WEBSITE: www.mariarodrigues.ca

EMAIL: mcrodrigues1979@gmail.com

PHONE: 647-478-7419

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1. Why are you the best candidate for trustee?
I am the best candidate for Trustee in Ward 9 because I am a parent and have been the elected Trustee since 2003. I have advocated for a strong, effective public school system for all students from all of the diverse backgrounds of Toronto. I have built strong working relationships with parents, students, community members, TDSB staff and trustees. I possess the successful advocacy skills necessary to: save our pools; stop cuts to educational assistant and teacher-librarian positions; open alternative schools; keep Rawlinson P.S. open; and advocate for special needs students.

2. What changes would you like to see at the school board in the next four years?
The provincial government does not fully fund public education in Ontario. Consequently the TDSB has a funding shortfall and capital deficit. The main change I would like to see over the next four years would be for the TDSB not to give in to the pressure tactics of the province to close and sell schools because the school districts most affected by this school closure process known as ARC’s (Accommodation Review Committees) are inner-city and poor suburban communities. The main change I will fight for is to stop the closure and sale of schools in the TDSB.

3. What is your position on the TDSB consolidating under-enrolled schools and selling off closed school properties?
My voting record shows that I have voted against the closure and sale of TDSB schools. I have proposed other options based on surveys of community needs and interests, such as Programs of Choice for elementary and secondary students; Adult Education and Continuing Education programs; partner with other educational institutions, through leasing. Our schools are community hubs and must remain so. Our schools are an investment in our future and therefore we must keep them as TDSB properties.

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?
I do not support negotiating a two year, no wage increase with the TDSB unionized employees when existing collective agreements expire. TDSB employees work very hard on behalf of our students and the community at large and should be compensated with fair wage increases. The cost of living in Toronto is very high and continues to rise. As an employer, the TDSB must acknowledge the dedication and commitment of its employees to the continued provision of quality public services. I believe that when we invest in our employees they reinvest in our communities and society as a whole benefits.

5. Please provide personal details on your bio.
* Born and raised in downtown Toronto
* Portuguese heritage, daughter of Portuguese immigrants
* Attended TDSB elementary and secondary schools
* Graduate of Harbord C.I.
* B.A. Political Science University of Toronto 1989
* Former community worker in Davenport
* Presently working as advocate for the disabled
* Former volunteer board member of Women Working With Immigrant Women and the Portuguese Interagency Network
* Married with a child in TDSB school