ROBERT KOLOSOWSKI
CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TRUSTEE
WHY I'M RUNNING
Over the last two decades, increasing amounts of money have been spent on education, while at the same time, academic performance in our schools has declined. Rather than addressing the root causes of this academic decline, there have been efforts to distract from it with lots of empty slogans, wasteful spending and politicization of the classroom. Our academic standards have been "dumbed down" and vital information is being hidden from parents. As education declines, our society and economy decline too.
We need to restore the focus of our education system on its core mandate: educating our children and ensuring safe schools. We need a school board Trustee who will take the job seriously by proposing a real plan for how to improve our education system. We do not need more opportunistic politicians. I am proud to be the only candidate with a detailed platform for how we can improve education in York Region.
I am running for Trustee because I want to address the root causes of the academic decline that has been occuring in our education system. Education has always been close to my heart and I strongly believe that the direction of our education system determines the direction of our country. This belief stems from my experience in business management, which taught me how to train employees and prepare them for successful careers.
With your support, we can put families first and get our school board back on track. I need you to do your part by ensuring that your family and friends vote in this important election. Voting will take place from July 13th to 15th, 2024.
Robert Kolosowski
Candidate for Public School Trustee
YRDSB, Richmond Hill, Wards 1, 2 & 4
A REAL PLAN FOR EDUCATION
Respect for Taxpayers
✔ Axe the tax-hike requests and conduct line-by-line audits of all finances ¹
✔ Strengthen conflict of interest rules and select contracts through competitive bids
✔ Reinvest savings into special needs support and lowering class sizes
Improved teaching
✔ Introduce lessons on personal finance, critical thinking and other life skills
✔ Promote in-person learning and restrict social media use in the classroom
✔ Eliminate bureaucratic red tape to make it easier for teachers to teach
Merit-based education
✔ Merit-based admission for specialized programs, not random lotteries ²
✔ Expand access to specialized programs (IB, AP, SHSM, French, sports and arts)
✔ Merit-based hiring of teachers ³
Healthy children
✔ Teach students lessons about mental health strategies
✔ Install air-conditioning and air-filtration units in all schools
✔ Respect parental rights in health decisions
Safe schools
✔ Allow educational presentations from the York Regional Police ⁴
✔ Discipline violent bullies in our schools, not victims who defend themselves
✔ Impose harsh punishments on all perpetrators of sexual abuse
Unifying our community
✔ Preserve O'Canada and the Canadian flag in our schools ⁵
✔ Welcome diverse perspectives and reduce politicization of the classroom
✔ Zero tolerance for discrimination and racism against any background
ABOUT ROBERT
COMMITTED TO RICHMOND HILL
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Lifelong volunteer in the York Region District School Board
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Richmond Hill resident for 15+ years and passionate about contributing to our society
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Regularly meets with our local Trustees and MPPs to discuss progress on improving the YRDSB
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Led hundreds of parents in organizing townhalls and petitions to the school board
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Founder of the Richmond Hill Anglers' Association and involved with other community groups
EXPERIENCE IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT
- Currently employed as a senior project manager at a B2B software engineering firm
- Manages the training of employees and works to convert academic knowledge into real-world skills and careers
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Oversaw large organizations and budgets as a board director, executive and financial agent of various non-profits
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Previously worked in Ontario's public sector, working with education stakeholders on a daily basis
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Bachelor of Commerce degree in economics and business management
Organizing parents' meetings.
Meeting with parents, educators and students at local schools.
Volunteer in YRDSB and YCDSB schools.
Collecting petition signatures to encourage the YRDSB to implement better policies and budgetary practices.
Formerly worked in Ontario's public sector, with a focus on education-related issues.
Meeting with MPP Wai to discuss ways to improve education.
Meeting with TDSB Trustees to discuss best practices.
Richmond Hill Ribfest with Mayor West and MPP Parsa.
Robert has a passion for preserving Richmond Hill's natural beauty.
Longtime resident of Richmond Hill.
Attending the 2022 YRDSB tustee debate.
2022 YRDSB Trustee election results.
ENDORSEMENTS
Costas Menegakis, former Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill
Shelley Wister-Smith, former Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) Branch President in District 16
Vincent Ho, candidate for Member of Parliament in Richmond Hill and local Lawyer
Carol Chan, former Trustee and Autism IBI Specialist
Dr. Weidong Pei, Trustee and dentist
Mike Ramsay, Trustee and Canadian Armed Forces Veteran
Jackie Cousins, former YRDSB School Council Chair, member of the YRP Integrated Strategic Community Advisory Council and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medals
Jonathan Nadler, Engineering Professor and former candidate for Trustee who competed against Robert in 2022
Aviva Polonsky, President of the Federation of Teachers for the HST and educator
Dr. Reza Sadjadi, former Professor of Engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University
Carol Nerling, former YRDSB Secondary School Principal and Educator
VOTING
On March 31st, 2024 our YRDSB school board Trustee for Richmond Hill Wards 1, 2 and 4, Crystal Yu suddenly resigned from her role.
A by-election will be taking place to fill this vacancy. Voting will take place from July 13-15, 2024 and will be held in person. No matter who you plan to support, please exercise your democratic right and vote in the upcoming election.