Brian Best for Waterloo and Wilmot Public School Trustee
I am running because schools in Waterloo and Wilmot should do more than meet the minimum. They should teach the provincial curriculum well and give students room to discover what they can do.
Four priorities
Trustees approve the budget, set policy and hold the Director of Education to account. I will judge those decisions by what reaches students.
Ask for plain reporting on reading, mathematics, attendance, graduation and the supports students are waiting for. If results slip, the board should say so and show how it will respond.
Keep school buildings in good repair and protect classroom basics. Then make room for libraries, science labs, the arts, technology and skilled trades.
Inclusion has to show up in the timetable, the building and the budget. Students with disabilities, students who need special education and students from every background should be able to take part fully.
When a provincial decision costs students in Waterloo or Wilmot time, support or opportunity, say exactly what changed and who made the decision. Do not let the local consequences disappear behind a talking point.
Why I'm running
"Meeting the provincial requirement is where the job starts, not where it ends."
The province decides what schools have to teach. The board is responsible for making that work in actual classrooms. That is the part of the job I care about most.
As a parent, I want the basics done well. I also want students to find the class, shop, lab or library that helps them discover what they are good at. Arts and skilled trades are not extras. Neither are special education supports.
I believe public schools must make room for everyone. A student's family income, disability, background or identity should never decide how much school has to offer them.
The trustee mandate
Keep policy focused on learning, attendance, student well-being and access to support. A board can be busy without getting much done.
Protect classroom resources and plan repairs before schools are forced to make do around broken buildings. Explain the tradeoffs in plain language.
Ask for numbers families can understand. When results fall short or students wait too long for help, require a plan and follow up on it.
Be available in both communities between elections. Bring concerns from Waterloo and Wilmot into public meetings, explain how I voted and report back on what happened.
Trustees govern the board. They do not manage principals, direct teachers or intervene in individual cases. I will respect that line and use the authority the job actually has.
Queen's Park
When Doug Ford's government steps into local school board decisions, trustees cannot overturn provincial law. We can show families exactly what changed, how it will affect students in Waterloo and Wilmot and what the board is doing about it. We can also work with families and other boards to push back.
I will cooperate when the province helps students. I will not call silence cooperation.
Meet Brian
I live in Waterloo with my family. I’m a father and a software developer.
Education is shaped by decisions at every level of government. The province controls most of the major funding and policy decisions, and the federal government has responsibilities of its own. A local school board has a much narrower job.
But those responsibilities are not small to the students who live with the board’s decisions every day.
The board decides how school buildings are maintained. It determines which extracurricular activities students can take part in and whether specialized programs are accessible to the students who need them. These choices shape what students experience at school, where they find a sense of belonging and what opportunities they can see ahead of them.
I am running because every student should be able to walk into a school that is safe, welcoming and well maintained. They should be able to join a properly equipped team, club or activity that makes school more than a collection of classes. They should have a fair chance to pursue programs that match their interests, abilities and ambitions.
I believe public education should open doors for every student, regardless of their family’s income or the neighbourhood they live in. I want the board to focus on the work it can do—and to do that work well.
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Election day · October 26, 2026