WEBSITE: www.horacedockery.com

EMAIL: horacedockery@yahoo.ca

PHONE: 416-894-0113

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1. Why are you the best candidate for trustee?
In addition to having a solid grasp of the most critical issues facing Toronto schools, I am aware that educational institutions do not function within a vacuum. The broader socio-economic context is highly relevant and, in this regard, I have been an active member of my community for numerous years. As a businessperson, a philanthropist and an active citizen, I walk the walk to the fullest extent possible. The role of trustee is a demanding one, I will be demanding of myself and, of course, I will be responsive to the desires and demands of my constituents.

2. What changes would you like to see at the school board in the next four years?
Although my desire for change is multi-faceted, my primary concerns revolve around questions of funding. As a recent report by People For Education revealed, funding shortfalls have resulted in the intensification of private fundraising, a practice that is rather unfortunate insofar as it creates pronounced divisions between schools that are resource-rich and those that are resource-poor. Why, one must ask, should the acquisition of science lab equipment or French workbooks be contingent upon the capacity of a particular school to raise funds privately? Public education requires public funding at adequate levels – this is fully achievable within four years.

3. What is your position on the TDSB consolidating under-enrolled schools and selling off closed school properties?
In an April 2010 Toronto Star article, Louise Brown described the TDSB as “a board with too many properties and not enough cash.” There is the description – but what is an appropriate prescription? The outright selling of schools appears to be a sound policy on its face, though it has the unintended consequence of putting secretaries and caretakers out of work. Sales, therefore, should be largely confined to purchases of TDSB schools by other boards. The dominant approach ought to be based on multi-year leasing, such as the conversion of Hughes Public School into a shelter for women and children.

4. Do you support the province’s decision to try to negotiate two-year, no wage increase contracts with the school board’s unionized employees when existing agreements expire?
There is no denying the gravity of the financial situation facing the province: a deficit of approximately $20 billion is cause for concern among all who appreciate the importance of fiscal responsibility. At the same time, however, the wisdom of combating the deficit by freezing wages is highly questionable. Public sector employees – including the roughly 16,000 teachers employed by the TDSB – spend most of the money they earn within Ontario thereby stimulating the economy in ways that are consonant with deficit reduction. Modest wage increases are acceptable in my view.

5. Please provide personal details on your bio.
A long time resident of Toronto – specifically Scarborough– I earned my undergraduate degree from York University where I served as president of the York Federation of Students. Since then I have immersed myself in the business community, become a highly successful real estate broker and lent my time and resources to a host of community causes and initiatives.