system level to make sure our children have the best opportunities today, tomorrow and……the years to come. In my spare time I enjoy extensive social circle planning, traveling, longer road trips, reading, writing blogs and writing online articles. I like to Camp each summer and love to spend time with family and friends. More

As your trustee candidate for Wards 6&11, I will bring credibility, credentials, compassion and experience to the role...as a west Mississauga resident for 26 years; proud mother of one grown daughter …who attended fine Peel schools in Mississauga, as well as graduating from Sheridan College and Wilfrid Laurier University; and having recently retired (Dec. 2012) from a long and successful 43 year career in education, including 28 of those years in administrative roles with the Peel DSB...Principal of 3 schools, Superintendent of Education in two areas (including 3 years as Superintendent of Education for several Ward 11 schools) and retiring from the position of Associate Director of Instructional Support Services, with responsibility for the learning programs in all schools. Throughout my career and continuing in retirement, I have long supported the United Way of Peel Region, having observed firsthand the direct link between community supports for students and families and student success. The funding allocated to Peel Region has never kept pace with the population growth and the increasing needs. I will ensure that we continue a dialogue among all stakeholders (Peel DSB, School Councils, community agencies, municipal and provincial governments) to realize a fair share of the resources allocated to social and community services in Peel. I will also continue the successful efforts of the current Board and its stakeholder partners to propose solutions to more fairly distribute the education grants to Boards. The funding formula which has been applied in the past does not reflect our current data. The efforts made to date have yielded a change in the allocation of the High Needs Amount grant for Special Education students. This is an excellent step forward and an acknowledgement of the need to reconsider the formula for all grants. This does not mean asking for more money in the government budget for education, it means redistribution of the existing grants, including capital grants, based on current data. Most of the government grants for education are generated by enrolment data and, as our communities age, with fewer students in schools, we need to attract and retain our share of enrolment, especially at the middle school and secondary school levels. While in the role of Associate Director, we launched expansion of our regional and specialty programs, as well as an exciting marketing campaign to promote the excellence of our Peel schools. This needs to continue. I will also review and consider all program initiatives through the lens of equity of opportunity and closing the achievement gaps...whether these gaps are due to geographical access, language, gender, special needs or socioeconomic needs...we need to ensure that programs provide opportunities for all students to succeed. My demonstrated and consistent positive, collaborative and caring communication style will ensure that I serve you in the most constructive way possible. I will be able to begin serving you from the first day in the new term of office because I already have a deep understanding of the communities in Wards 6&11, within the overall context of the Peel DSB. What I realize in my retirement, having been raised to value public service as the proud daughter of a WW II veteran and career officer in the Canadian Armed Forces and having dedicated my entire career to advocating for students, families and communities, is that service to you...the community...is what I cherish doing. I cannot and would not wish to change the focus of the compassion and caring in my heart after so many years. I hope you will allow me the opportunity to serve you, in Wards 6&11, by giving me the honour of your vote on October 27th! More

The educational experience has the ability to shape our young people and prepare them to be leaders and agents of change. The years spent in school have a larger impact on our children than any other period …in their lives. I want to ensure that this impact is a positive one and, more importantly, an empowering one. Children that graduate from our school system should feel capable of succeeding in whatever journey they embark on. My interest in education stems from my personal experience with teachers and schools. I personally had a fantastic educational experience. School for me was a sanctuary and an escape from a difficult childhood. My teachers were always there for me in times of hardship. Their encouragement was much needed since I suffered from low self-esteem. These experiences made me aware of the impact our school system can have, particularly on vulnerable youth who may be facing their own problems and issues at a young age. I believe that each student should feel that their school is their sanctuary. My educational experience prepared me well for life post-graduation. I ended up completing an MSc in Economics and an MBA from the prestigious Schulich School of Business. Along the way I remained committed to youth empowerment. For the past 8 years I’ve been running human rights workshops and leading initiatives that focus on political engagement for youth. Recently I’ve shifted my focus to high school children and have worked in the following capacity: Preparing Gr. 9-12 students for DECA Case Competitions, where I also served as a Judge; Poetry and Arts Workshops with accomplished artists in Peel High Schools; Diversity, Multicultural and Human Rights Events in Peel High Schools. Leveraging my experience and academic credentials, I hope to improve the Peel District School Board’s capabilities to impact the next generation of Bramptonians. I want to ensure that we take a different approach with our schools and school board; an approach that is not only creative, but also innovative. We need a school board that unlocks the potential of our children and our communities so that students can flourish and succeed. This is the type of School Board I will advocate for and I hope I can count on your support to be the next School Trustee for Wards 9 and 10! More