30 school board candidates sign Students First Pledge for better conduct and transparency

30 school board candidates sign Students First Pledge for better conduct and transparency
Photo: FLICKR USER ALAMOSBASEMENT VIA FLICKR CC BY 2.0

With issues surrounding misappropriation of funds by current Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustees, this year’s candidates are hoping to restore integrity within the organization, and rebuild lost trust.

Being one of the main focuses for the election, five candidates for this year’s TDSB elections are putting students first with the creation of the “Student’s First Pledge,” already signed by 30 candidates who are committed to making a change.

“The public’s confidence in the TDSB had been shaken by scandal and controversy,” said Jennifer Story, candidate for TDSB trustee for Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth. “My goal with the pledge was to get candidates to commit publicly to a higher standard of conduct, so we can hold each other accountable after election day.”

Robert Cerjanec, who works as the operations manager for the Student Association of George Brown College, has also been campaigning this year to be the next TDSB trustee for Ward 17 Don Valley East and was one of the first candidates to sign the Students First Pledge.

“It fit perfectly with the campaign, that we’ve actually been running thus far, about running to restore integrity at the Toronto District School Board,” said Cerjanec. “The organizational culture between trustees has become toxic and distracts from the effective operation of the board of trustees.”

Cerjanec also supports the creation of an ombudsman for the TDSB “to enhance accountability and transparency,” which may be what the TDSB needs due to a previous lack of accountability for misused funds.

“I have signed and am actively promoting the Student’s First Pledge,” said Surwanamala Buty, another candidate for Ward 17 Don Valley East, and mother of two sons attending schools within the TDSB. “As you are aware, people are embarrassed and ashamed about what’s happening at the board. TDSB trustees have been criticized for not disclosing expenses on-line.”

While candidates are actively campaigning, many of them are promising the public and their supporters that they will publicly post all their expenses and receipts on-line.

Incumbent Ward 17 Trustee Harout Manougian did not respond to repeated emails and phone calls from The Dialog.