The Sandor Report

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Michael Dawthorne - Candidate Wards 2,3,4,5,6 Why do you want to be a school board trustee? Nine years ago, I made two of the most important decisions of my life.  My partner and I adopted our son, Dakota.  I knew at the time about his many health, mental health and developmental disabilities, and already anticipated the lifelong challenge that required us to be a committed and dedicated advocate for his needs.  The early days of our journey were rocky.  One ‘expert’ advised I should “just lower my expectations and everything would be easier”.   The second important decision was not taking that advice. Dakota was seven when we adopted him.  At...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a  previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Chris Loblaw - Candidate Wards 1,11,12,14 Why do you want to be a school board trustee? I want to be a trustee so that I can give back to my community. Public service is a demanding but rewarding job, and I hope that I can use my talents, experiences and abilities to make a real, positive impact. What do you consider to be the most important role of a school board trustee? The role of advocate is the most important aspect of being a trustee. The parents and students of TVDSB need to be able to trust that they have someone in their corner, making sure their voice is heard. What do you believe to be the most important issue for the TVDSB to address over the next fou...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a  previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Knute Dohnberg - Candidate Wards 1,11,12,14 Why do you want to be a school board trustee? Ever since I got involved with a fundraising campaign at my old London high school, I started to appreciate just how many problems exist within Ontario’s public education model. This led me to get actively involved with the school’s alumni association. This, in turn, has nurtured an even greater interest in how the TVDSB exercises its’ mandate. What do you consider to be the most important role of a school board trustee? A school board trustee represents not only the taxpayer, but also every student in the TVDSB system and their (rightfully concerned) parents. This is what needs to gu...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Leroy Osbourne - Candidate Wards 7,8,9,10,13 Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me and giving me an opportunity to communicate with your audience. Why do you want to be a school board trustee? I have always been interested to be a part of something bigger than myself, but more importantly this position resonates with me due to some of my childhood experiences.  When you are a child, it seems your two biggest responsibilities are to do well in school and to be a kid. I was not very good in school from Gr. 1-3, I was pulling in ‘C’s and ‘D’s.  School was stressful and as the first born it felt like I was disappointing my parents. My parents did not have...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Kathy Kaill - Candidate Wards 7,8,9,10,13 Here are my answers to your survey. Thank you again for soliciting this information and for promoting the importance of voting for school board trustees. Why do you want to be a school board trustee? I am a parent of 2 school aged children. I have run into unjust policies in the school system that have affected my oldest child. Luckily, I was able to meet with the teachers, principal and support staff to advocate for my child's needs. I know that is not always possible for all parents, so I felt that being a school trustee I could a) advocate for parents in an effective manner and b) help shape policies so that children's unique nee...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Matt Reid - Candidate Wards 2,3,4,5,6 Below are my answers to your questions. Thank you for taking an interest in the Trustee elections! Why do you want to be a school board trustee? I am currently the Trustee for London Wards 2-6 and I recognize there is still a lot of great work left to be done. We have major decisions that will drastically change the landscape of Thames Valley in the coming years and I believe my experience and background would be an asset. A School Board Trustee can make a positive impact on their schools and I want to continue our work on improving instructional leadership and providing the best education for our children. What do you consider to be the ...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a  previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Chris Barton -  Candidate Wards 7,8,9,10,13 Why do you want to be a school board trustee? I want to be a Trustee because it is impossible to underestimate the importance of public education in our society.  It is a fundamental cornerstone. I certainly feel the commitment.  I believe I have the ability. What do you consider to be the most important role of a school board trustee? As a School Board Trustee one of my primary roles will be as a strong and unrelenting advocate for Public Education, both at the local and provincial levels.  The role of public education needs to be made self-evident. What do you believe to be the most important...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Shawn Lewis - Candidate Wards 1,11,12,14 Thank you for doing this. The trustee campaign gets very little attention, helping get people informed about it is important! Why do you want to be a school board trustee? I'm extremely lucky to have many kids in my life. Over the past four years, interacting with my community and listening to parents, I'm concerned with the direction of public education in Ontario. I am concerned in several ways that we are setting our children up to fail in our 21st century world. I want to ensure that does not happen. I want to ensure that for generations to come, we are providing our children the quality education  they deserve and need to suc...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Dan Judson - Candidate Wards 7,8,9,10,13 First let me say thank you for drawing attention to the office of School Trustee. I, like you, believe that the office is of much more importance than people generally believe. I am still astonished at how many people do not know what a Trustee is. I will be happy to answer your survey questions.  Why do you want to be a school board trustee? My passion for the well-being of the children in our community is second to none. I have two sons in public school. As a father I have been actively involved in their school, and have chaired our parent council for 4 years. In that capacity I have had frequent dealings with trustees and the board...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a  previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Sheri Polhill - Candidate Wards 1,11,12,14 (incumbent) Thank you very much Spencer for this opportunity and your ongoing interest in education and the role of Trustee. Why do you want to be a school board trustee? Now is the most important time to be involved and have a say in Public Education. Between School Closures, declining enrolment and the Funding formula issues, there is no greater time of change than now. Being a school board trustee allows me to take the public voice to the Board table. I want to be that voice. My Social Work back ground provides a unique approach to student concerns. I am running so that I can be part of directing the change instead of letting ch...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Eric Southern - Candidate Wards 2,3,4,5,6 Thank you for your interest in the election of TVDSB Trustees. Here are my responses to the questions: Why do you want to be a school board trustee? I want to be trustee because i feel that I can contribute to the betterment of our society by having an impact on the direction of our schools and the future of our students.  I feel that there are many areas for improvement where our board is concerned and that I can help. What do you consider to be the most important role of a school board trustee? The stewardship of our students and the future of our society which is completely dependent on the education of our children. ...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Jake Skinner - Candidate Wards 7,8,9,10,13 First off, I would like to express my appreciation for raising these important questions.   The position of School Board Trustee is often overlooked at election time although Trustees control a great deal of spending power in our community - in fact, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) budget ($485 million) is more than half that of the City of London's ($776 million).  I will try to keep my answers brief for the convenience of your readership but provide enough detail so they can understand why they should vote for me as the best qualified candidate for School Trustee in Wards 7, 8, 9, 10, and 13.  Why do y...

On September 14 th , I emailed the London candidates for Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Trustee.  As outlined in a previous blog post , this was done to provide more exposure to this important position and to give Londoners an opportunity to get more insight into the candidates. Darlene Snyders - Candidate Wards 2,3,4,5,6 I want to start by thanking you for giving the Trustee candidates an avenue to share our information. I did read your blog and you are so right that our voters should be making an educated decision regarding their trustees. Voting by name recognition just is not the responsible way to vote. Why do you want to be a school board trustee? My interest in school board trustee started at least 10 years ago when I realized what a school board trustee was and did. Children’s education is very important to me, as they are the decision makers of our future. When I look at a child, I see so much potential and I want to help them achieve all they ca...