2018 Election

My name is Lisa Anne Chatten and I am running in the 2018 Municipal Elections for Hastings and Prince Edward School Board Trustee for Belleville, Ontario.

I've had the most incredible opportunity …to raise, support and advocate for children and adults who live with disabilities. I am currently employed by "COED Quinte" and was an on-call Supply Staff for HPEDSB as a Teacher in the classroom. I participated in classrooms as a placement student as well throughout my education, which allowed me a unique and objective view into the system as it stands. This has helped me to positively identify areas of serious and critical need which the school board could support. I believe my extensive education and first-hand experience will help me to influence change that is pivotal to our children's educational success. I have a wide range of backgrounds related to the Trustee position including Psychology and Behaviour, Social Service Work, Early Childhood Education, and Developmental Service Work. I currently sit on two Governance Boards in Quinte, one as a member of the Executive (Vice-Chair.) I am a Leader, a Philanthropist and I am greatly invested in my community as a Volunteer. Help me enact positive change – join me in advocating for better visibility, transparency and accountability for HPEDSB, and for better access to educational support for students and classrooms. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the future of education for our children! More

I am the daughter of a hard-working family who have spent over 45 years operating a sporting goods business and contributing to minor sports in Belleville. I attended school using the public-school system …and later attended Loyalist College (Dipl Acct). I then built on my education at Athabasca University (BAdmin) and Memorial University of Newfoundland (Master in Education).

I have contributed to our post-secondary education system for over 18- years while working for George Brown College in Toronto, Conestoga College, and then returning to Loyalist College.

My husband and I returned to Belleville 5 years ago to raise our two children in a community that we are proud to call our home.

I am dedicated to student success and to supporting our community's needs. I believe that we must provide our children with an education that is supportive, diverse, and will allow them to build essential skills. More

Michael was born, raised in Belleville and educated in the local public school system, with his post-secondary education at Loyalist College.

Today, education is at a cross-roads, provincially …& within our own school district. It is important from time to time that school boards have fresh faces at the board table. Boards need to have strong leadership with a commitment to accountability, transparency, public engagement & community partnership collaboration. With two vacant Belleville/Thurlow trustee seats, constituents now have the opportunity to make an impact on much needed changes at the board table.

Michael's professional work career of over 30 years of "hybrid" experience in IT, governance, business strategy, operations, compliance and risk will bring new strengths to the school board table.

Michael is a strong advocate for public education and believes that we must collectively work together to provide our children with all the supportive tools and opportunities that will enable them to learn, grow and succeed.

Reach out to Michael and engage with him on your issues, concerns or kudos that you may have about education. More

I obtained a Bachelor of Education from York University in 1986 and quickly got a job teaching ESL to primary students, when my daughter was 2 years old! I have had a successful 30 year career under the …direction of the former East York Board and the Toronto District School Board! Since my arrival in Belleville, I have worked as an emergency supply teacher in Hastings County!

I have remained current in education theory and practice, and the curriculum. I have always been involved in Professional development along my teaching career! I have completed a teaching Specialist in Health & Physical Education, a teaching Specialist in English as a Second Language and Special Ed. More recently, I was in serviced as a Reading Recovery Teacher for the TDSB and taught struggling readers to begin their journey into literacy! It was hugely successful and rewarding! All my roles, as a teacher were rewarding. My classroom was inclusive and I worked hard for the best student achievement possible! More

Efficient, assertive, empathetic, and charismatic are some of the personal qualities that would describe me by friends and colleagues.

Born in Toronto, and raised in Belleville, I have planted …roots with my family in Cherry Valley, and my 2 children are students at Athol South-Marysburgh Public School. I am a career Project Manager, currently working for a local flower farmer, and at a not-for-profit organization in Prince Edward County.

I am a volunteer at 99.3 county FM, a member of the poverty roundtable, and a part-time student at Ryerson University currently enrolled in the Community Engagement, Development, and Leadership Certificate Program. More

After five years at York U. attended Seneca College to study film and photography, upon graduating was hired by the TDSB as a media specialist/technician. After three years Rogers Community TV came calling …and I was in charge of all of the remote productions; city council meetings, sports, and political events from elections to conventions. Never having a free weekend took its toll and in 1987 I decided to pack it all in and start my own construction company. This went on for over 25 years, with my last job being the restoration of Al Purdy's house in Prince Edward County. (You may have seen the movie.) And then I retired until;

Decided to run as a trustee as we went through a school consolidation/closing process locally that was not satisfactory to many. The local trustee was nowhere to be found to discuss constituents concerns and the school board was determined to ram this process down the community's throat

regardless of the consequences. Nevertheless, I decided that I can surely do better and be more accountable on behalf of the student body, parents, teachers, and the community as a whole. We'll see what unfolds... More

Why Am I Running? I have 2 goals, these being:

1.to improve School Board accountability:

to listen to all input available, make myself readily available for gaining input; weigh the options …carefully and then publicly explain my decision and reasoning; I strongly believe this has been missing over the last 4 years;

2. to advocate for the "classroom":

the paramount goal of educational funding must be supporting students in the classroom; to first and foremost, fund the environment in which our students learn each school day. Not the administration.

and 2 promises:

1. to only be a Trustee for 1-term (4 years); if change and improvement cannot be accomplished in 4 years then I have not been effective;

2. to return, as a donation, on a rotating basis, to each of the 5 public schools in Trenton, 80% of the renumeration I receive as a School Trustee.

Who Am I?

-a life-long resident of Trenton

-a graduate of Trenton High School

-recently retired after 30-year career in Municipal land use planning (Trenton, Port Hope and Belleville)

-I have a first-hand appreciation of budgeting and working in local government while having to deal with Provincial policies and legislation

-I have had to balance the concerns of the public and local politicians

-I have worked with local media to explain plans and projects

-My wife Binnie and I have one son who graduated from Bayside Secondary School in June 2018

-For 14 years now, I have been a parent representative on the School Council of the 3 schools he has attended

-I have gained first-hand knowledge of the situation "on the ground" in 3 local schools especially during the financial crunch of the last couple of years

-An assistant coach for QW minor hockey

-A coach of QW minor soccer

-Tournament Director for Quinte West Minor Soccer

-Treasurer of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church More

I grew up in the area, and moved back 10 years ago, after being away for a few years with work.

- My two sons have attended each of the schools in the Wards I would represent. I am also a graduate …of FPS and BSS.

- I have also been very involved with local community initiatives like community gardens, refugee sponsorship, local football and many others.

-I have years of experience volunteering tirelessly with school councils both fundraising and advocacy, challenging the leadership when necessary.

-I believe trustees should listen, they should dialogue, they should be open to all ideas. This has not been my experience the last few years. I can and will do better.

-I’m not afraid to work hard, and have a proven track record.

-My experience, track record, and commitment differentiate me from my competitors. More

I grew up in Quinte West, have lived in Sidney Township in Quinte West for the last 10 years I work for a Civil Engineering firm in Belleville.

I’m running for the school board trustee because it’s …something I’m very passionate about. I am a mother of four children from JK to Grade 8 and I want the best education possible not only for my children, but for all the children in our community. I want to be a voice for the community, actively seeking public input from community members, and from our front line staff, and relaying this information to the school board. More