Thank you all for the many ways you have supported this campaign. I am deeply grateful for every effort, every act of support, and every prayer. Whatever the outcome, I trust that it will all be used for good. Throughout this campaign, many people have told me that voting doesn’t matter—that it won’t make a difference. And I understand why people feel this way. I’ve felt this way myself! But friends, if we get out there and make our voices heard by electing individuals who will thoughtfully listen to all perspectives, that alone would make a difference. And if it turns out that these individuals still have no meaningful power at the board table, then we know what must come next: we must either work to return more power to the people or put serious, thoughtful effort into ensuring that funding follows families and their educational choices. If public schools can no longer serve the public, then we must pursue solutions that will! Today, October 26, vote for those who will stand up for we, the people -our children's education, and liberty for all.

When that student who made the news for inquiring about the financial damage of renaming a school offers to help distribute campaign literature 🙏🏼 On Oct 26th, vote for student voice!

It ought to be the norm, but it has become a treasure to find news outlets willing to open the door to dialogue, regardless of where one stands or what perspective one holds. Sounds like we’ll have many more great conversations in the near future! Grateful for Bob and CKMS 102.7 FM. 🙏🏼 m.youtube.com/watch?v=15iUGd…

It's helpful to see a visual of the classrooms that today's school boards (and activists identifying as teachers) deem best for our children. - Screens over books. - Self-obsession. - Anxiety-filled slogans. - Exclusion termed "Inclusion." - Conformity marked as "Diversity." - Lowered bars disguised as "Equity." On October 26, vote for classrooms of 'logos' - the actual engine and ultimate destination of education over child-rearing activism.

Mothers and fathers: Never wait for legislation to define your rights. You are your children's primary educators and ultimate protectors.

Another humble thank you to @farwell_WR for opening the door to free-flowing conversation and meaningful dialogue. It’s paramount not only during elections, so citizens can vote informed, but within our systems themselves. We must be willing to exchange ideas openly, challenge one another respectfully, and consider different perspectives if we are to offer the very best to our students and society at large! youtube.com/watch?v=Nwxlox_L…

Paul W. Bennett, a respected Canadian education researcher and author of The State of the System, has been taking notice of what's happening in @wrdsb . This recognition highlights that the growing calls for school board reform extend beyond local politics. On Oct 26th, vote for honourable governance, accountability, and educational excellence.

SILENCING DISSENT IS NOT LEADERSHIP. IT’S A FAILURE OF IT. You don’t strengthen governance by shutting down opposition. You strengthen it by welcoming scrutiny, debating ideas, and having the courage to defend decisions. Disagreement isn’t the enemy of good governance. It’s essential to it. This October 26, vote for honourable governance. Where questions are welcomed, voices are heard, and decisions are discussed—not dictated.

Inspired by @mikeRamsay's post, I asked Grok to: "Create an image of what the Ontario Education system would look like if I were in charge, based on my posts." ... it's like a dream🥹

It's sad how incompetent @ETFOWaterloo must think our @wrdsb and @waterlooCDSB educators are. "Recommended candidates 🙄. Doing the “thinking” FOR us instead of asking us to critically examine and make our own decisions." ~another fed up teacher, sharing etfowr's email blast with a candidate that cares to make a difference. ETFO isn't endorsing me. ETFO has never contacted me. Voter turnout is already so low. Most people don't even know who trustees are. You know who is most likely to know who they are and vote for them? Teachers. 🕯️Teacher's unions can't even keep the electoral process nonpartisan - imagine the control they have in our children's classrooms. This has to end. This is not a democracy.

🕯️Defending free speech and freedom of conscience—at the ballot box on October 26th, and each and every day of my life. @HorsmanGeoff, you got my vote!

I submitted my response to Spectrum on Oct 5 and followed up on Oct 7 to ask if it would be published. No reply, and it’s still not on their site. It would be great to inform the community where candidates stand on the issues so that they vote Informed. It's the only way we can reach a true democracy.

I believe truth, trust, and transparency must be fundamental to how the WRDSB is governed. A publicly funded board ought to serve the public –the people. For years, I have done the work — communicating with teachers, principals, senior staff, attending meetings, researching and impacting policy and decisions, filing Freedom of Information requests, delegating before trustees, serving on parent committees, organizing community events, meeting with elected officials, and speaking with and connecting with thousands of parents, educators, staff, and citizens. ​That experience has shown me where change is needed. ​Good governance requires more than celebrating accomplishments. Trustees must be willing to ask difficult questions, examine results, scrutinize decisions, and ensure that parents, educators and the public have a meaningful voice in the process. ​Parents should not have to agree with the Board in order to have their perspectives heard and acknowledged. Safeguarding our children from age-inappropriate content ought not be negotiable. Educators should be supported to focus on effective teaching. Students should be challenged to develop knowledge, skills, confidence, curiosity, and the ability to think critically for themselves, with the resilience to get back up when they fall short. I cannot, in good conscience, nor expect other families to, continue placing our children, our trust, and our public dollars into a system without doing everything I can to help ensure that system is worthy of all three. The challenges placed before me—and the solutions I have helped pursue—have given me a sense of responsibility to use that experience to help restore a public education system that earns the trust of the people it serves. Because public education should be a system families choose with confidence, educators are honoured to serve in, and students are better for having experienced.

That self-betrayal. ..."That intergenerational betrayal—that’s hurtful enough. But not passing on to them the freedoms that we ourselves inherited and enjoyed? That’s going to have real consequences in their lives.” Thank you, Geoff, for getting in the trenches. It’s fascinating—and sobering—to think about what those who came before us endured to fight for our freedoms, while so many today feel they cannot even speak their conscience without fear. How have we gotten here? “We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” — William Faulkner, On Fear: The South in Labor (1956), reflecting on the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education

🕯️On October 26th, vote to put an end to school board trustees rage-baiting parents and citizens. Watch as current @wrdsb trustee — and Ward 5 Waterloo council candidate — @ScottPiatkowski attempts to draw me into giving my personal opinion on a man dressing in women’s clothing and wearing an exuberant amount of makeup to teach math to children in our public schools. But I wasn't discussing any objection to this in my delegation - I used this example to show just how difficult it is to know where our money is actually being spent. For example: where would the funding for a "drag queen" teaching math to children come from? Would it fall under a math initiative, or would it come out of the “wellbeing” budget? In fact, that was essentially the entire 15 minutes of questioning — an attempt to discredit a parent so that legitimate questions could be dismissed as hateful or uninformed - rather than using that time to solve the problems. This is pride. Parents and citizens have every right to ask questions about the public school system that ought to serve our children and that which we help fund. On October 26th, vote for: ✅ honourable governance ✅transparent and responsible fiscal stewardship ✅accountability for results CFernandes.ca

🕯️I commend these women for their composure. What a stellar example of discerning parents standing up for all children, their innocence, and their education. When deciding which school board trustees to vote for this year, ask candidates where they stand on sexually explicit materials being available in schools—including descriptions and images of butt plugs, sex toys, and endorsing porn as a “sugary treat". It's a great follow-up to their elaboration about 'inclusivity', the right to read and/or how 'one or two' parents shouldn't dictate what other parents' kids see at school. I’m honoured to stand with every parent and citizen who is willing to protect our kids so we can get back to what schools are supposed to be doing well: education. #voteOct26 @EM_POWR

This was a very similar experience when we held the “Book Tent” throughout the #WaterlooRegion. We had people swear at us, tell us to F-off, and even had some rather prideful people come to the tent determined to prove us wrong—only to leave, realizing they actually had no idea what they had been talking about all this time. xitter.cf/CrisBairosFern/status/…