Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Frank Crowder, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Ward 3.

Enjoy this instalment of Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Frank Crowder, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Ward 3.

Please tell our readers a little about yourself and what motivated you to seek election as a School Board Trustee.

As a Steelworker who is very involved in our Union we are encouraged to get involved in politics. We believe that to make positive change you need to be involved. The United Steelworkers Union is involved in a program that goes into the high schools to teach our children about health and safety in the workplace. This gave me the realization that our school curriculum does not teach our children many things that they need later in life such as your basic rights in the workplace, how to properly file your taxes or even how to get a mortgage from the bank when you're ready to buy your first home. I feel the best place to start with making these changes is by running for the position of School Board Trustee.

In your view, what are the three most important issues currently facing students, parents, educators, and the school board, and how would you help address them?

What I believe are the most important issues that are currently facing our students’ parents and educators is what our children are being taught and that we are providing them with the tools and supplies needed to gain that knowledge. The purpose of our education system from kindergarten to completing high school is to prepare our children for the adult world. The curriculum should be based on critical thinking and problem solving and it's our job to make sure our children have the right tools to gain that knowledge.

A trustee's role is one of governance rather than day-to-day management. How do you see the relationship between trustees, board administration, and school principals?

I believe it is very important to have a healthy relationship between the Trustees, the board administration and school principals. By working together we set the example of cooperation that our children need to see.

What changes or improvements, if any, would you like to see in the delivery of education within our local school system over the next four years?

The improvements I would like to see is a more diverse way of how we teach our children. Not every person learns the same way or at the same speed. By implementing the proper program based on the individual students works better then I catch all system that ends up leaving some students behind.

Why should voters place their trust in you? What qualities, experience, or perspective would you bring to the role of School Board Trustee that distinguish you from the other candidates?

I'm hoping voters will place their trust in me because of my personal experiences in school where I struggled during a time when people didn't understand that different children develop and learn in different ways. My experiences later in life have also shown me that the education I need it as an adult was not taught to us in schools.

What would you like parents, students and the broader public to know about the role of a Trustee?

I would like parents students and the general public to know that the role of a Trustee is one of the most important elected officials that we have. These candidates running for the School Trustee positions are the ones that make the decisions on what the next generation will learn. The children of today are our future and we should prepare them to be their best.

How can voters contact you and/or learn more about you?

I can be contacted through my e-mail.

Thank-you Frank for engaging with Hamiltonians on The Hamiltonian!