Municipal elections are October 26 in Ontario. To help voters make an informed decision here in Cornwall, the editorial board of The Seeker has put together 10 questions for candidates seeking to be elected as School Board Trustee. To ensure fairness, the same questions were sent to every candidate. We sent a total of 10 and they had the option to answer all of them, or pick a minimum of 5. Their answers will be published in their entirety, in the order they are received. We will not edit, correct or modify any responses.
These are Krista Ryan’s Answers. She is running for trustee for CDSBEO.
1. Who are you, and what experience or perspective would you bring to the school board if elected?
my name is Krista Ryan. I grew up in Cornwall and now live in Alexandria. We have one boy with special needs in the catholic school board and often, i’m asked by other parents how to advocate for certain situations. Im able to think outside the box and look forward to learning about the “red tape” so we can better use that to our kids education. I’m a special needs parent, who advocates for her son, and when asked guide other parents on things they can ask.
2. What do you believe is the biggest issue facing students and families in Cornwall and the surrounding area, and what would you do about it?
i feel that stability is a factor, a fair amount of children enjoy the school environment because it’s one they know what they can expect. Schools do more than teach, they may quietly help someone with clothing or food if needed or access counselling services for kids The current government is adding a layer of instability that’s unacceptable. I’ve recently gotten the contact information for the provincial seac ( special education advisory committee) and plan to reach out to see if as a parent and potential trustee i can join.
3. What can the school board do to improve student achievement, particularly for students who are struggling in reading, writing and mathematics?
Teaching the skills in a non traditional way. Math could be done in real life scenarios, like baking or mixing. Reading could start with working on instructions to something of their special interests, writing they can practice with doing things like pen pals even if it’s at another school. If kids are struggling with the holding of the pencils. do some fine motor work that’s more pre writing. Or ask them to try on a chrome book to see if its the writing vs the actual using a pencil.
4. How should the board address staffing challenges, including recruiting and retaining teachers, educational assistants and other support staff?
There are some programs that can be done by sponsoring a student because it’s considered a trade. The school board should look into the process of potentially sponsoring those who want to work as ssw or dsw to help eliminate some of the gaps in recruiting qualified folks.
5. What should the board do to improve support for students with special education needs and ensure families can access the services their children require?
Currently the Catholic board does not allow outside resources in to observe the child in question. or if a therapist comes in it has to be done one on one. Once a child gets their therapy budget from the province they no longer have access to in school speech or Occupational therapy. By having an outside organization sign non disclosure agreements, it would eliminate any support gaps parents have.
one of the biggest concern for most, is safety, like eloping . Parents need a way to clearly communicate so any fears are put to rest without being made to feel bad for checking. Sometimes it takes a special needs kid hours once home to regulate and parents have no way of knowing what caused the dysregulation.
6. School transportation is facing financial pressures and potential changes. What would you do to ensure Cornwall-area students have reliable transportation without putting an unreasonable burden on families?
we can analyze the cost difference between putting older kids on public transportation vs school bus.
7. How should the board balance the needs of Cornwall’s urban schools with those of smaller and rural schools in the surrounding communities when making decisions about funding, programs and possible school closures or consolidations?
access. to transportation, isolation. I spoke to one parent who told me if she was working when her child was done school they may have to stay home that day to compensation because she wasn’t going to have them walk in -30 this winter . if transportation is overloaded, having more rural schools shut down would not be conducive to savings . having schools merge causes over population issues potentially.
8. What is your position on cellphone use and other technology in schools, and where should the board draw the line?
if it’s used for a medical monitoring i think it’s fine. social means should wait till breaks or after school
9. What is your position on AI use, and where should the board draw the line?
Kids should have to show where they got their info and how, discouraging the use of AI tools when not applicable.
10. If elected, what is the first issue you would bring to the board table on behalf of Cornwall-area students and families, and what specific action would you want the board to take?
or spec ed students: access to their therapists, even if its them communicating with the teacher so they have more tools to use.
for the “regular” programming: i feel that it needs to be reviewed based on school, some may need some additional support based on social or economic situations.
About the Author
