Mr. Luigi Lapolla, leader of the Partners Actively Committed to Education electoral ticket (PACE), and challenger for Laurier Board Council of Commissioners in ward 13: "We need change, and a fresh approach to many of the challenges coming in the next four years. Education is not a private affair, it is a shared responsibility that must be fulfilled in open and transparent ways, and we as members of PACE commit ourselves to administering the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board with a breath of fresh air – in all our obligations and duties to families and taxpayers."
Photo:Steve
Laurier Board elections draw tons of interest in Laval
Who says schools elections are not interesting? Love them, hate them or leave them, these quadrennial exercises in democracy are as close as you'll ever get to giving individual input into decisions made on behalf of your children and you, the taxpayer whose hard-earned money supports the public (and part of the private) education system in Quebec.
Ironically, and thankfully, you live in a city and a region that takes great interest in these elections, which sadly in most of the rest of the province draw scant attention from population and media.
Taxpayers to the Laurier School Board (one of Quebec's nine English educational administrative entities), might want to pass comment on many things, positive and negative, but one thing's for certain, they cannot complain about the lack of interest on the part of citizens who care enough about children and education to put themselves up for public scrutiny and actually campaign for a seat on the board's council of commissioners where they can, if elected, contribute to the decision-making process that entails myriad challenges, including the serious responsibility of managing annual budgets in excess of $100 million.
And rest assured, that for whatever motives these men and women have put themselves up for election, the eventual job is just about next to thankless and virtually unremunerated as the so-called 'pay' amounts to about 10 cents an hour. And once in office, they are usually and mostly criticized for unpopular decisions and hardly ever acknowledged for making moves that concretely and continuously improve the quality of education your children are getting and will get in the future.
The brave ones
Of the 19 seats on the Laurier Board, 15 are being contested, a ratio that probably leads the province. Want a comparison of interest close to home? On Laval island, all nine Laurier seats are up for grabs, while for the 21seats of Commission scolaire de Laval, a mere two are open. No, it's not an illusion. I did write 2 seats of 21 are up for election.
Queried on several occasions about the acute interest in seeking election by so many, Mr. Steve Bletas emphatically pronounced that this was an expression of the people's desire to be involved in matters that count for their children and society. "We welcome the challenge, because it gives us a good opportunity to let the people know what we stand for, what we've done and what we plan to do," said the leader of the Partners for Success electoral ticket that is running 6 candidates in Laval. "We have no doubt as to our competency to administer Quebec's largest school board (terrority) and the leading English board in the province for academic success rates. We have a team of high-quality candidates with the experience, intelligence and wisdom to do the best job possible for children," Mr. Bletas told Courrier Laval Weekly News in an exclusive interview at mid-week.
Asked to comment on statements made to Courrier Laval Weekly News by rival Partners Actively Committed to Education (PACE) leader Luigi Lapolla that if he and his team were elected he would decline to accept his salary as Chairman of the board and turn the money over to school projects, Mr. Bletas answered that Mr. Lapolla took a lot for granted, since the leader of the winning team still has to go through another election by all council members to be named chairman. "It smacks of presumption and arrogance on Mr. Lapolla's part," Mr. Bletas stated, adding that Mr. Lapolla seems to lack understanding of the workings of the Council of Commissioners and the dynamics involved. "The pay is nominal for all commissioners, and those involved in more work than others on committees and special projects are mostly paid for their expenses and not for their time since they put in countless hours for virtually little pay."
Youth and experience
For his part, Luigi Lapolla told Courrier Laval Weekly News he was proposing change for the better, with a fresh team of candidates characterized by a combination of experience, youth, dynamic ideas and a collective willingness to operate an open management style. "Don't knock youth or lack of direct experience in educational matters," Mr. Lapolla stated. "Our candidates bring with them experience and achievements from many sectors of society, including educational administration, but most importantly they share a deep-rooted desire to bring about positive change, and to build better bridges to the families whose children attend Laurier Board schools, and with taxpayers who are entrusting their money to the Council of Commissioners for best use possible."
The 15 individual elections for the Council of Commissioners of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board will take place on November 4, 2007, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. The advanced poll will take place to-day, Sunday, October 28, 2007, from noon to 8:00 pm. There are two locations for advanced voting on Laval island: for wards 11 and 12 – Souvenir Elementary School, 4885 Souvenir West; for wards 13 to 19 inclusive: Laureier Senior High School, 2323 Daniel-Johnson Blvd. If you are on the electoral list, you should have received two notices by mail indicating your eligibility to vote, your ward number, your sector number, and your polling station number. To vote you must have a piece of personal identification from among the following: health insurance card, driver's license, Canadian passport, Certificate of Indian Status, Canadian Forces identification card. For all questions, refer yourself to the Office of the Returning Officer at (450) 621-5600, ext. 1448 or at
www.swlauriersb.qc.caPhoto:Lapolla
Photo:Steve
Météo: Laval, 8 août 2008 / 20°C
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/ Vents: 9 Km/h / Humidité relative: 78 % 
Steven Guilbeault - Chronique environnement
Richard Cléroux - Le fouineur politique
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