Question 3 – Zone 11 Response
Contents
The Question in brief
Response from:
– Travis Croken
The Question in Brief
This question comes from Charlotte Dwyer and Ny Holmes, two Grade 11 Ottawa secondary school students who recently organized Nepean High School’s successful walkout against Ford’s changes to the curriculum.
Their Question
What steps are you going to take to ensure that students feel they are heard in regards to their involvement in THEIR curriculum?
Travis Croken
Thank you for sending in this vital question. You are correct when you say that these are stressful times for students and that students and adults must work together for change. It is the passion and courage of students like you that make me feel encouraged for the future of our communities, cities, and country as a whole.
If elected I will commit to transparency and follow-up. I will make myself available to hear the concerns of students and will follow-up with responses. If an item is rejected, I will discuss why it was denied and work students to find ways around the obstacles. If there is no fix, I will explain why and ensure there is proper understanding.
I will also commit to holding a monthly roundtable open to community members, students, and staff to ensure I am offering the best representation possible. The meetings will entail a brief catch up on past issues, as well as discussion of current or new problems. Our education system should be producing educated, civic-minded people. The only way we can achieve this is if we all work in unison.
In addition to the steps as mentioned above, I am planning on having student volunteers work with me to understand “the other side of the coin.” Students should have a better understanding of how politics work and what goes into running a school system. Again, thank you for your question and your passion regarding our education system. Please let me know if there is anything else.