You can’t choose your teachers, you can’t choose your principal and vice-principals… but, if you are of voting age, you CAN choose your Trustees!
The fact that we elect Trustees makes public education democratically administered and accountable to the local community. You elect a Trustee who represents the interests of the residents of their Ward at the Toronto District School Board as part of a Board of Directors. They hire the Director of Education, who in turn makes a lot of the major decisions that influence the tone and direction of the school board. They also create and review policies that affect students’ day to day school experiences. And they can help parents understand and navigate the school system by holding local meetings, townhalls, and being available to listen to concerns.
Who gets to sit at the table as a Trustee has a huge impact on our lives as students, teachers, and parents. We encourage you to do your research about who is running for Trustee in your ward. If you’re not sure which ward you are in, check out the map below.
If you are of voting age, make sure that you vote on October 22. If you aren’t of voting age, discuss the Trustee elections with the adults in your life, and help them understand the education issues that are important to you.
This month we reached out to all the TDSB Trustee Candidates for whom we could find email addresses, and asked them this question:
Do you support revising TDSB Policy P042 (Appropriate Dress) so that it aligns with equity and human rights, and so that it incorporates greater opportunity for student voice in dress code development, review, and revision?
If your ward’s candidates haven’t provided responses, we encourage you to reach out to them to ask what they think about revising the Appropriate Dress policy. Let us know if you hear back!
Hugo-Vladimir Vallecilla, Ward 6
End Dress Codes 