Trustees must balance the demands of the community with the duties required by the Ministry of Education. By law, they are required to consult with parents, students and supporters of the board on the board’s multi-year plan and bring the concerns of these groups to the attention of the board. This takes dedicated leadership coupled with a willingness to seek innovative ideas and the courage to implement them.
School board trustees have a responsibility to all the families in their community – not just their neighbours, and not just families with school-aged children. Trustees build and maintain relationships with the entire community. They work with their school board colleagues and with other community partners to ensure that all the students within the board’s jurisdiction have equal opportunities to reach their full potential.
By applying One Planet Living principals, School Board policy can significantly impact how the City grows as a sustainable community as well as being a major contributor to student success. See how the candidates responded to the following questions related to the ten One-Planet Living principles.
Culture and Community
Climate change represents a significant threat that can only be addressed through collective action. When is comes to environmental issues, we truly are all in this together. School Boards can have a big impact in relating the importance of the environment to different cultures and providing concrete actions students can take that will give them hope as we collectively deal with the climate crisis.
Question: Brampton’s 2040 Vision is based on One Planet Living Principles. How well do you understand the City’s 2040 vision document?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I’m intimately familiar and support it | ||||||
I’ve read it. It is a good aspirational goal | ||||||
I know about it and don’t have strong opinions either way | ||||||
I think it is time for a new vision for the City | X | X | ||||
I’m not familiar with it but would like to learn more | ||||||
I don’t think Vision 2040 is a priority for Council |
Question: How should the School Boards contribute to Brampton’s 2040 Vision?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Act as a community partner with the municipality as part of a coordinated strategy and workplan | X | X | ||||
Establish Board goals and objectives aligning with the municipal plans | ||||||
Meet occasionally with municipal staff to share thoughts and ideas | ||||||
The School Board is an independent body and needs to focus on its own priorities |
How important is it for school boards to support Eco-schools programs such as Low Carbon Commuting, Ground Greening, Nature Based Playgrounds and Project 2050?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Very important | X | X | ||||
Somewhat important | ||||||
Neutral importance | ||||||
Somewhat unimportant | ||||||
Not at all important |
Would you support making Eco-schools certification mandatory for all schools in your jurisdiction?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | X | X | ||||
No | ||||||
Other |
Land & Nature
Schools utilize a significant percentage of the City’s total land area. How it is used can have a big impact on City sustainability.
Question: How important is it for school boards to support siting of schools to minimize bussing and car travel and to place schools on streets with access to sidewalks, multi-use pathways and bike lanes?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Very important | X | X | ||||
Somewhat important | ||||||
Neutral importance | ||||||
Somewhat unimportant | ||||||
Not at all important |
Health & Happiness, Travel and Transport
Commuting to and from school accounts for about 30% of the morning and afternoon traffic. Reducing this will have a significant impact on community carbon emissions.
According to Public Health Ontario children and youth require 60-90 minutes of daily physical activity to stay healthy. In-school programs provide 20 minutes of physical activity for elementary students. School Boards can, however, affect physical activity patterns outside of school hours.
Active school travel means students travel to and from school using their own power, (walking, cycling etc.). Studies indicate that students who actively travel to and from school have better concentration and perform better with problem solving than those who do not travel by active means.
Question: How important is it for school boards to support (financially or otherwise) active school travel programs such as walking school bus, bike train and school streets?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Very important | X | |||||
Somewhat important | X | |||||
Neutral importance | ||||||
Somewhat unimportant | ||||||
Not at all important |
Question: How important is it for school boards to support student cycling skills training either as part of the curriculum or as an after school activity?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Very important | ||||||
Somewhat important | X | X | ||||
Neutral importance | ||||||
Somewhat unimportant | ||||||
Not at all important |
Zero Carbon Energy
Mitigating the climate change risk means reducing fossil fuel consumption as quickly as practicable. School Board infrastructure consumes a lot of energy and School Boards can be amongst the leaders in implementing energy conservation and fuel switching programs.
Question: If elected as Board Trustee, what energy conservation or fuel switching actions, would you support?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Purchase green energy offsets | X | |||||
Hire an energy management consultant to review Board energy consumption | X | |||||
Implement a building retrofit program to improve energy efficiency | X | |||||
Implement a rooftop solar program for new or existing schools | X | |||||
Install heat pumps as boiler replacements in schools | X | |||||
Integrate schools into district energy projects | X | X | ||||
Other |
Question: Would you support programs to provide education to parents about adhering to idling bylaws (no more than 2 minutes) when picking up children from school and or the benefits of active forms of travel to and from school rather than by car?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | X | X | ||||
No | ||||||
Other |
Sustainable Water
Brampton has parts of three watersheds within its boundaries including the Credit and Humber Rivers as well as the Etobicoke Creek. These watersheds provide significant eco-system services including temperature moderation, storm-water management and recreational opportunities. School Boards can help students understand the importance of proper watershed protection and management.
Question: How important is it for school boards to teach water conservation and watershed health to students, either as part of the curriculum or as an after school activity in association with the Conservation Authorities?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Very important | X | X | ||||
Somewhat important | ||||||
Neutral importance | ||||||
Somewhat unimportant | ||||||
Not at all important |
Question: What programs could be run at the Board to promote water conservation and improve water quality? Check all that apply
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Installing rain barrels on school property | X | |||||
conserving storm water by building a rain garden | X | |||||
adopting a section of valley land near each school for litter clean up campaigns | X | X | ||||
Other | Teaching the importance of water, waste management and consumption |
Equity & the Local Economy, Materials & Products, Zero Waste:
If everybody lived the way that North Americans do, it would take five planet’s worth of resources. We have only one planet. We must use resources more efficiently if we are to sustain our living standards and allow others to improve their lot. School Boards consume significant resources. How they are procured and used can have a big impact on the City’s local economy as well as on its sustainability.
Question: How important is it that School Boards favour local and or ethical suppliers as part of their procurement process?
Responses | Taranvir Dhaliwal | Yadwinder Gossal | Therese Guidolin | Satpaul Johal | Muhammad Khan | Andre Levy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Very important | X | X | ||||
Somewhat important | ||||||
Neutral importance | ||||||
Somewhat unimportant | ||||||
Not at all important |
Question: As Board Trustee, what steps would you take to reduce waste in schools including school supplies and food, reducing lunch box litter and promoting anti litter activities with children on the school grounds and while walking to and from school? ?
Taranvir Dhaliwal | |
Yadwinder Gossal | |
Therese Guidolin | In an ideal world I would want a breakfast and lunch program in each school where kids are part of at least serving and cleaning as part of their contribution to the program. At the beginning of each school year, I would want to provide children with reusable (branded) supplies like containers and utensils as well as water bottles – have water stations in schools where kids can fill up when needed. I would want chldren to better understand the reason for this type of activity so that they are part of the entire cycle. It would be ideal to make sure that homework and such can be sent to children electronically and to support children with no access to technology access to it. In places like Singapore, my sister said that children are taught early in life that their city is their responsibility. Children are given “workgloves” and are taught what they are used for. Teachers themselves are part of the example. To encourage our children to be better, we need to be the example. |
Satpaul Johal | |
Muhammad Khan | |
Andre Levy | Set up compost bins, reuse recycled where Permitted, educate students, less paper etc |