Four candidates seek election for TCDSB

 DA-site-IMGS-dividerBy David RosFour_Candidates_OCT_14After being elected in 2010 as the trustee for the Toronto Catholic District School Board for Ward 4 during a period of turmoil, Patrizia Bottoni is once again putting her name on the ballot.Bottoni cited the work she and her fellow trustees have done in pulling the board away from receivership as one of the reasons she believes she should be re-elected. In 2008, the TCDSB was placed under the control of a provincial government appointed supervisor after it was rocked by a series of scandals where trustees spent school board money on personal items such as online gambling, alcohol and lingerie, while at the same time, the board was unable to balance its budget.Following the 2010 municipal election results, the TCDSB was returned to the control of the trustees in Jan. 2011. “At the board, we have started a new stage with those days after supervision, we have done a lot of work to regain the trust of the community and of the stakeholders,” Bottoni said. “We are a good team, we are working together and we've put in place a multi-strategic plan.” Bottoni, who is currently the vice-chair of student achievements and wellbeing at the board said that she has been working hard to implement more programs in local schools such as French Emersion.Glenn Webster, who has been a member of the TCDSB for 38 years, said that if elected as trustee, his many years of experience will be an asset to the board. “I've attended over 100 school board meetings over the years,” Webster said. “I truly know more about the running of the school board, financials programs, collective agreements than the overwhelming majority of people who run for office.”Webster, who has been endorsed by Mike Colle, current Liberal MPP for Eglinton-Lawrence, Alan Tonks, a former Liberal MP for York South Weston and Paul Fernandes, the former chair of the TCDSB said that trustees need to understand the difference between management and government. “The budget is given by the ministry, schools can barely raise any more money than they are given, they have to work within the budget,” Webster said. “Intelligent choices must be made based on the reality. In other words, school boards have got to be well run in terms of costs.”Marina Laccona, who founded and has successfully run a free homework program called My Community Homework Club at Northwood Community Centre since 2002 said that her desire to give back to the community has motivated her to run for trustee. “Since implementing the program, I continue to work with various members of the community, including City of Toronto staff, local councillors, parents, teachers, youth and non-profit organizations,” Laccona said. “I am very passionate about my community, volunteerism and most important – our children.” Diego Lupallier is also on the ballot for TCDSB trustee.