Opponent's claims

I was absolutely delighted to receive my opponent’s flyer in my mailbox the other day. It is a superb example of vagueness. For instance, he claims to have “approved the first strategic plan in the history of the OCDSB.” We don’t know which mysterious strategic plan he is referring to. First in the history of the board! I hope it was something good.

Under the title “About John,” my opponent lists only four items. The first one is the longest of the four and takes up %47 of the entire “About John” section. It says:

“Born and raised in Orléans and homeowner in Cumberland – a fifth generation east end resident”

This reminded me the days when my family and I arrived in Canada as immigrants. My daughter was born in Germany and she was three years old when we came.

The appointment we were given for the citizenship oath fell a couple of days after the federal elections of the time. We called the citizenship office and requested an earlier date so that we could vote in the elections. Although the ceremony dates are quite full and determined long time in advance, our request was immediately granted. They were pleased to do it, they said, to encourage us, as new citizens, to be involved citizens. That was when my conviction in Canada’s democracy was reaffirmed.

At the ceremony, after we took the oath, the citizenship judge told us that Canada was now richer than it was moments ago.

I believed it then, I believe it now. For the past twenty years, I strove to make Canada richer and richer everyday. And now, I am humbled and honoured by the privilege of being able to take part in elections so that I can become your next school board trustee.

Lale Eskicioglu

Just wanted to share with my voters an email I received last night from a community member. I am very honoured and proud, and I feel very privileged to be running for office, I meet absolutely wonderful people every day:

Hello Lale

I met you last night at the Cumberland Community Association and I was very impressed.

I also had a look at your web site. It is beyond words, including all of your achievements. You are full of potential.

Although we do not have any living children, I am convinced that you will be an asset to the community and wish you the very best in being elected as a Public School Board Trustee.

We would be happy if you wish to install a lawn sign on our property.

Charlotte Kerluke

What do I bring to the table?

On October 25th, Orleans and Cumberland will vote for their public school board trustee and one of the two candidates, John Shea or myself, will become the trustee for the next four years. Regardless of who gets elected, I know both John and I will continue to serve the community in a variety of capacities. In our work towards the betterment of our community, our roads will cross, and hopefully, on some of the projects we will work together as a team. Until the 25th, each of us will continue to spread our messages and tell the voters why we believe to be the best candidate.

I plan to work with the community for the advancement of our schools. I intend to listen, and listen often. I make a pledge to visit 5 teachers and 5 parents every week, for the next four years. That is every week! I will not wait until they come to me, I will go out to them and ask about their concerns and seek their advice. I will bring their voice to the school board.

I believe in equal education opportunity for all of our children. I would not be in favour of special treatment to one school only when all 12 trustees are in charge of all of the 12 zones of Ottawa-Carleton, and all of the 150 OCDSB schools in these zones. I would not allow favoritism to risk the quality of another school. I am, and always have been for fair treatment of all.

I will work towards increasing literacy rates by introducing literacy programs and encouraging reading. I will organize (as a personal initiative) reading sessions with kindergarten and grade one students, and each kid will receive a book at every session.

Current board of trustees has been divided and was not able to work as a team. I will bring a uniting positive attitude. My personality is suitable for this. I not only believe that the trustees must work together, but also all four of the school boards must work together. My inclusive outgoing character, and my 30 years of experience in the society as an engineer, as a parent and as a community worker, will help me bring people together. Once we start working for the benefit of all our children and our common future, then we will be able to work together with the government as well.

Funding is insufficient and I propose to work with other school boards to make better use of the resources. Some programs can be rotated between schools (across school boards) and certainly transportation can be more effective if all school boards work together. I also intend to make a better case before the provincial government. All these require experience in the work force and in the society, interpersonal skills and guts. I have these. This is how I plan to do a better job than what has been done in the previous 4 years. I am asking the voters to judge me on these points:

1. I am passionate about public education.
2. I am for debate.
3. I am for accountability and transparency.
4. I am trustworthy, honest, open, direct.
5. I am a community builder, people's person, always the peacemaker, the uniting factor.
6. I am a team player, and I don't mean "team" as in “us against them.” I mean team as the board in its entirety, together with staff, together with other school boards, together with the community.
7. I am well-educated, well-read and have international, multicultural experience.
8. I am creative, future-minded and environmentally-conscious.
9. I have the personality, the experience, the inter-personal skills and the guts to discuss and negotiate with the provincial and federal governments who have the power and the funds.
10. I promote love of learning. I will bring reading back into the lives of our youth. I support English as a Second Language (ESL) and Multicultural Liaisons Officer (MLO) programs. I support special programs for special needs. I support nurturing every child to reach his/her full potential by providing the right assistance and the required tools. I would like to see more EAs for our schools. I promote genuine learning and student well-being.


http://eskicioglu.ca

My supporters

Here is a partial list of distinguished people who have endorsed me thus far in my bid for public school board trustee:

Cynthia Bled,
Former Trustee, Ottawa Board of Education
President, Canadian Future Achievers
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Dr. William Cowie
Professional Training Division
Norman Paterson School of International Affairs
Carleton University
~
Captain Mehmet H. Danis
Doctor of Dental Surgery , MSc., BSc.
Dental Officer, Canadian Forces
Endurance Athlete, Inspirational speaker and Ambassador Athlete for Impossible to Possible©
~
Steven Davis, Grandparent
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Dr. Jennifer Dickson, CM (Order of Canada), RA, Author, Artist
~
Colonel (retired) Michel W. Drapeau, lawyer
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Former Progressive Conservative Candidate in the 1997 General Election
~
Berrin Ermutlu
Corporate Governance Rating Specialist
MS, Health Care Management
~
Paul Heinbecker, Retired public servant and diplomat, Former Canadian Ambassador to United Nations
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Hon. Gar Knutson, P.C., Former Cabinet Minister and Member of the Parliament
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Dr. Murat Saatcioglu, Vice-Dean (Research and Development), Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa
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Omur Sezerman, President and Chief Executive Officer of OZ Optics Limited
~
Dave Smith, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre
~
Ron Sweetman, FCMC, FCA, Founder member of L'Atelier de Musique Experimentale, Jazz Ottawa and Music Now
~
Scott Taylor, Editor, Esprit de Corps Magazine
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Meltem Tuna, Parent
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Yaman Uzumeri M.A.Sc., P.Eng.
~
Ozan Boz, Musician
~
Mick Armitage, Waterfront Estate Developer, Musician and Band Leader, Contractor - QETE DND

My Priorities as a Public School Trustee

Trustees, teachers, parents and members of the communities all have critical roles to play in helping young people to achieve their best.

As a trustee of the public school board my priorities will be:


- Quality of education;


- Well-being of students, teachers and staff;


- Reinforcing human resources;


- Strength and continuation of English as a Second Language (ESL) and Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) programs;


- Equity and academic excellence opportunity for all;


- Stability of our school system;


- Increasing the bilingualism rate amongst graduates of Ottawa public schools;


- Making better use of technological advancements;


- Expanding use of school buildings for both students and members of the community;


- Moving towards eco-friendly solutions that are more economical;


- Accurate representation and following through the concerns of Orléans and Cumberland, establishing better communication between Zone 8 and the school board;


and


- Working with all of the other trustees as a team with the goal of higher quality in public education.



I am committed to supporting our students in achieving their academic best by providing them the necessary support for their learning, and aiding them to establish their self-esteem and social responsibility. I am also committed to strengthening human resources and to providing our teachers and staff with the healthy and safe working environment they deserve.


I would like to do my part in making school councils more effective and improving the communication between parents, community members and trustees. I believe in engaging the community. I will strive to be the best possible representative of my constituency and in improving communication channels between all involved parties. I know I will be an asset to the school board in establishing positive working relationships with students, parents, teachers, staff and the board of trustees.


In these tough economic times, it is essential that we maintain the stability and quality of our education system. I believe it's time for innovative approaches to preserve and improve the existing programs and to expand on those that are most needed. English as a Second Language (ESL) and Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) programs, and special education are vital not only in maintaining the opportunity equity amongst the students but also in maintaining the health and well-being of teachers. I would like to see more assistance and support for teachers. This way we can prevent the risk of losing valuable staff to burn-out, stress and other health problems. The well-being of our teachers and staff is the well-being of our students, and our students are the future of Canada.


Adapting to the changing times, I would like our schools to be equipped with the new technologies and our students benefiting from the advancements in computer and communication sciences.


From air quality to playgrounds, everything regarding our facilities are my top priority. Our buildings need to be well maintained and better fitted for environmental wear and tear. I would encourage ecological sustainability and long-term money saving projects such as upgrading to better efficiency heaters and insulation.


These are some of the issues I would like to focus on. I wish to hear your comments, concerns and opinions. Please do not hesitate to write to me (Elect-Lale@Eskicioglu.ca) with your views and questions.

Mes priorités en tant que conseiller des écoles publiques

Les conseillers et les conseillères ainsi que les parents et les membres de la communauté ont tous des rôles critiques à jouer pour aider les jeunes à atteindre tout leur potentiel.

Quand je serai élue au Conseil de l’Ecole Publique d’Ottawa, mes priorités seront:

Qualité de l’éducation;

Bien-être des étudiants, des enseignants et du personnel scolaire;

Egalité et opportunité d’excellence académique pour tout le monde.

Stabilité de notre système scolaire;

Représentation fidèle et poursuite des préoccupations concernant l’école publique à Orléans et au Cumberland, établissement d’une meilleure communication entre la Zone 8 et le conseil de l’école;

Vigueur et maintien des programmes d’Anglais Langue Seconde et d’Agents de Liaison Multiculturelle;

Amélioration du taux de bilinguisme parmi les étudiants sortant des écoles publiques d’Ottawa;

Utilisation adéquate des progrès technologiques;

Progression vers les solutions plus écologiques et économiques.

Collaboration avec tous les autres conseillers et conseillères en équipe afin d’atteindre un meilleur niveau en éducation publique.

Created my website

When you are running for office, first thing you must do is to create your election campaign website. I worked on mine for a long time because:

1. I coded it myself, in HTML, the old-fashioned way.
2. I wanted to get most of the content in before launching it (as opposed to announcing it first and then having many "under construction" pages.)

I know I will be updating it everyday until October the 25th, but right now it is ready to go out in public. Please check it out: http://eskicioglu.ca

Your comments and ideas are very welcome. I hope you will like the endorsements page. If you wish to add your name to my list of supporters, just let me know, I would be very honoured and delighted.

Lale Eskicioglu
ps: Next step in an election campaign is to buy a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Shopping is scheduled for this weekend.