Toronto Star endorses Tamil Canadian Parthi Kandavel for Toronto District School Board Trustee - Ward 18,
“Parthi Kandavel, running in Ward 18, has a solid understanding, through teaching, of the needs of inner city and suburban schools. He is the best choice in this ward, where there is no incumbent.”
http://parthi2010.com/
http://www.thestar.com/article/877754--star-s-choices-for-old-and-new-on-public-board
The Star's choices for Toronto public school board
The Toronto public school board is at a crossroads: It hasn’t addressed long-term financial challenges, it is burdened with too many aging or under-utilized schools, and it is losing students. We need thoughtful and courageous trustees to tackle these issues.
At the same time, we need trustees to be creative in addressing the increasing diversity and complexity of student needs. Not only must trustees must be strong advocates for individual parents and students in their wards but collectively they must improve our public education system so that no student is left behind.
Finally, Monday’s municipal election presents an opportunity to add some fresh faces and much needed diversity to this board so that it better reflects the students and communities it represents.
Saadiq Malik, running in Ward 1, was recently a student himself and is tune to the needs of young people. He has interesting ideas on job readiness programs for students and would represent a refreshing change from the tired and ineffective incumbent John Hastings.
Muhammad Shahid, running in Ward 13, has children in the school system and deep roots in the community. He ought to be more responsive to the needs of the growing immigrant population in the ward than incumbent Gerri Gershon, who after 25 years on the board, appears to be just going through the motions.
Parthi Kandavel, running in Ward 18, has a solid understanding, through teaching, of the needs of inner city and suburban schools. He is the best choice in this ward, where there is no incumbent.
Along with these new faces, there are a few incumbents who merit particular attention and have earned our support for their effective work on the board.
Cathy Dandy, trustee in Ward 15, initiated a late-start school to respond to absenteeism and research that shows teens’ brains are not wired to get up early in the morning. Dandy has demonstrated an ability to see beyond the status quo and search for new ways to help students do better.
Sheila Cary-Meagher, trustee in Ward 16, spearheaded Model Schools for Inner Cities to help students from poor neighbourhoods who consistently struggle. The program, which supports innovative teaching, student nutrition and health, and parental engagement, has had such success that it is being expanded.
Michael Coteau, trustee in Ward 17, brings a valuable perspective as one of only two black board members. But it is his work on promoting student nutrition and affordable community access to schools that really makes him stand out.
Sheila Ward, trustee in Ward 14, hasn’t just talked about the need to revitalizing schools; she has worked to make it happen with the rebuilding of the Nelson Mandela Park school into a joint facility that includes a community, daycare and employment centre.
What happens in our public schools matters to everyone, not just parents of school-age children. That’s why all voters should make an effort to be informed of the candidates for school board as well as for city council. We need trustees with creative ideas, who reflect the community and are committed to managing a $2.6 billion budget responsibly.
http://parthi2010.com/
Parthi Kandavel,
running in Ward 18, has a solid understanding, through teaching, of the needs of inner city and suburban schools. He is the best choice in this ward, where there is no incumbent.
http://www.thestar.com/article/877754--star-s-choices-for-old-and-new-on-public-board
The Star's choices for Toronto public school board
The Toronto public school board is at a crossroads: It hasn’t addressed long-term financial challenges, it is burdened with too many aging or under-utilized schools, and it is losing students. We need thoughtful and courageous trustees to tackle these issues.
At the same time, we need trustees to be creative in addressing the increasing diversity and complexity of student needs. Not only must trustees must be strong advocates for individual parents and students in their wards but collectively they must improve our public education system so that no student is left behind.
Finally, Monday’s municipal election presents an opportunity to add some fresh faces and much needed diversity to this board so that it better reflects the students and communities it represents.
Saadiq Malik, running in Ward 1, was recently a student himself and is tune to the needs of young people. He has interesting ideas on job readiness programs for students and would represent a refreshing change from the tired and ineffective incumbent John Hastings.
Muhammad Shahid, running in Ward 13, has children in the school system and deep roots in the community. He ought to be more responsive to the needs of the growing immigrant population in the ward than incumbent Gerri Gershon, who after 25 years on the board, appears to be just going through the motions.
Parthi Kandavel, running in Ward 18, has a solid understanding, through teaching, of the needs of inner city and suburban schools. He is the best choice in this ward, where there is no incumbent.
Along with these new faces, there are a few incumbents who merit particular attention and have earned our support for their effective work on the board.
Cathy Dandy, trustee in Ward 15, initiated a late-start school to respond to absenteeism and research that shows teens’ brains are not wired to get up early in the morning. Dandy has demonstrated an ability to see beyond the status quo and search for new ways to help students do better.
Sheila Cary-Meagher, trustee in Ward 16, spearheaded Model Schools for Inner Cities to help students from poor neighbourhoods who consistently struggle. The program, which supports innovative teaching, student nutrition and health, and parental engagement, has had such success that it is being expanded.
Michael Coteau, trustee in Ward 17, brings a valuable perspective as one of only two black board members. But it is his work on promoting student nutrition and affordable community access to schools that really makes him stand out.
Sheila Ward, trustee in Ward 14, hasn’t just talked about the need to revitalizing schools; she has worked to make it happen with the rebuilding of the Nelson Mandela Park school into a joint facility that includes a community, daycare and employment centre.
What happens in our public schools matters to everyone, not just parents of school-age children. That’s why all voters should make an effort to be informed of the candidates for school board as well as for city council. We need trustees with creative ideas, who reflect the community and are committed to managing a $2.6 billion budget responsibly.