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 Karen Torrie-Racine’s Answers. She is running for trustee for CDSBEO.
Who are you, and what experience or perspective would you bring to the school board if elected?
Hello I am Karen Torrie-Racine and I am running to be re-elected as a Catholic School Board Trustee for the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario. I have been a volunteer supporting our schools and the board for many years, starting as the PTA Communication Director in our former school board before amalgamation in 1998, then as an active member of Catholic School Councils at both the elementary and secondary level. I was also one of the original members of CDSBEO’s Catholic Education Coalition and now I have the experience of having served as a trustee in this last term. I want to continue to bring caring attention and support to the needs of young persons, their educators and to the community as a whole.
What can the school board do to improve student achievement, particularly for students who are struggling in reading, writing and mathematics?
Student Achievement is always a high priority in our school board. We have been addressing areas where we need to constantly improve and will continue to do so. Our board has acquired a number of resources to assist educators in getting the message across in different ways that speak to every child’s needs and abilities at every level. I will always support educational acquisitions and improvement in this area.
What should the board do to improve support for students with special education needs and ensure families can access the services their children require?
Special Education needs in the board are being constantly addressed at CDSBEO. Every child is taught while working within their individual abilities, for those who have special needs, each school addresses that currently through specialized individual instruction. As legislated, CDSBEO has a Special Education Advisory Committee comprised of many different community groups who play a huge role in addressing unique instructional strategies to communicate and teach each child. I would ensure that this advisory committee continues to grow in membership so that it can incorporate advice from specialized organizations which would then flow through to the school level.
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?
School Transportation is truly a challenge for CDSBEO. We work collaboratively with the public school board through «Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario» (STEO). We are now required by the province to apply strict legislated distance limits. And so we can no longer provide special arrangements for families and students as otherwise the extra costs would cut into other school needs. But our board’s trustee representation will continue to work closely with STEO to do our very best for families and I will support that.
What is your position on cellphone use and other technology in schools, and where should the board draw the line?
The province already restricts cellphone use during instructional time and I totally agree with this! Students phones should be collected as they walk in the classroom door and returned as they leave. Learning MUST be the classroom priority.
What is your position on AI use, and where should the board draw the line?
Educators will need to address the increasing challenge of the inevitable resort to AI, it is a reality. It can be a destructive one that can impair education or it can be a useful instrument to put to good use, a great tool if used responsibly! I am reminded of calculators – somehow we managed to incorporate their use properly, and we can do this again with AI.
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?
My focus will be to continue to help schools incorporate the many wonderful things in our community to elevate student learning and add to board programs. Some things I have helped with in the past are unique art activities and introduction to new artists and techniques through Cline House Gallery, and connecting Baldwin House with our secondary students as a presentation on the reality of Human Trafficking right here. I also continue to assist and support the annual Bishop Cup hockey game -school spirit at it’s very best! Moving forward, I think it is important to provide our students with more local history information and if elected I will suggest looking into our local museums as part of their programs, museums like the Cornwall Community Museum, The Lost Villages Museum, the Glengarry Pioneer Museum, and historical churches etc. Each area of CDSBEO have their own unique history and students should be aware of this local history.
About the Author
