Candidate for School Board Trustee

Darren Frake

Toronto District School Board Ward 12

Issue answers

What's the most important thing you'd act on as a school board trustee, and what experience or strengths would help you make it happen?

My main focus is making sure government decisions and school budgets match what actually happens in our classrooms. As a certified teacher and high school principal with over 20 years of experience, I know firsthand what students and staff deal with every day. With a degree in political science, I also know how to work with government officials, speak up for our community, and hold leadership accountable so our local schools get the funding and support they deserve.

Bullying in Schools

Bullying and discrimination are concerns raised in many school communities. What role do you believe a School Board Trustee should play in addressing these issues, and what actions would you support?

Every child deserves to feel safe and respected at school. As trustee, I will make sure anti-bullying rules are actually followed in hallways and online. I support teaching kids how to resolve conflicts and treat others with kindness, while keeping clear, firm consequences for hate and harassment. Parents also need a quick, easy way to report issues and see real action taken. We must focus on stopping bullying early before it hurts a child's learning or well being.

Class Sizes and Staffing

Some school communities have raised concerns about teacher and educational-assistant (EA) staffing levels and class sizes. What role would you take as a School Board Trustee in addressing these concerns, and what would your priorities be?

Kids learn best when teachers have the time to help them one-on-one. Right now, crowded classrooms and a shortage of support staff hurt everyone. My priority will be pushing for more funding to hire and keep Educational Assistants (EAs), who give critical daily help to students with high needs. I will also fight to keep class sizes reasonable across all grades, making sure our tax dollars go straight into classroom support rather than administrative red tape.

Special Programs and Program Access

School boards make decisions about the range and distribution of specialized programs, including special education, language programs, and arts programming. What would you prioritize as a School Board Trustee in how these programs are offered and accessed?

A child’s postal code should never decide the quality of their education. I will focus on cutting the long wait times for special education testing so kids get the help they need right away. I also want to make sure popular programs, like music, arts, and languages, are spread out fairly across our community, not just concentrated in a few schools.

Candidate Content Disclaimer

Candidates write their own responses and send them to the Know Your Vote T.O. project team at the Toronto Public Library. The team checks each response against the Content Inclusion Standards. It does not check whether what a candidate says is true, including what they say about other candidates. The views here belong to the candidate, not TPL. We encourage you to check claims for yourself. The Library does not check responses for AI use.