Robert Potter
for Simcoe County District School Board Trustee
Representing Collingwood and Wasaga Beach
I am in favour of:
Redevelopment of Collingwood Collegiate and a new Wasaga Beach High School.
Rapid completion of construction of a new elementary school in Wasaga Beach and the addition to Cameron Street Public School.
Finding alternative funding to reduce the cost to students of secondary extra-curricular activities.
Promoting greater community involvement in STEM studies for students. This will include promoting greater participation in Entrepreneurial Partnership and Junior Achievement programs.
About Me
Graduate of Connaught Public School, Senior Public and Collingwood Collegiate.
Honours B.A. (Social Sciences) University of Western Ontario.
Master of Business Administration, University of Western Ontario
Bachelor of Education, York Untiversity.
Twenty-six years with the Simcoe County District School Board and Georgian College.
Eight years industrial supervisory work.
President, Friends of Nancy Island and Wasaga Beach Park.
Treasurer, Fighting Owls Football Alumni
Deputy Warden, All Saints Church
In My Opinion
Quality education is imperative to the future of quality of life in Canada, and especially in Simcoe County. In this rapidly changing world, we need an education system that keeps pace.
We need first class facilities for our students to flourish. After the completion of Banting High School in Alliston, which is currently on the Board’s wish list, Collingwood Collegiate will be the oldest secondary facility in the county with the core built in 1954. It needs to be renewed. At the same time, a new secondary school needs to be built in Wasaga Beach. It is not right that a community with over 20,000 people, and rapidly growing, should have their secondary students bused out of town every day. These two events should be added to the Board’s priority list now.
Secondly, our schools need a closer connection to the community. We need to entice leaders in the community to explain to students the importance of math and technology to their future. We need to encourage local field trips to learn about how math and technology is used in the community. We need to further promote co-operative education and the use of Junior Achievement and Entrepreneurial Adventure programs in all schools. These programs exist, but they are not happening in all of our schools, and this needs to change.
Thirdly, the cost of secondary extra-curricular activities is too high. The secondary experience is too important that only the rich can afford to participate. Students can pay close to $1000 in fees and equipment to participate in a range of activities. Working to pay these fees takes away from saving for post secondary studies. This must be examined, and ways to reduce student costs implemented.
For further information contact me at:
rpotter18@sympatico.ca
