Introduction
“As a parent living in this community I naturally want the best for my child. I pledge to continue to improve on Guelph’s progressive education policies in a fiscally responsible manner. I passionately believe that fostering more involved partnerships between schools, families, and community resources is one key area we must work on. A better educated community helps everyone in Guelph, not just parents. Better educated students and lower high school drop-out rates result in healthier, more vibrant communities, and improve a region's economic outlook. This is why education is an important concern for everyone.”
Dear Concerned Community Member,
My name is Mark Bailey and I am proud to be a nominee for a trustee position for Upper Grand District Public School Board Wards 1, 5, and 6. I am:
- A Concerned Parent in your Community.
- Owner of an Information Technology Business in Guelph.
- Vice-President of the Old University Neighbourhood Association.
- Married to a Clinical Child Development Professor at the University of Guelph.
- A Former Street Youth Worker in Mississauga.
- A Masters Degree Graduate of the University of Toronto.
- The Son of a Career High School Teacher and Administrator.
My primary campaign theme is one of connection: connecting students and teachers with parents and wider Guelph community resources through clear policy and goal setting. Too many students feel as if they live separate lives, that their experiences at school are disconnected from those at home. Studies over the last 15 years have demonstrated that the more schools encourage relationships with their students’ families and surrounding businesses and community resources, the higher the average grades and the lower the drop-out rates. I was disappointed to learn the the school board recently had to make a difficult decision to cut 5 community liaison officers, but I still respect that decision because cutting anything else would have meant cutting in to even more vital services. We need to seek alternative methods, such as increased teacher training in family relations and volunteer parent and community partnerships to help fill in these gaps without increasing the budget. There are programs that can make big differences to kids’ lives without making big additions to the budget. Parents need clearer answers from teachers on how exactly they can feel more involved, and schools and teachers need to be provided the direction in policy and adequate resources and support to accomplish this. Small investments now in making sure each student has the support to graduate has a net benefit for all community members -- not just parents. For example, a high school graduate will contribute on average 6 times more tax revenue over their lifetime than a non-graduate. This increases the standard of living for everyone, and is reason for the community at large to do its best to support students through to graduation.
Please visit the Issues Page for more views on relevant issues. I hold passionate views on improving school district communication lines inexpensively, the excessive copyright fees for educational materials our board is faced with, better environmental conservation practices and education in schools, and many others. I look forward to elucidating on these ideas and many more in the weeks (and hopefully years!) ahead.
I'll end by stating that the greatest reason I wish to be a School Trustee is that I have a son who will begin school in less than 2 years, and the changes I can help implement over the next 4 years will affect his education experience directly, and I plan on standing up for him and his generation of students to see that they receive the best quality education possible in this province.
Thank you for taking the opportunity to visit this site. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or ideas concerning education in Guelph, I would love to hear from you.
Sincerely Yours,
Mark Bailey
mark@markbailey.ca
519-731-1913
