Writer-Citizen DSBN Trustee Candidate Linda Crouch

Yes, this is a writer blog but I am a citizen with children in the District School Board of Niagara public school system. There has been a woeful lack of coverage of the school board election, so I am using my role as a general busybody and citizen to interview the 9 candidates competing for the 4 seats representing St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Linda Crouch is the fourth of the 9 candidates to respond to my questions in full. Linda works as a real estate agent and has two children enrolled at DSBN schools. The emphasis marks in her reply are her's.

Question 1. What in your background do you believe prepares you for this public office?

Linda's Reply:
While I have a wealth of more than 12 years of experience in public school and community advocacy, one needs certain personal attributes to be successful and effective as a School Trustee.

My personal attributes: My tenacity, work ethic, research skills, sincere love & appreciation for the value of our communities, understanding of how integral schools are to our quality of life & economy in Niagara, oral & written communication skills, integrity, honesty, empathy, intelligence & confidence. My greatest quality for this position is my passion & willingness to stand up for the issues that I believe in.

My background is extensive. It’s easiest to go to www.lindacrouch.ca then choose “About Me” to review the list.
All of those life experiences and skills combined will make me an excellent School Trustee.


Question 2. What has been your role in community volunteer work, educational activism and politics?

Linda's Reply:

My Community, Political Volunteer & Advocacy Role: Co-founded successful north St. Catharines resident group (Walker's Creek Neighbourhood Association) in 2002 with 125 households membership at its peak, addressed City Council, liaised effectively with City Hall staff and Councillors on wide-ranging issues including petitioning for re-zoning our parks to protect from use that could include housing & much more. This group is still effective, relevant & in existence.

My track record is best evidenced by the following newsletters that I wrote & edited delivered to my community:
a) Re: Lakebreeze (Closed DSBN elementary school) as a Community Recreation Centre (2006):
http://yourdigitalgarage.com/_wcna_ca...
b) Specifically written for residents as to issues in the 2010 election, this newsletter was distributed to 10,000 home & businesses in the north–end of St. Catharines:
http://yourdigitalgarage.com/_wcna_ca...
c) My successful address to St. Catharines City Council in 2002, advocating for a playground when our neighbourhood was incorrectly perceived as a place where families would not move into, as it was “older” & not a brand new subdivision. History has borne out that assumption by staff to be incorrect.
As per: https://www.facebook.com/LindaCrouchF... and https://www.facebook.com/LindaCrouchF...

b) My Educational Activism: Again, extensive, best evidenced below:

Effectively getting DSBN to post their Board agendas online: http://www.610cktb.com/news/local/Sto...

DSBN Hid Contentious Issue from Candidates and Public in 2010 election:
http://niagaraatlarge.com/2011/02/06/...

Opposing the DSBN Academy: http://sandyscruxofthematter.wordpres...

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/20...

Article on my School Chair Volunteer Efforts for Career Day on Page 3 of the Toronto Sun:
http://yourdigitalgarage.com/_lindacr...

I got a lot done in my community working with the City.

However, it is my experience that to get anything done at the DSBN, one must work within its system.

Question 3. While local elections are not party-driven, do you have any party affiliations that influence your political ambitions?

Linda's Reply:

Zero. I vote for who the best person is for the job.

Question 4. How would you describe the current relationship between elected trustees and hired superintendents? Or, how do you think that relationship should look?

Linda's Reply:

In my opinion the current relationship is: dysfunctional, unbalanced, detached from the communities they serve.

It’s also why we need 11 good trustees on the board, not just 1 or 2. We need 6 smart caring people to carry or defeat recommendations from the DSBN senior staff.

That’s why I support Diane Chase in Wainfleet/West Lincoln, Mike Kamatovic in Fort Erie/Port Colborne and Larry Lemelin in Welland. I ask you to have your friends, families and co-workers in those communities check these people out and please consider voting for them:

Port Colborne & Fort Erie: https://www.facebook.com/votemichaelk...
Wainfleet/West Lincoln: https://www.facebook.com/DianeChasefo...
Welland: Larry Lemelin

109 Stoneybrook Crescent,
Welland ON
h- 905-735-6262

I have confidence that these candidates will do a better job than the current Trustees.

Question 5. The province offers trustees various forms of procedural guidance and training in legal and procedural responsibilities of trustees. Which of these forms of guidance and training will you use and/or participate in to prepare and undertake your role as trustee?

Linda's Reply:
As Trustee I would certainly take the training available.

As a person who worked as a researcher for law firms for 20 years, including Bay & King firms and who also had Niagara municipalities as clients, I am capable of processing and thoroughly understanding those types of responsibilities.

Question 6. Where do you stand on the issue of amalgamation of school boards in Niagara and in Ontario as a whole?

Linda's Reply:
I think that this is coming, it’s just a matter of when it happens. I support it if it is done in a way that streamlines education and delivers it best for our students in Niagara.

Right now the DSBN budget is $431 million which is $52 million higher than in 2010.

We all have to be looking at efficiencies in our system without compromising education.
http://www.dsbn.edu.on.ca/about/defau...

Question 7. Where do you stand on the issue of provincial oversight of school closure decisions and financial transparency of the DSBN?

Linda's Reply:
School Closure Decisions: I don’t believe that the Ministry of Education is doing its job now when communities ask for a review of the ARC process re school closures.

Comments made here about our School Board are echoed across the province unfortunately. The current system appears to be broken and needs a hold on closures until it is fixed.

I support the efforts here advocated here for a Smart Moratorium re proposed school closures for the goal set out here to achieve a better system. http://www.communityschoolsalliance.ca/

Financial Transparency: The DSBN should post full agendas as municipalities do, with reports attached. This should be for committees as well as board meetings.
Taping of board meetings, available to the public on the internet also will help with DSBN transparency.

Question 8.

Among members of the public, there appears to be a problem with nepotism in the hiring of teachers in the board. Will you look into this issue and, if so, what would you do?

Linda's Reply:

I have noticed this and have heard that from graduates of teacher’s colleges. I haven’t yet looked into it but I plan on seeing what can be done once elected as Trustee.

This is one of those things that I believe can only be fixed from working within the DSBN.

Question 9. The EQAO results in the DSBN are rather troubling, but standardized testing in general is a controversial issue. What do you think of our students' results on the EQAO and about the role of standardized testing overall?

Linda's Reply:

Troubling results, yes. It’s a general guide to what’s going on in Ontario and Niagara.

Question 10. Many members of the public are concerned about the level of support for students with special needs. They have also expressed concern about the continuity of staff assigned to particular individuals and the job security of those staff members. What is your position on how the DSBN is doing supporting students who have special needs and the role of Educational Assistants in providing that support?

Linda's Reply:

Why does the Catholic board apparently do things better than the DSBN? It’s not just in Special Ed but we have to analyze what they are doing with their funding. I was told that there was a funding problem from years ago that carried through.
The DSBN says we have $1.2 million more in funding in this year’s budget for Special Ed. That’s a start, but we need to improve it.

Question 11. What do you believe is the role of the trustee in supporting participatory democracy and the role of parents in school board operations?

Linda's Reply:

Did you know that School Councils in Ontario can make recommendations to their principals and school boards on any matter? (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/...)

As a School Board Chair at Dalewood School (DSBN) in 2013, I knew this and tabled a recommendation which was approved by consensus of our Council regarding a change in DSBN policy.

Parents and municipalities all need voices to be heard by the Trustees at the DSBN. That’s not happening now, as shown by Parliament Oak, for example.

Under the Education Act, a Trustee has no individual authority. “However it is the responsibility of Trustees to bring to the board the concerns of parents, students and supporters of the board and consult with them on a multi-year plan.” More at http://cge.ontarioschooltrustees.org/...

According to CARE Niagara: “Did you know that any citizen of this country can ask for a judicial review of any elected bodies decision? You don't agree with a decision of Council or regional council or a school board or Queens Park? You can do it too. An application for review is our democratic right and the least expensive way to overturn a decision you disagree with. “ https://www.facebook.com/pages/CARE-N...

Question 12. Additionally, please provide links to your web site and/or Facebook page and twitter handle.

Linda's Reply:

Website: www.lindacrouch.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaCrouchF...


This post reflects whom I've decided to endorse and this summary post explains why. As usual, here is a list of all the candidate information posts I wrote to cover the race:

Ajandi, Jennifer

Atamanyk, Gary

Bradnam, Alex

Campbell, Lora

Christie, Adam

Crouch, Linda

Fast, Jonathan

Longhurst, Eva

Sherwin, Al