Priorities
When people talk about Toronto as one of the most liveable cities in the world, they often talk about how we are a city of neighbourhoods. At the heart of our city is a vast network of public neighbourhood schools, and these schools are an integral and essential part of our city’s infrastructure.
I firmly believe strong public schools make for strong communities.
As your Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Trustee for Don Valley West/Ward 11, my priorities will be to continue to focus on the following:
Covid-19 Recovery Plan
The pandemic has affected children in a myriad of different ways. We need to meet students where they are and ensure they receive the proper supports to fill any gaps in learning. Children have also missed out on important social and physical experiences over the last couple of years. We need to ensure we focus on the whole child by prioritizing mental health and well-being with access to a well-rounded school experience that includes extra-curriculars such as sports, clubs and field trips.
Healthy Community Schools
Schools are at their best when they meet the needs of the whole child — schools that meet academic needs AND allow for a variety of arts, technology and sports-related programs that kids can get involved in. With the growing population throughout Don Valley West and an infrastructure of aging schools, now is the time to ensure we can provide adequate space in safe and well-maintained schools so that children can continue to attend local, community-driven schools that are not bursting at the seams or falling apart.
It is essential that TDSB Trustees be proactive — not reactive – in working together with the city and the province over the next few years to make sure we plan responsibly and accordingly to accommodate growth and development. Trustees need to continue to stress the need for reliable and predictable capital funding from the Province so that our Board can effectively plan for a sustainable future.
With all the development currently underway in Don Valley West, and even more soon to follow, I will continue to advocate tirelessly for new and renovated schools to meet our community’s evolving needs.
Ensure No Students Are Left Behind
We know children learn in a variety of ways, and that a “one-size fits all” approach to education doesn’t work. Cuts to special education budgets over the last several years has meant that our children often wait until they are two grade levels behind before resources can be accessed.
I am committed to advocating for funding of proper supports and resources to ensure ALL children’s needs are met in a timely and equitable manner.
Safe, Walkable Communities
As a former school council chair and a parent with children attending our local schools, I recognize the importance of safe travel to and from school, a concern widely shared all communities in Don Valley West.
From condo construction to subway construction to crime in our streets, our students’ safety MUST come first. As your Trustee-candidate, I will continue to work towards making safety a priority for our students and their families by working with our community partners and all levels of government to ensure that safety is a top priority.
Student Success
Our schools need to not only meet the needs of all students, but they need to enable ALL students to flourish.
Our children need a comprehensive program that sets high expectations and provides proper supports and up-to-date resources to ensure students develop a strong foundation while at the same time instilling a love of learning from Kindergarten through to Grade 12.
By providing our students with the tools to help them develop their social, emotional, physical and educational well-being through an inclusive, rich and varied curriculum that includes approaches such as STEM-based learning (which integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), we will help to prepare our children for success in the 21st century.
I am committed to continuing my advocacy for a modern, robust curriculum that educates the whole child and develops students into critical, empathetic and resourceful thinkers.
Capital Funding & State of the Art Resources
The pandemic has affected children in a myriad of different ways. We need to meet students where they are and ensure they receive the proper supports to fill any gaps in learning. Children have also missed out on important social and physical experiences over the last couple of years. We need to ensure we focus on the whole child by prioritizing mental health and well-being with access to a well-rounded school experience that includes extra-curriculars such as sports, clubs and field trips.