Ontarians will soon be going to the polls to elect various municipal governments, including school board trustees. Often people can’t be bothered to vote for the people who will be looking after budgets bigger than those of many mid to large-sized corporations. Our Sunshine on Ontario Schools website is a good place to see exactly how your local school board has been spending its money.
While SQE does not endorse any candidates, we know that school board elections can become as contentious as any election. Here’s a list of questions to ask trustee candidates. While they have been designed for American school boards, they will give you a good idea of what your candidate thinks about most issues.
Ontario has changed the legislation that pertains to trustees, school boards, and their governance. Frankly, some of the election material that has come into my mailbox is quite laughable. Trustee candidates have lists of promises that are frankly so ridiculous I wonder about putting such candidates in charge of a budget of billions of dollars. Here’s a sampling: “be supportive of the Director of Education, the Superintendents, Principals, Teachers, and support staff; be respectful of others in all interactions with (then lists everyone in education from parent to ministry of education); practice integrity in all my actions as a trustee; be honest when dealing with funds provided by the Ontario Government for education;” and it goes on and on. Like you would promise to be untrustworthy or not practice integrity.
One candidate says he will increase enrolment, but doesn’t say how (make people have more kids?). The one that causes me to roll my eyes is this one chestnut that every trustee candidate swears by, “Put the children first when making decisions at the board.” Yeah, right.
What it all tells me is that most of these people have NO IDEA what their proper role should be. Trustees, in response to the constituents they represent, should: make policy that does not conflict with Ministry policy, set academic and financial goals for the board, hire a director of education to carry them out, and finally, monitor whether or not the director has successfully carried out that policy. More often than not the tail wags the dog.
Better to ask your trustee candidates how they would improve academic achievement at your board, how they will deal with school closures and property surpluses, what exactly is their plan to deal with falling enrolments?
In Ontario we’ve seen several school boards that have been taken over by the Ministry and life seems to go on without trustees. Better ask the tough questions now.
What do you think of your school board trustees? Join the conversation by posting a comment below.
