EMAIL: richard.carter@bell.net

PHONE: 416-254-1726

————————————————————————-

1. Why are you the best candidate for trustee?
As a parent of two children attending TDSB schools, one having special needs, I understand the challenges parents are experiencing and I regularly receive calls to assist them in navigating the system, advocating and resolving issues. As the only candidate actively representing children as a member on the TDSB Special Education Advisory Committee (since 2006) I work with Senior Board Administration, Trustees, staff and the Ministry, by listening to parents, understanding their individual concerns and putting forth recommendations to the Board. These parents endorse and recognize expanding my role from advocate to Trustee will facilitate positive change in the TDSB.

2. What changes would you like to see at the school board in the next four years?
We need to find more opportunities to support the three priorities in the Vision of Hope:
1. Student Achievement
2. Parent and Community Engagement
3. Financial Stability
* To ensure greater student achievement, we must ensure our schools are safe and provide more opportunities for the use of technology and embrace inclusive education.
* We must better facilitate parent and community engagement by making it easier for them to understand and navigate the system and ensure policies and procedures allow us to achieve our objectives.
* We must provide greater accountability to the public and develop innovative partnerships to meet our funding challenges.

3. What is your position on the TDSB consolidating under-enrolled schools and selling off closed school properties?
By law, Trustees must provide a balanced budget and ultimately it will come down to some very difficult decisions because of the financial restraints the Board faces based on how education is funded by the Province. Declining enrollment reduces the amount of funding received by the Board and the Province leaves little option other than to use properties to generate revenue unless we can find and obtain access to other means of funding. Our local schools represent an extremely important part of our communities but they can only be maintained with adequate funding and declining enrollment does not support this.

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?
It is imperative that we achieve financial stability with the Board’s employees as these agreements represent the largest expenditure of funding received from the Province and ultimately determines what is left for the Board to spend on educational programs and services, equipment and other supplies, not to mention buildings and maintenance. The public will decide if they agree with the Province’s decision to save time and resources negotiating a two-year increase contract. The Province needs to commit additional funding outside of the funding formula to maintain or rebuild our schools to ensure the future success of public education.

5. Please provide personal details on your bio.
* Born and lived in Etobicoke for almost 30 years
* Married with two children in TDSB schools for regular, Extended French and special education programs
* Currently representing students and parents on TDSB Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) and sub-committees
* Facilitator for Parental Advocacy and Conflict Resolution
* Trained Mediator – Certificate in Dispute Resolution (YORK)
* Professional Engineer – B.Sc. U of Alberta
* Ministry participant on Informal Dispute Resolution and Continuous Improvement of IEPs (Individual Education Plans)
* Board Member Down Syndrome Association of Toronto (DSAT)
* Member of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Institute of Ontario