Tossed My Hat in the Ring

I officially put my name forward to campaign to be a Trustee for WRDSB, Waterloo/Wilmot area. I'm confident in my ability to be a Trustee. I can read difficult and tedious reports and condense them into more accessible chunks to help people understand some of the issues and the decisions being made. I can research and present information. I've been teaching for decades, so I'm pretty good at explaining ideas to people and clarifying any misunderstandings. And I really, really care about the fate of the public education system in general and of the students in my region specifically. School should be a place that's safe for all kids and that kids enjoy. I whipped together a website: MarieSnyder.ca,  in no time, and Covid made me a pro at online meetings. 

But... I'm a little awkward face-to-face, like at the doorstep of people's homes. I also hate asking for money when I already have some. Surely campaign donations could go to a better place, right?! So I have to convince myself that I'll be worth the cost to donors if I'm able to have any impact at the table (donation info at that website link!). The region recently restricted signs to private property only, which saves money in signage, but why not restrict it further -- imagine no signs, as we aim for costless campaigning!! So many campaign fliers in my mailbox have landed straight in the recycling. I would love to run a paperless campaign, but I've been told it's just not possible -- that getting voted for means having your name in the public's mind at the polls, and that only happens with signs all over the city. 

I'm also an open book, for better or worse, and campaigning shows no signs of restraining that bent. I'm not well skilled at knowing what to keep hidden and what to showcase. I'm nothing if not authentic and earnest, but that sometimes leaves me vulnerable. I have all my thoughts on-line, easily accessible, and ripe for scrutiny. I stand behind most of what I've said in the last twenty years of writing on various blogs and social media sites and in actual newspapers, but some of my older views have changed over the years as one might expect. It goes against my nature to market myself. I've canvassed for other people before, but it's so much easier to sing the praises of others. I'm the one in the background that does all the work but gets little of the credit, and I usually prefer it that way. Now, suddenly, I have to talk myself up. 

And looking professional to me still means dressing like a flippin' hippie! I dragged out the closest thing I have to a blazer over my least tie-died dress for a picture (taken by one of my kids) for my website. 

In short, I'm not very politician-y. But, if I somehow manage to get in, I will do my damnedest to work to promote a safe and welcoming environment for all WRDSB students. We need to keep our public education system strong despite all governmental efforts to the contrary!

(Is it silly that I was a little gleeful to find the one English word that rhymes with my name in "Marie 4 Trustee"? That accent on the second syllable doesn't happen much in my language. See, that's the type of thing most people likely wouldn't share, but there it is!)