ATHENS – An outspoken critic of the province’s school review process, which nearly closed an Athens school, will be the face of the New Democratic Party locally.
Michelle Taylor has been selected by the Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes NDP riding association for the June 7 provincial election.
The mother of four wanted to run for the NDP because she saw it had the strongest platform for rural schools and public education.
“(NDP leader) Andrea Horwath knows that education is the key to our children’s future,” Taylor said in a statement. “She has promised to reform Kathleen Wynne’s broken school funding formula that almost closed Pineview school last year. We fought hard as a community to save the school and we did – but it should never have come to this.”
In November 2016, Taylor called the public consultation process on school closures an “absolute farce” which lacked “true feedback” from the public. She resigned from the accommodation review committee reviewing Grenville, Brockville and Athens schools.
Taylor has a background in medical first response with St. John Ambulance and the civilian section of the Canadian Forces.
Taylor will run against Progressive Conservative incumbent Steve Clark and Liberal David Henderson.