Anne Lagac Dowson takes on Angela Mancini for EMSB chair

The leadership of the English Montreal School Board has boiled down to a two-way race between Angela Mancini and Anne Lagac Dowson.

Lagac Dowson announced her candidacy for head of the EMSB on CBC Daybreak Monday morning, after an online petition called Draft Anne Lagac Dowson for EMSB Chair began circulating.

• Dismal dropout rates among French-speaking students worry minister
• Quebec school boards budgets shrinking

LagacDowsonis a journalist who has previously run for political office with theNDP.Mancinihas been the school boards chairwoman since 2007 and is running for another term.

Lagac Dowsonsaysthat, while she was asked to run for the position, its her commitment to public education that spurred her to take on the challenge.

There are just six days until the deadline for chairperson hopefuls to throw their hats into the ring.

This will be the first school board election that reflects the EMSBs new governance structure.

Previously, there were 23 commissioners and a chair elected by them. Now there will be 10 commissions and a chair elected by the general public voting in the election.

• English school boards push to get voters to register

It's an exciting time for school board elections in terms of democratic principles, Lagac Dowson said.

The school board elections are onNov. 2. Check with Quebec's chief electoral officer to know if you are eligible and registered to vote.