The recent ousting of Toronto Catholic District School Board chair and Ward 11 trustee Angela Kennedy stemming from allegations that she and Ward 10 trustee Barbara Poplawski breached the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act by participating in layoff decisions will hopefully raise the profile (and necessity) of paying attention to who your school board trustee is.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Lois Roberts ruled at an Aug. 19 hearing that although there was no suggestion that Kennedy acted in bad faith, her good intentions were "irrelevant" in the court's determination. The case against Poplawski will be heard Sept. 13.
For what seems an eternity, attention has exclusively been focused on the mayoral candidates. Even those running for council seats have been largely off the radar. But even more shocking is the fact that few, if any, Torontonians know who their school board trustee is?
Read our papers, listen to the radio, or watch the news on TV and you'd be surprised by how few Torontonians know who is running for mayor let alone running for school board trustee. It's not an unfair assumption that most people arrive at polls and remember they have to vote for a trustee.
Adding to the necessity of staying informed were the recent Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Accommodation Review Committees (ARC). The ARCs revealed just how important the role of school board trustee, and the school board as a whole, really is. That 22 TDSB trustees could make such important decisions as which schools to close, combine or sell makes their role very important to the city.
Despite the reality that school trustees - both Catholic and public - have a direct impact on our most important assets, our children, how many people pay even the slightest attention to who they select to represent their kids?
However, come Oct. 25, you'll be faced with that very important decision.
Will you know who to vote for? Chances are, probably not.
We call on all Torontonians to not sit idly by. Get to know your trustees and those running to unseat them or fill a vacancy. Trustees have a direct impact on our future leaders and the way they learn. Don't make an important decision without being well informed. And trustees have a responsibility to get out there, engage the electorate and inform them of what is important.
As the election draws closer InsideTorontoVotes.ca is a great way to do just that.