Priorities for Zone 11 (River & Gloucester-Southgate)

1. Protecting Front-Line Special Education & Cutting Waitlists

Classroom complexity has outpaced support. I will protect front-line funding for Educational Assistants (EAs), defend specialized program classes (SPCs) so students requiring low-ratio settings are not subjected to unsupported integration, and push to eliminate multi-year bottlenecks for psychoeducational assessments and IPRC identifications.

2. Supporting Newcomer Families & Multilingual Learners (MLL/ESL)

Zone 11 is home to dynamic, culturally diverse communities across Blossom Park, South Keys, Heron Gate, and Riverside. I will advocate for equitable staffing in English as an Additional Language (EAL) and English Literacy Development (ELD), while strengthening school partnerships with Multicultural Liaison Officers (MLOs) to keep non-English-speaking parents informed and engaged.

3. Equitable French Immersion & Dual-Track Resourcing

With the board's phase-out of Middle French Immersion under the Elementary Program Review (EPR), our dual-track elementary schools require genuine operational balance. I will fight for resource parity between English and French streams, push for aggressive French educator recruitment, and ensure specialized learning supports remain fully accessible inside French Immersion so struggling learners are not streamed out.

4. Capital Equity & Facility Renewal for Mature Schools

Zone 11 consists of mature neighbourhoods whose facilities are frequently overlooked. While new outer-suburban builds capture headlines, established elementary and secondary schools (including Sawmill Creek, Fielding Drive, Bayview, and Ridgemont) require urgent reinvestment in aging HVAC, roof replacements, accessibility retrofits, and deferred maintenance.

5. Student Transportation Reliability (OSTA) & Childcare (EDP) Integration

Chronic bus route cancellations disrupt families and compromise safety. I will enforce strict contract accountability and driver retention metrics on the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA). Furthermore, I will push to coordinate bus routing with on-site Extended Day Programs (EDP) so working parents are not left without dependable before-and-after school childcare.

6. Meaningful Indigenous Education & Truth and Reconciliation

Sound school board governance upholds institutional obligations to Truth and Reconciliation. I support the advisory authority of the OCDSB Indigenous Education Council, the authentic integration of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives across the curriculum, and dedicated academic, cultural, and mental health supports for urban Indigenous and Inuit youth in our schools.

7. Sustaining Arts & Specialized Learning Pathways

Every student deserves pathways that nurture both academic rigor and creative talent. I will defend classroom arts and music funding across our neighbourhood schools and protect equitable transit and feeder access for Zone 11 students entering district-wide specialized programs, including Arts Canterbury and local secondary technical programs.

8. Accountable, Classroom-First Governance & Parent Consultation

Trustees exist to hold senior staff accountable and ensure dollars reach front-line classrooms, not expanding central administrative offices. Drawing on my three years as School Council Chair, OCASC VP, and statutory PIC member, I will maintain proactive, two-way communication with local school councils and parent communities before major decisions or boundary shifts are drafted.