Nine trustees will be elected at the Waterloo Catholic School District School Board (WCDSB). CTV News reached out to the candidates running for the position of trustee at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, asking them all to respond to the same question in approximately 150 words: If you are elected as a trustee, what will your priority be? Their responses are below. Kitchener & Wilmot (Four candidates to be elected) Harriet Cullen If elected, my priority will be ensuring every student has the support and opportunities they need to thrive. I will focus on strengthening reading support, ensuring students with disabilities have the resources and classroom space they need, and expanding music and creativity in our classrooms. As a parent and childcare provider, I understand how important it is for families to feel heard and for educators to have the support they need. I will listen to families, collaborate with educators, ask thoughtful questions and make practical, student-first decisions. I’m not running because I have all the answers, but because I care deeply about our children, our schools and the future of our community. I will bring a thoughtful, approachable and honest voice to the board. Janice Fiaschetti As a candidate for trustee on the Waterloo Catholic School Board, my core priority is simple: every decision must benefit our students and families. To truly put kids first, we need strong partnerships among parents, teachers, and staff. Solutions emerge when everyone invested in our children’s education has a voice. We cannot fix problems we don’t fully understand. Safe classrooms are non-negotiable. Children cannot learn without feeling safe, and teachers cannot teach while worrying. Safety is the foundation everything rests upon. We must return to fundamentals: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Our kids need global competitiveness alongside practical pathways like trades and entrepreneurship. We should develop independent, hardworking citizens prepared for the real world. I believe in keeping politics out of the classroom, allowing our children to focus on learning. I’m committed to exploring all options, putting fun back into learning, and preparing children to be happy, productive members of society. Ruthann Fisher Should I be elected, I would want our board to discuss the real issues surrounding safety in our schools. I realize this could encompass many related topics including: Mental health of students and staff Lack of experienced educational assistants and teachers due to burn out and fear of the job The lack of money supplied by the province for smaller class sizes I would like our board to listen to all stakeholders: students, teachers, parents, staff at the schools, educational assistants so that we can properly advocate for solutions. I think it is my job as trustee to listen to all involved in the education of children today and then advocate to the provincial government to ensure we have the money and material resources we need to address problems. Check out my website www.ruthannfisher.ca for more information. Jess Hutton This candidate did not submit a response by CTV News Kitchener’s Oct. 7 deadline. Suzanne Kearns This candidate indicated online that she has withdrawn from the race, however, because the decision was made after the nomination deadline Bourke’s name will still appear on the ballot. Renée Kraft As a Catholic school graduate, I ran in 2022 to bring the parent voice to the board table, and that remains at the heart of why I serve. My priority is students: their achievement, their wellbeing, and the tools they need to succeed in tomorrow’s world. That also means supporting the teachers and staff who make it happen. Classrooms have become more challenging, and violence in schools is a real concern. Students and staff alike need safe schools and strong mental health supports. When the Chair resigned unexpectedly in 2025, I stepped up to provide stability and keep the board focused on students. A trustee’s seat is a chance to ask hard questions and hold the board and system accountable. I will keep listening to families, students and staff, explaining our decisions, and budgeting responsibly to support classrooms, so every child in our Catholic schools can belong and thrive. Josh Rivers As a parent with kids in the system, my priority is to provide them (and every other student) with the highest quality education I can offer them. Every student needs to be equipped with the skills and abilities to flourish and thrive in life. Schools need to be a safe place to learn and grow. Violence and abuse are unacceptable. We need to foster an environment of dignity, mutual respect, and civility. In line with our Catholic identity and teaching, we should celebrate our tradition of love, joy, hope, faith, and charity. Parents should have confidence in leadership through transparent communication and responsible budgets that put student’s success first. I believe cooperation is far more powerful than competition. In unity of purpose we can achieve more for our children than toxic division can ever hope to accomplish. May God bless our children with lives of wonder, imagination, and joy. Sandra Wojcik An effective Catholic school should be a place where students learn foundational subjects, critical thinking, faith formation, and basic life skills. Its purpose is to form the whole person: academically, morally, and spiritually. As trustee, I will strongly advocate for accountability, implementing traditional/back-to-basics education and strengthening faith formation and catechesis. Christ should be at the centre of everything. I will also hold the board accountable for keeping the curriculum the sole focus in the classroom, making sure that everything that is taught is in accordance with Catholic teaching and doctrine, and removing any politics and ideologies that are contrary. Parents, who are their children’s first and primary educators, also need their voices heard and their input taken seriously. I will fight for more open communication and dialogue between the board, parents and teachers as they make decisions that impact the children’s academic, moral and spiritual development in our schools. Cambridge & North Dumfries (Three candidates to be elected) Jennifer Allore If elected as Catholic trustee, my priority is twofold: keep Christ in the classroom and in the child, alongside strong academics. We have the privilege of a constitutionally-protected, faith-based separate school board, but if it looks like the public school board, what is separate about it? There is an appetite for stronger faith-filled education, and I want to support that need so that our students, staff, families, and parishes can grow stronger together as one Body of Christ. As a parent with school-age children and a lifelong educator, I also strongly support the return to core academics, regardless of a child’s pathway. Strong fundamentals and a living faith are not competing goals; each strengthens the other. We owe the children and the families an education that forms the whole child, and as trustee I will ensure our board meets both standards. Winston Darryl Francis I have several priorities: 1) Catholic Education – I am committed to faith-based learning rooted in Gospel values and rich traditions of our catholic identity. 2) Parents & Families: I stand with parents, ensuring their voices guide decisions and upholding of Catholic family life. 3) Safety & Integrity: I will safeguard the security and moral integrity of our schools, so students and staff learn in trust. 4) World-Class Achievement: I champion academic excellence supported by strong catholic leadership and continuous monitoring of student achievement. 5) Moral Environment: I support removing sexually explicit or age-inappropriate materials from libraries to protect the dignity of every child. 6) Equity & Catholic Values: Fairness and respect for diversity without compromising Catholic beliefs or boundaries. 7) Community Representation: As an Anglo-Indian with British/Indian heritage and a proud Canadian citizen for the last 26 years, I serve with humility and deep respect for the families who have entrusted me with this role. Marisa Phillips As a mother of two young girls, I believe every child deserves the very best education and opportunity to succeed. Building on the successes of my previous term, I will continue championing excellence in Catholic education and challenging the status quo. My top priority is advancing what I have started: advocating for students with disabilities to receive needed resources, and putting safety first so everyone learns in a respectful environment. We must also ensure teachers have the time, resources, and support to provide a strong, meaningful education that prepares students for life. I remain dedicated to representing our community with conviction and integrity by listening to parents and bringing their concerns to the Board. Working together, we can preserve our Catholic faith in our schools and teach the enduring lessons of hope, love, and compassion. Robert Francis Sikora This candidate did not submit a response by CTV News Kitchener’s Oct. 7 deadline. Andrew Smutniak When elected, I will diligently work to ensure our Catholic schools give children the foundation, opportunities and faith they need to thrive. After more than 30 years working with teachers in the arts, I have seen firsthand the difference a dedicated educator can make in a child’s life. I want to strengthen the fundamentals of reading, writing and mathematics, while delivering a Christ-centred education that enriches the whole child — spiritually, academically, and personally. Parents must have real representation. Our children spend more than 30 hours each week in school, and families deserve open communication, transparency and a seat at the table. I will work to strengthen opportunities in the arts, skilled trades and French immersion, while advocating for safe, respectful classrooms where every student and teacher can flourish. The one thing I will be focused on above all is giving our children the opportunity to reach their God-given potential. Waterloo, Woolwich & Wellesley (Two candidates to be elected) Anna Aceto-Guerin If elected, my priority will be to keep students at the center of the decisions we make. For me, that means making sure students have the opportunity to learn, grow, feel like they belong and be prepared for whatever comes next, while continuing to support the values and sense of community that are important to Catholic, faith-based education. I also believe supporting students means supporting the people who teach, lead and care for them every day. Our communities are growing and the Board will have important decisions to make about resources and planning for the future. Trustees need to listen, ask good questions and make sure those decisions are thoughtful and responsible. I’ve spent more than 20 years working in HR, running a business and leading teams. I would bring that experience to the Board, along with a willingness to listen to students, families, educators and our Catholic school communities. Linda Cuff Throughout my re-election campaign, I have listened to voters’ concerns about their children’s future. I deeply understand these concerns. As a trustee, a data analyst, and a mother with a child in Waterloo Catholic, I see how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing our world in ways that we don’t fully comprehend yet. I will support new investments in future-ready training for administrators and teachers to help WCDSB students use AI responsibly. Catholic education embraces a grand tradition, as old as our faith, in artistic and cultural expression. My platform includes renewed support for music and art education resources. In an age of Generative AI, students should have the opportunity to explore authentic artistic expression and see what makes each of them unique. Catholic education should equip students to face the profound changes happening in the world with confidence. I invite you to read my full re-election platform at www.Vote4LindaCuff.ca Norman J. Damaren 1. Continuous student achievement: Employing compassionate accountability, transparency, to measure outcomes, support students with exceptional needs, and sustain student mental health and well-being.2. Fiscal responsibility and strong governance: Ensuring every decision aligns with the core beliefs, principles, and values of our Catholic school system.3. Commitment to board values: Vigorously support core pillars of Inclusion & Diversity, Dignity & Respect, and Safe Environments. Summary Waterloo Region deserves trustees who can bridge gaps between classroom needs and provincial trends, understanding pressing classroom needs and the broader educational landscapes our graduates enter. I am ready to use my diverse background as former Superintendent of Education & Policy Strategist with the Ontario Ministry of Education to support our families, educators, & students. A school system is at its best when the community drives it. Acknowledging we are the school system; no single group owns it, and each voice plays a vital role. Conrad Stanley Wise stewardship will continue to be my #1 priority. I will keep standing up as a strong and experienced voice at the board table with a track record of advocating for Waterloo, Wellesley and Woolwich parents and ratepayers. I will continue to champion responsible spending to help keep property taxes stable and I will push for ongoing improvements in academic achievement, transparency, accountability, special education, and student and teacher safety. I want to help public education in Ontario realize its full potential and stop being second class compared to private schools. Children of all backgrounds and incomes deserve the same access to a quality education! Finally, my first term demonstrated my unwavering commitment to defending our Catholic faith tradition without apology. Going forward I will do everything I can to make sure the Catholic board always retains its distinct faith-based identity. Together let’s make sure our Catholic schools stay Catholic!
