DDSB trustee candidates in Ajax, Pickering share visions for students

Two Durham District School Board trustee candidates say families need clearer information from schools and students need safer, better-supported learning environments, in interviews with Wesal TV published Oct. 20.

Waqqas Syed, running in Ajax, wants the board to improve communication with newcomer families — translating important school information into commonly spoken languages, providing interpreters for parent-teacher meetings, and using plain language and short videos to explain school procedures. Syed, who has served Ajax families for more than 20 years including 12 with the DDSB, is campaigning on "Students First, Families Heard."

Amjad Muhammad, a candidate in Pickering, says overcrowding, public-education funding, student safety and teacher retention should be priorities. "Education is not for sale. Education is not for profit," Muhammad told Wesal TV.

The municipal and school board election is Oct. 26 and the new four-year term begins Nov. 15, according to Wesal TV. The DDSB serves more than 80,000 students across the region, and voters will elect 11 trustees.