TRUSTED EXPERIENCE, STRENGTHENING PUBLIC EDUCATION
As a recently retired elementary teacher with 26 years teaching experience in the YRDSB, I have navigated the changing landscape of education with students and families; experience I believe is vital to the current climate in public education. As someone who is recently retired, I am also able to give my full attention to the role of a school trustee. This position is not merely a stepping stone for other endeavours but rather a further extension of my commitment to public education and the YRDSB school board.
My family and I have lived in Aurora for 14 years and I have lived and worked in York Region for over 40 years. I am the proud parent of a ten-year-old daughter who attends a YRDSB school. My experience advocating for my daughter in her education and living and working in communities of York Region, along with my in-depth understanding of current issues in education, gives me a unique perspective that I will bring to the board table.
transparency & communication
As an experienced educator, I value the important connection with students and their parents. I learned that connection with students is required to ensure that the students under my care were able to reach their fullest potential. As trustee, I aim to build connections with families and communities to advocate for their needs at the board level.
The role of the public-school board trustee is in flux with recent changes at the provincial government level. Despite these changes, trustees will maintain their ability to advocate for their community and families, bringing important issues to the board such as student success, resource allocation and problem solving of unique situations. Using my trusted experience, I will transparently support and advocate for students and their families in what matters most to you.
In the course of my years as a teacher I communicated with hundreds of parents to ensure accountability and transparency in order to serve the needs of students as best I could. To this day I keep in touch with quite a few of my former students, many of them now with their own families because I have always felt connection does not simply end after one year. I look forward to building this connection with the larger community of Aurora and Whitchurch-Stouffville.
centering students and Community
My experience as a teacher and parent has provided invaluable insight into the role of parents and others who will also shape students’ lives. I have always felt that schools and communities must work together to create environments where children can thrive. Centering the growth and excellence of students in decision making at the board, community and family levels will always steer outcomes in the right direction. The role of a trustee requires these skills and should I be elected into this role I will use them for the betterment of students in all the schools under my jurisdiction.
