Simon CUI - Election for School Trustee of RH1,2,4

My name is Simon Cui, living in Jefferson Side/Jefferson Forest Community (JFC) of Richmond Hill nearly 10 years. Over years, I have actively participated in and organized various community events, including charity, sports and culture exchanges. I obtained my bachelor degree (1996) and master degree (2000) in computer science. I immigrated to Canada in 2001 and have taken a few different senior positions in government, the world's top 100 companies, and the top five banks of Canada. During my professional career, I won many honorary titles such as “Top 1 Contributor” and "The Best of the Best". I proudly announce that I am running my campaign for the election of Richmond Hill Ward 1, 2, and 4 trustee. I am looking for your support!

In the 2018 York Region District School Board (YRDSB) trustee election, I got 4562 votes and  slightly lost to the previous trustee Corrie McBain (6114 votes). In the summer of 2020, due to Corrie's resignation, YRDSB decided to conduct a by-election! I decided to run again for our students and parents regarding education-related issues, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic, students can have a safe and high-quality learning environment with a  safe, fair and high-quality school education infrastructure.

As a parent of two kids, I am deeply aware of the importance of education for the future of our children. After teaching English, Mathematics and French as a volunteer in my community for years, I have realized that I can help even more children and families by becoming a YRDSB trustee. 

 Voting Date ( Internet Online Voting)

Online election days：October 14 , 2020,  10 Am - October 19 ，2020 8Pm

Election Day：Monday， October 19，2020

- Richmond Hill Arts Centre

- Oakridge Community Centre

If the decision to participate in the 2018 election was due to dissatisfaction with the low quality of education, the new education syllabus, and school safety, the 2020 trustee election would be mainly driven by the concerns about the COVID19 epidemic, which includes, but not limited to, the impacts of the education system, parents' concerns about how to ensure the safety of their children and sustainable education methods during the epidemic. Listening to the opinions of public health experts and parents from communities, providing the most accurate public opinion and feedback information to the YRDSB, ensuring the quality and monitoring of quality of the education will be the key. In the challenge of new problems and new issues including COVID19, we should find a practical and effective way to face the epidemic and the challenges to the future education system.

As a parent with a skilled immigrant background, I deeply understand the importance of education to the future of our children. In my spare time, I actively tutor French, English, mathematics, guitar, flute, etc. for children in the community. During the 2020 epidemic, I cooperated with many community volunteers and various educational institutions to provide English writing, Math, Public speech, Painting, Calligraphy, Chinese Literacy and other activities. By organizing various educational activities for children, I gradually realized that more education services should be provided to more children.

 As a long-term community event organizer, I love our community and I am more concerned about the education of the next generation. With the encouragement and support of many parents in the community 

,after careful consideration, I decided to participate in the by-election of the Richmond Hill 1/2/4 District Board of Education of the York Region District School Board trustee. I hope to serve this community better as a competent board member.

As an immigrant, especially an immigrant, I have a common dream with everyone. Children are the future of society. Education not only affects our children, but also affects the entire society.

Here are my commitments:

- SAFETY student, staff and stakeholder health in a COVID19 world, safe school environment and proactive countermeasures

- ADEQUACY teaching delivery methods, course arrangements and  teaching quality

- FORWARD-THINKING various teaching methods under pandemic, innovative concept, high-tech teaching approaches

- EQUITY ensured fair opportunities regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or financial status 

The detail approaches:

- Cooperate with public health experts, education experts and parents to formulate safe and effective methods and measures to protect the health of children and respond to the COVID19 epidemic;

- Develop a reasonable health and safety plan, reduce and limit the class size, halve the class size, and keep a safe distance between each seat;

- cooperate with health institutions, communities, and families to provide or require children’s necessary health protection equipment, including masks, hand sanitizers, facial shield and other personal protection equipment. Students below the grade 4  may consider using facial shield if mask is not feasible ;

- Investigate the possibility of installing temperature detection equipment at the entrance of each school, and installing transparent isolation panels on each desk. Meals should be taken on their own desks and temperature testing should be conducted at least twice a day;

- Coordinate with the local police station to provide anti-bullying training programs in schools;

- Provide information security awareness training programs in schools;

- Provide various teaching methods, including traditional teaching methods and distance teaching methods;

- Arrange courses according to the choices of parents and students according to teaching resources provided by the school;

- For remote online teaching, formulate a new education evaluation mechanism and ensuring mechanism, and find ways to improve the teaching quality for remote online  education;

- Strengthen the communication between health experts, education experts and parents, establish a long-term mechanism, and find a feasible plan for the sustainable development of education during the epidemic while ensuring the safety of children;

- For new problems, including new epidemics, create the contingency plans and long-term mechanisms to find ways to deal with new problems, especially new epidemics;

- Regardless of gender, ethnicity, faith, rich or poor, give fair education and choice opportunities;

- For students who do not have equipment for distance education, provide appropriate equipments to ensure that they can continue to receive equal education during the epidemic;