Featured Candidate | LORALEA CARRUTHERS | YRDSB Trustee, Whitchurch Stouffville

Loralea Carruthers

Telephone: (905) 953 0303
Email:  LoraleaC@gmail.com
Website:  www.loralea.ca

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LORALEA CARRUTHERS, YRDSB Trustee

Loralea has had the privilege to serve as your Public School Board Trustee for the past seven years in a full time capacity. She has actively participated on almost every Board committee; bringing the views and concerns of Whitchurch-Stouffville and East Gwillimbury to every decision made at the School Board.  

Loralea is well known for her excellent communication skills whether in front of a large group of educators at a conference or speaking with individual constituents. She is an excellent listener and is able to effectively advocate at the board table for parent or student concerns. She is fair and honest and is always ready to help when there is an issue, large or small.

Loralea is a long time resident of the area she represents. Before serving as a trustee, she spent many years active on a number of local school councils in various positions. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Political Science and French) and as a lifelong learner is currently taking a part-time Masters of Education (MEd) course in her spare time in order to better understand emerging research in the vast field of education.

Although there is a steep learning curve to becoming an effective trustee, Loralea has become a highly skilled and effective advocate for quality publically funded education whilst maintaining strong fiscal responsibility and accountability. 

Recent Accomplishments

Successfully advocated for:

• New Elementary School in Stouffville
• Replacement and relocation of Stouffville District Secondary School  and Orchard Park/Oscar Peterson PS
• Replacement of Whitchurch Highlands PS with a brand new school
• Major Addition to Denison Secondary School
• New School planned for Queensville planned in  2014

As part of the trustee team:

• Conducted province wide search and hired new YRDSB Director
• Major overhaul of board planning processes, including extensive community consultation
• Produced a balanced budget every year, despite government cut backs to funding 

Committee Experience

Elected by colleagues to the following positions: 

• Chair Budget Committee: 2009-present (annual operating budget $1 Billion+)
• Chair’s Committee - Board executive:  2003- 06; 2008-present
• Director Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA):  2004 – present
• Vice President: 2007-2009
• Chair Education Program Work Team:  2005-2007
• Chair Property Management: 2005-06
• Chair Complementary Education Services: 2004-05

Board Committee Memberships:

• AODA (Accessibility) Committee
• Assessment and Evaluation Steering Committee
• Audit Committee
• Board and School Planning for Continuous Improvement
• Environmental Council/ Eco team
• Literacy Steering Committee
• Negotiations Advisory Committee
• Parent Engagement Advisory Committee
• Program Planning
• Policy and Bylaw Committee
• Special Education Advisory Committee
• Student Discipline Committee 
• Student Success Steering Committee
• Student Transportation Consortium
• Supervised Alternative Learning for Excused Pupils
• System and School Planning Steering Committee
• Transportation Policy Review
• York Region Learning Connections

In addition to numerous committees outside the Board, Loralea has been elected every year since she has been a trustee to serve as YRDSB’s representative to the Ontario Public School Boards Association where she was elected as Vice President. In this capacity she represented all public school boards at recent province wide teacher contract negotiations with ETFO and OSSTF (Elementary and Secondary Teacher’s Federations) resulting in four year contracts that will ensure peace and stability in our schools.

Your vote is very important. Please vote Loralea Carruthers for experience that you can trust.