WEBSITE: www.VoteGough.ca

EMAIL: votegough@bell.net

PHONE: 416-233-3706

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1. Why are you the best candidate for trustee?
I am the only candidate running with elected experience. I offer a unique skill set: nine years in office as the public school Trustee for Ward 3, combined with professional knowledge of education.
* I have worked in education and social work for more than twenty years and am an established author.
* I am a small business owner with a pragmatic approach to budgets: live within your means and be frugal with tax dollars.
* My commitment to community involvement, experience in elected office, and professional background in education and business are ideal qualifications for a public school Trustee.

2. What changes would you like to see at the school board in the next four years?
I would actively support changes according to the following guiding principles:
* Resources where they are needed: a diversity of programs to enable all students to succeed
* Fiscal responsibility and accountability: value for the education tax dollar
* Community values: schools as hubs for broad community involvement
* The best in teaching: well-rounded education, in classrooms that integrate technology to maximize learning
* Safe schools: well-maintained facilities with caring adults and respectful relationships

3. What is your position on the TDSB consolidating under-enrolled schools and selling off closed school properties?
Schools are the heart of the community. Every child deserves a viable school, with an enrollment large enough to offer high quality programs, located within walking distance if at all possible. I support community-oriented, fiscally responsible use of facilities. Rather than close schools, I’d use extra space for child-oriented purposes such as school-based daycares that serve the needs of working parents and provide extra revenue to the school board. Decisions about consolidation of schools should be made only after broad community consultation and only if the community agrees that consolidation would offer a better educative experience for their 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?
I support the sanctity of the collective bargaining process. In any situation involving collective agreements, the best result is a negotiated settlement between the two parties. I do not believe in an imposed settlement by the province and I will not support legislation to impose such a settlement.

5. Please provide personal details on your bio.
* Strong community roots: raised in Etobicoke and educated in public schools
* Experienced Etobicoke Ward 3 Trustee with nine years in elected office
* Education consultant: expert in effective schools and school safety
* Mother of two children educated in Etobicoke public schools
* University of Toronto graduate with Master of Science and Master of Teaching degrees
* Small business owner in Etobicoke-Lakeshore
* Writer, editor, advocate for child health and well-being
* Record of strong support for parental and community involvement in schools
* Member, Toronto Region Conservation Authority
* Volunteer, Food Bank and Out of the Cold