School Trustee candidates make their best pitch
Six candidates seeking election to Ottawa’s four school boards outline their priorities and tell Old Ottawa East voters why they deserve their support.
The Mainstreeter asked some of the school trustee candidates on the October 26th election ballots within Old Ottawa East to provide our readers with their “elevator pitches” explaining why they should be elected.
Those candidates for school trustee to whom we posed our questions were those who had an officially-listed email address. An internet search for those without a listed email address was also conducted and one other trustee candidate became “contactable.” In the end, six of the eight who were contacted provided a pitch, as below.
Candidates were asked to limit their submissions to 150 words; however, OCDSB candidates were allowed an extra 50 words to provide their perspectives on the future of Lady Evelyn School.
Ottawa Carleton District School Board – OCDSB (Zone 9)
Scott Dutrisac:
Public education anchors our neighbourhoods, but our students and families face a stark reality: our board remains under provincial supervision, leaving local democracy sidelined.
Wishing supervision away won’t change it. We need a pragmatic, progress-driven approach to financial management and collaboration to restore our autonomy.
My background spans theatre production, academia, and engineering – each linked by stakeholder engagement and communication, systems analysis, and delivering practical progress. I bring an agile, analytical mindset focused on transparency, community input, and evidence-based policy.
My commitment centers on three priorities:
Student Success: Safeguarding funding for special education, student well-being, and physical infrastructure.
Collaboration: Working productively with fellow trustees and municipal leaders to set us on a stable path forward.
Community Voices: Ensuring families receive transparent communication and meaningful input before decisions are made.
I believe in local access to public education and strong, well-funded schools. That means ensuring that facilities like Lady Evelyn School continue to serve the community, even as program offerings change. When we support local schools, we build more inclusive and connected communities.
I am committed to transparent communication, working both pragmatically and collaboratively with our community, while prioritizing student success and well-being.
Hilary Clauson
I am the daughter of two public school teachers, the product of a public education system, and an OCDSB parent.
We ask a lot of our public education system. We ask it to set our kids up for adulthood, bestowing social skills, critical thinking, and careers. We also ask it to be the foundation of our democracy and a diverse and inclusive society.
Given the critical importance of public education, more resources need to be mobilized to make it the best it can be. This includes increasing education funding, restoring the School Board Trustee role, and learning from the invaluable perspectives of students, teaching staff, and parents.
My top priority is ensuring public schools are safe, inclusive communities for all students and staff, with a focus on 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, newcomers, and students with special needs. I would also prioritize evidence-based decision-making around technology use in the classroom.
We can learn a lot from alternative schools even as OCDSB shifts to a community school model. I believe Lady Evelyn should become a community school and an inspiration for integrating the benefits of alternative education within schools across the city.
Ottawa Catholic School Board – OCSB (Zone 9)
Danny Arrais
Working Together for Our Catholic Schools
As a husband, a father of three, a tradesperson, and a local builder, the goal is to bring a strong work ethic, practical experience, and a collaborative approach to our local schools.
The main priority is to support safe, welcoming classrooms where every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Focusing on the classroom involves listening closely to parents and teachers, cutting wait times for special education assessments, and funding more Educational Assistants to support students who need it. There is also a strong commitment to protecting student well-being by keeping screen time age-appropriate and securing digital privacy.
Catholic education is about working together to support local families, ensuring the community’s voice is always respected at the board table while building the best possible environment for our students.
Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est – CECCE (Zone 6)
Jaycob Jacques
I am running because French-language Catholic schools should give every student the support, opportunities and learning environment they need to succeed. As a Franco-Ontarian educated entirely in French, I understand that our schools are not only places of learning, but institutions that sustain our language and communities.
My approach is practical and student-focused: trustees should listen actively to students, families and school communities, while ensuring resources reach the classroom. My priorities include expanding proactive mental-health supports so students receive help before reaching a crisis, and ensuring classrooms provide safe, comfortable learning conditions, including proper temperature regulation.
I also want schools to become more sustainable and self-sufficient where possible, reducing operating costs so more resources can be directed toward students, activities and educational opportunities. I would bring a younger perspective, community-organizing experience and a strong commitment to protecting and strengthening French-language education.
Michel Charron
Je m’appelle Michel Charron. Lors des derniers mandats, j’ai représenté le Secteur 1 au CECCE. Ma plateforme repose sur le fait qu’il devient primordial d’obtenir une gestion complète de nos écoles.
Il faut rétablir que nous avons le droit à un système d’éducation POUR et PAR les Francophones afin que nous puissions répondre à nos besoins spécifiques. Le CECCE possède la capacité de gérer efficacement une organisation POUR et PAR les Francophones. Il reste aux futurs conseillers scolaires à travailler avec le gouvernement afin d’atteindre cet objectif. Évidemment, la loi de 2026 donnant la priorité à la réussite des élèves vient remettre en question le pouvoir des conseillers scolaires c’est pourquoi ceux-ci devront revendiquer nos droits à la gestion de nos écoles.
Je m’engage donc à réclamer notre droit à la gouvernance complète afin de fournir aux élèves des infrastructures qui répondent aux attentes des contribuables francophones et catholiques.
Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario – CEPEO (Zone 9)
Joël Beddows
My number one priority will continue to be academic excellence. As the novelist Gabrielle Roy once wrote, “[Francophone] minorities are condemned to excellence or erasure”: as such, I will continue to help ensure that every Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO) student meets their full potential. Since CEPEO schools’ catchment zones are the largest in Ottawa’s four school boards, I will continue to help build new schools to reduce transportation time for students and improve access for a growing francophone population. More specifically, we must secure funding to build the new Marie-Curie school in Alta Vista (presently housed in a rented school) and start construction for a new secondary school on LeBreton Flats. Finally, I will continue my work fighting all forms of discrimination or marginalization in our schools: every student, every family, every teacher, regardless of creed or colour, should feel welcomed and at home in CEPEO schools.