On March 3rd, voters in Ward 11 Don Valley West who are citizens and public school supporters will head to the polls to elect a new Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Trustee. The by-election comes after former Trustee, now Councillor, Rachel Chernos Lin, resigned to run for Toronto City Council.
It’s a crowded field with 10 candidates vying to represent the ward. Here’s a brief summary of the candidates and their priorities:
Aaron Anderson
Aaron Anderson works in youth athletics and previously spent a year teaching in the TDSB. On his campaign website, Anderson says that he wants to bring a “dose of common sense” to the board. His priorities include ridding the TDSB of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, and respecting parents’ rights. He also states that he wants to increase the number of days students are in school.
https://sites.google.com/view/andersonfortrustee/
Adam Golding
A teacher, Adam Golding would like to see coding in the school curriculum. He also wants to extend recess, which he says will “reduce medication.” Golding is pushing to reduce class sizes, supports the current policy of no resource officers in schools, and wants to implement a phone ban.
Andrew Waters is a CPA and former TDSB staffer. He describes himself as an “involved parent” and serves on a number of TDSB parent advisory boards. Waters wants programs that will improve learning and mental well-being and create a safe school environment. He supports increased transparency at the TDSB, as well as involving parents more in the decision-making process.
Diana Goldie
With over 10 years’ experience on various school councils, Diana Goldie advocates for a “back to the basics” approach that includes an emphasis on core subjects. She wants to increase mental health resources, as well as ensure that schools are safe for all. Goldie would like to see special education programs improved and changes to the lottery system at specialized schools. https://dianagoldie.com/
Gus Stefanis
A self-described “concerned parent,” Gus Stefanis is a consultant and project manager. His priorities include repealing Ontario’s sex-ed curriculum and stopping “gender identity theory” and critical race theory from being taught in schools.
https://sites.google.com/view/gus-stefanis
Jason Stevens
A former ESL teacher, Jason Stevens (who recently ran for Ward 15 Councillor) believes in a “common sense approach to education.” He supports a focus on the core subjects. He feels that a priority for the TDSB should be reducing classroom sizes and the student-to-teacher ratio. He would also like to see gardening added to the curriculum, which he believes will “build creative practical skills.”
Maryam Rashidian
A nurse, mother and community leader, Maryam Rashidian wants to strengthen students’ English and math skills. She’s an advocate for equity and inclusion and wants to pursue anti-bullying policies. Rashidian seeks to increase mental health resources available to students, as well as pursue a greater involvement for parents in the decision-making process. https://trustmaryam.ca/
Sonny Yeung
Sonny Yeung is a project manager whose main priority is fiscal responsibility. He supports having more teachers and smaller classroom sizes as well as an increase in the number of after-school programs. If elected, he promises to only vote in favour of the TDSB budget if it is balanced.
Stacey Cline
With experience as a teacher and volunteer at the TDSB, Stacey Cline supports emphasizing literacy, math, and science. She wants safer schools and advocates for greater engagement with parents. She believes money should be invested in critical repairs on schools and wants improvements in special education and specialized programs. She also wants to reduce “unnecessary administration” to save money. https://www.staceycline.ca/
Contact information for one other candidate, Masood Alam, was not readily available.
Advance voting was scheduled to be held on February 22nd and 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and polls on election day will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
To check voter eligibility and for a full list of polls, you can visit the city’s MyVote website: https://myvote.toronto.ca/home.
This article was guest contributed by Jake Ross.