WEBSITE: www.robinshugar.ca

EMAIL: electshugar@robinshugar.ca

PHONE: 647-260-0560

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1. Why are you the best candidate for trustee?
A Trustee must have integrity, honesty and an ability to devote time and effort to the people she represents. It’s a job for a solution-oriented person with consensus-building skills. As a parent of four children, a trained lawyer and a community and school volunteer with PTC experience, I bring an established set of skills, core-values and experience to the TDSB. I am committed to academic excellence for every child in our Ward, including those with exceptionalities and those identified as at-risk. My proven track record of special needs advocacy, volunteerism and leadership demonstrates this commitment to children and to education.

2. What changes would you like to see at the school board in the next four years?
The TSDB is facing declining enrolment, crumbling school infrastructure, growing complexities in special education and a provincial funding formula that is unable to meet targeted local needs. We must continue working to fix the funding formula so under-funded programs like pools, music rooms, special needs programming and adult education receive the direct funding they require. We must ensure that special education and differentiated instruction be enhanced for children with exceptionalities. Our budget should be balanced in a fiscally responsible manner. Savings should come from non-instructional overhead, administrative functions and operational services, not through classroom budget-cuts, teacher layoffs and tax increases.

3. What is your position on the TDSB consolidating under-enrolled schools and selling off closed school properties?
Ward 5 remains a leader in ensuring our schools have strong enrolment. There are no schools that are under scrutiny. Half empty schools can hurt the education delivery system. When schools have a reduced student base, they lack provincial funding to field sports teams, develop after school programs and music programs and to fund full-time librarians. With school buildings that are crumbling and enrollment plummeting, solutions that bring revenue from the sale of TDSB assets and from consolidations, will return money to classrooms, renew our aged facilities, increase capacity in over-enrolled schools and fund programs and support staff.

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?
An unfettered collective bargaining process and strong public services are important to Ontario’s economic success. Any proposed freeze should come with guarantees regarding saving jobs by avoiding layoffs and may require additional board concessions in the areas of salaries, benefits and work time. We need to look at all options and do our part to negotiate reasonable and responsible employee contracts. But we also need the province to do its part and raise revenue by fixing the funding formula. Knee-jerk reactions from Queens Park to the current provincial funding shortfalls will not correct the real problem, an ineffectual funding formula.

5. Please provide personal details on your bio.
Robin was born and raised in North York and continues residing there. Her genuine understanding of the issues surrounding education in Toronto schools comes from living in the area and being an active mother of four children. Robin has invaluable insight into the workings of budget allocation and school management through her positions as Parent Teacher Council executive and numerous Board committees. She received her Law Degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. Robin is an advocate for children with special needs and learning disabilities. She fights for the rights of children with physical, neurological and developmental challenges.