Priorities
Our schools are the heartbeat of our community, yet they currently struggle with a lack of funding that risks our children's potential. I will work toward robust special education programs and advocate for an equitable start for every student, no matter their needs. By striving to bridge budget gaps through community-driven solutions and steady advocacy, I will fight for a district that leaves no child behind.
Student Well-Being & Inclusive Schools
Every child has a fundamental right to a public education that fully meets their unique needs. When students with special needs are placed in inclusive classrooms without adequate support, everyone loses — the student, their classmates, and their teachers.I will fight for the EA and educational support staffing levels that make inclusion actually work. I will call out every instance where budget cuts are dressed up as educational policy. And I will not stop asking hard questions at the board table until Zone 5 students have what they need to succeed.
I have said it before and I will continue to do so until I feel it’s being heard… Inclusion without support is abandonment.
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Support for Educators & Families
Years of underfunding have taken a real toll, and I won't pretend otherwise. Teachers are being asked to do more with less, and families/school councils are left fundraising for things that should just be funded.
I will hold open community meetings at least every two months (for School Council leaders and any Zone 5 family who wants to show up) to hear what's happening on the ground and make sure it reaches the board table. I am committed to connecting with school councils to find out what they’ve been hearing from families and how I can support them in their work. Your concerns won't get filtered or glossed over. I'll bring them myself.
Fair & Responsible Funding
Our kids are not numbers on a spreadsheet. But I want to be honest with you: under Ministry supervision, trustees no longer have a direct say in the budget. Much like curriculum, which sits with the Ministry of Education, financial decisions are currently outside trustee authority.
What trustees can do is ask hard questions, put concerns on the record, and make sure Zone 5's needs are clearly heard by the people who hold that authority. I will do that. I will also advocate loudly to the provincial government for increased per-student funding — because the current level is not working, and pretending otherwise helps no one. When funding choices affect programs, staffing, or school boundaries, families deserve an honest explanation, not a repackaged rationale. I will ask for one every time.
Transparency & Communication
With the OCDSB currently under Ministry supervision, trustees can’t exercise any of the powers you are electing us to have. I won’t pretend that’s not the case. My focus will be on working with fellow trustees and the Supervisor to restore our democratically chosen role at the board table. Even after that victory our powers will still be limited compared to what they once were (trustees won’t have a hand in when planning the budget for example) but we can use our voice, our vote, and our relationships to push for better decisions and real accountability on your behalf. I will show up, put things on the record, ask the questions that need asking, and report back to Zone 5 families in plain language — not board-speak. You deserve to know what’s happening and why. That’s the job, and I take it seriously.
Read this Shared Principles document.
A collective statement by a like-minded group of trustee candidates highlighting our dedication to democracy, student success, and standing against hate.
