About Your Richmond hill trustee candidate

My name is Alka Tiwary and I am your Candidate for YRDSB Trustee in Richmond Hill, Wards 1,2 & 4. I am a proud resident of York region for the last ten years. I am a mother of 2 lovely children who are currently attending elementary schools within the YRDSB. Writing poems, painting and cooking are some of my favorite hobbies I enjoy to unwind. 

I immigrated to Canada from India in 2005 and have been fortunate of being accepted and loved by this beautiful country and its people. Respect for one another, diversity, environmental protection, giving back to the community and civic engagement, are some of the core values that I instill in my children, on a daily basis.

I have a Bachelor of Engineering  in Computers and have taken on a variety of roles at Environment Canada, Ganz, Telus, Shoppers Drug Mart & Loblaws. I have always been passionate about education so intentionally switched my career path from working for corporates to education sector, teaching Information Technology, and assisting schools in upgrading their IT systems.

Along with my professional career, I have strived hard to give back to my community that I care deeply about. I have worked with cities of Vaughan and Markham on regional and cultural programs, volunteered with senior citizens, assisted in fundraising events and have been a strong voice on diversity & inclusivity within multiple community forums. 

I have also volunteered at my local schools, so I understand some of the challenges first hand, that children and parents go through within the YRDSB. Well-being and Mental health is one of the top issue which I see for everyone. I want to bring process to recognize these issues and how to handle it with resources available. 

Like many other immigrants, who have had no experience with the school system in Ontario, I struggled as a parent to navigate through the YRDSB structure. I had difficulty finding the right information and guidance that could enable me as a parent to make the best decisions for my kids. I am sure many parents and guardians have the same questions and concerns about their children. As a parent, I believe we need better communication between our teachers, schools and with YRDSB, including school trustees. I am also in favour of supporting courses on Humanity, Arts and International languages within our elementary school’s curriculum.

The recent challenges with the re-opening of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, made me realize more than ever that we need a stronger and better collaboration method between parents and YRDSB. We need creative solutions, smoother transitions, and overall a robust communication policy. The lack of transparent communication between parents, schools, and the school board in most part, made me decide to run for this office.

With my background, experience, and ideas that I will bring to this role, I can be a strong voice; your voice, for the needs of parents and children. I urge you to vote online from October 14th, till October 19th  and I hope to get your support be able to make a small difference in the lives of parents and children in our community.

Thank you,

My Motto for School Board Trustee is ACT: -

1. Approachable by parents and children for any issues

2. Communication between parents and School Board Trustee

3. Transparency with board policies.

Alka Tiwary