WEBSITE: www.marktishman.ca

EMAIL: mark@tishman.ca

PHONE: 416-399-0510

————————————————————————-

1. Why are you the best candidate for trustee?
I have lived in St. Paul’s my whole life, and know how complex the area is. I am a hard-working, determined individual who knows that to understand the big picture, one must first understand the local details. I have worked with children since high school and for the past 12 years mentored autistic children. I understand from first hand experience, that not all children learn through the same methods. I have spent my life working with and helping children, and that is what this position is all about.

2. What changes would you like to see at the school board in the next four years?
I would like to see elder teachers mentor younger teachers. I believe we need a greater degree of teacher specialization; math teachers who only teach math, English teaches who specialize in English. I would like to add edible education to the curriculum to teach proper nutrition and fight childhood obesity. This can be done by adding community vegetable gardens to grade schools. I would like to see an increased focus on the “arts” and on physical education.

3. What is your position on the TDSB consolidating under-enrolled schools and selling off closed school properties?
I do not agree with selling off any schools closed as a result of ARC recommendations. I would prefer to see the properties rented so that the board may retake the properties if the demographics shift. Schools that are closed by ARC recommendations should be turned into community hubs and have rooms rented to different agencies that benefit students; one room could be rented to a tutoring workshop, another to an employment agency, etc.

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?
This is really a provincial matter. What I would prefer to see is a decreased cost of maintenance. The cost to replace or repair schools is overly expensive and costs need to be brought in line with private sector equivalents. At Forest Hill Jr. School it was discussed during a ward forum meeting that it was double the cost to repaint 3 flagpoles than to replace them.

5. Please provide personal details on your bio.
Mark is a lifetime resident of St. Paul’s. He attended Cedarvale, Arlington, and Forest Hill. He first began working with children in high school where he initially taught sports instruction. He later began to develop physical and social interaction skills for autistic children, an area he is still involved in today. For the past two years, Mark has served the Toronto Police Services 13th Division Community Police Liaison Committee as the Executive Treasurer where he organized numerous safety assessments, community barbecues, and clean-up days. Mark has a Bachelor of Arts Honours degrees in Philosophy and Political Science.