Waterloo Region District School Board · Waterloo-Wilmot
Geoff Horsman
2026 Candidate for Public School Board Trustee
Academic excellence through dialogue. We can't solve problems we don't know about or won't discuss!
Waterloo Region District School Board · Waterloo-Wilmot
2026 Candidate for Public School Board Trustee
Academic excellence through dialogue. We can't solve problems we don't know about or won't discuss!
Geoff aims to restore academic excellence through open debate, purposeful technology use, student safety, and a more transparent and accountable WRDSB.
Change the Culture
Establish Free Speech at the Board Repeal speech restrictions and encourage open debate about student learning. Read more →Address the Issues
Follow Through
Geoff Horsman is a biochemistry professor, parent of three children, and 2026 candidate for public school board trustee representing Waterloo and Wilmot at the WRDSB. His campaign centres on academic excellence through dialogue.
Geoff grew up on a family farm in Saskatchewan, where he learned about hard work and traditional family values. After training and working in Montreal, Stockholm, Northern Ireland, Vancouver, and Wisconsin, he moved to Waterloo in 2011 to take up a position as a professor of biochemistry.
His children are all currently or recently enrolled in WRDSB schools. Concerned about a growing distance between schools and families, Geoff became more involved through parent councils, the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC), and EMPOWR, a local grassroots parents organization dedicated to improving education and preserving liberty.
With a deep commitment to individual rights, Geoff has defended freedom of speech and conscience before the Board, as an expert witness in Parliament, on university campus, and in several newspaper op-eds, articles, and books. He is currently seeking judicial review of a WRDSB decision to both compel and prohibit parental speech at school councils.
Geoff wants children to have a strong foundation in reading and writing. He supports teacher-led instruction, including phonics, and early literacy specialists to help students who are struggling.
Geoff wants students to build a solid grasp of mathematics through clear instruction and regular practice. He supports high standards and extra help with the fundamentals.
He would review de-streamed courses to see how well they are helping students learn, rather than assuming that the same approach works for everyone.
Children need classrooms where they can concentrate and learn safely. Geoff supports clear behaviour expectations, consistent enforcement, and additional support workers where needed. He also believes students who disrupt learning should be removed from the classroom.
Before proposing specific solutions, he wants to understand what is causing the problems. That includes examining information about classroom evacuations and giving families an honest account of what is happening.
Screens should have a clear purpose in a lesson. Geoff favours handwriting, paper homework, and learning face to face, with devices used when they are the best tool for the task.
He thinks cellphones should be put away during class, but recognizes that they can be useful in some situations and wants to hear different views. He would limit classroom AI to specific uses that do not replace the work students need to do to learn.
Geoff recognizes that overcrowding and a mix of complex student needs can make teaching difficult. He would focus on better instruction and targeted classroom support, rather than reducing every class by a few students.
He wants public information to show where class sizes are causing problems. In those classrooms, extra resources for students with particular behavioural needs may help. His emphasis is on identifying the problem and choosing support that addresses it.
Parents should be able to ask questions, hear the evidence, and have a say in decisions affecting their children. Geoff supports broad consultation through school councils, the Parent Involvement Committee, and public discussion at board meetings.
We need room to hear different views before treating a policy as settled. He also supports parental consultation and consent when it comes to sexually explicit educational materials.
Geoff would put additional classroom funding toward early literacy specialists, help with math fundamentals, and behaviour support. He wants a clearer picture of current spending before deciding how to shift funds.
He proposes cutting roles and programs he sees as political advocacy, including parts of the equity, diversity, inclusion, and indigenization portfolios. He has not put a dollar figure on those cuts because he says the necessary financial information is not available to him.
Are students learning more, and are classrooms safer? Geoff would look at EQAO results, violent-incident rates, and what students go on to do after leaving school. He says the board first needs to make its information and spending details available.
He also wants to hear from parents, employers, and the wider community. Those perspectives could help show whether students are gaining the skills they need beyond their test results.
Questions, donations, lawn signs, or feedback — I want to hear from you!
Email: geoff.horsman@gmail.com
Phone: 226-600-9048
Campaign contributions are greatly appreciated to offset costs of lawn signs, flyers, advertising, and events to connect with the community. Financial contributions can be sent via Interac e-transfer to HorsmanCampaign@wealthsimple.me
See the running donation and expense ledger.
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I'd like to hear your concerns and ideas for the WRDSB.