Latest news with #PaulCalandra
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Police in schools debate revived by proposed Ontario legislation
Social Sharing A new bill by the Ontario government would force some school boards to put police officers in schools, and it has revived a debate in Ottawa about the role of police in the school system. The proposed legislation would require school boards to implement a school resource officer (SRO) program — which places officers in elementary and high schools — if one is offered by the local police service. It would go into effect in the next school year. "I completely disagreed when the decision was made in a number of boards to withdraw [SROs] from the school," Minister of Education Paul Calandra said at a Thursday news conference. "We're going to make sure that we work on doing it in a way that is beneficial to students and teachers." But some Ottawa trustees and advocates say the legislation would undermine local authority, and the presence of police would be more harmful than helpful to students. Board voted to end program Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) trustees voted in June 2021 to cut the SRO program, after a review prompted by concerns among racialized and LGBTQ students. The Ottawa Police Service subsequently ended the program at all school boards in the city. In January 2025, it started a new program that assigned one officer to each of Ottawa's four school districts to support educators without being stationed inside of school buildings. It was a response to a "larger trend" of violence in schools, developed in consultation with school boards, according to police. OPS Staff Sgt. Fernando Vieira, who works in the replacement school program, said the new provincial legislation "won't necessarily change" the approach of OPS — but added police will have a conversation with the school boards "and it's up to the school boards to invite us in." 'Undermining' local governance OCDSB trustee Lyra Evans said the province is undermining local elected officials. "[The OCDSB] spent a significant amount of time [and] resources ... creating a report to get a feel for what the local community feels about police involvement in schools," Evans said. "There are local differences ... so having locally elected trustees make these decisions based on all of the best evidence that we have available makes sense." Since 2021, the OPS has repeatedly reaffirmed it still wants officers in schools. "We never should have had police officers not engage with our youth," Vieira said in an interview this week. "[Police are not] looking for opportunities to charge youth. It really is to build our relationship with our youth, build the trust." Who is helped But that relationship-building is a "myth," according to Robin Browne, founder of advocacy group 613-819 Black Hub. The group supported the fight to remove police from schools and is also involved in an ongoing lawsuit against the police board over a different matter. Browne cited the 2021 review performed by the OCDSB, which found that the "common narrative" among members of the OPS that the primary role of the SRO is to focus on building relationships is not reflected in the policies, practice or impact of the program. The review concluded that a police presence prevents some students "from fully enjoying their right to education without discrimination." Similar conclusions were drawn by a report from the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Kaveeta Ajwani wants the SRO program to return for the safety of her children, who attend Vimy Ridge Public School. She served on its parent council while the SRO program was active. "My kids had major bullying issues, and the bullying did increase once the SRO program was taken away," she said. "It had to get to an extreme situation to be able to contact the police ... which I don't think was right." Ajwani said she's spent time volunteering with the OPS and added it's been valuable to expose her children to police officers. "[Police] are a valuable part of the community and the only way that the next generation is going to grow up to learn to respect them and know that they're the good guys is by having them involved in the community," she said. The legislation could change as it passes through the legislature, Evans noted. The OCDSB trustees will consider the board's relationship with OPS at its meeting on June 3.
National Post
3 days ago
- General
- National Post
Ontario education minister steps in to prevent erasure of Sir John A. Macdonald, Ryerson and Dundas from Toronto schools
The Toronto District School Board has been stopped from erasing the names of Sir John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and Henry Dundas from its schools. Article content Article content The new legislation, introduced by Ontario education minister, Paul Calandra, on May 29, will require a board to apply to the minister before changing the name of an existing school. Article content If a board began using a new name on Jan. 1, 2025 or afterward, the law would still enable the minister to require a board to apply for approval. Article content The legislation, Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, takes aim at school board accountability, in particular financial mismanagement. Article content 'I should be able to move quickly when it is very clear that a school board has lost its way. The legislation I introduced today, if passed, would allow me to do that,' Calandra posted on X. Article content I should be able to move quickly when it is very clear that a school board has lost its way. The legislation I introduced today, if passed, would allow me to do that. — Paul Calandra (@PaulCalandra) May 29, 2025 Article content Article content The legislative basis for shutting down the TDSB effort is the prevention of boards from 'misspending dollars meant for education on wasteful things, such as the time and resources that the TDSB put into the renaming initiative,' says Allan Williams, executive director for the Canadian Institute for Historical Education (CIHE). Article content Article content 'The CIHE is very pleased with the draft legislation introduced by Minister Calandra yesterday that would give him the authority to prevent the misguided attempt by the TDSB to remove the names of Macdonald, Ryerson and Dundas from the three Toronto schools,' says Williams. Article content 'We have been calling on the Ontario government to take the steps necessary to prevent or overturn the schools' renaming, so we're happy today and thank Minister Calandra. But draft legislation can take time to become law, so we urge him and the Ford government to move quickly on this.' Article content Earlier this year, the CIHE called on Premier Doug Ford to intervene and prevent the TDSB from removing the three names. It also sent a representative to a meeting of the TDSB's Planning and Priorities Committee.
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
School boards question 'wasteful spending' rationale behind new education bill
Education Minister Paul Calandra cited "wasteful spending" as a reason for a new bill to strengthen accountability and transparency across Ontario's education system, but several school board chairs and an opposition MPP say this is not the root of funding shortfalls. Calandra announced broad legislation on Thursday that he said would give the minister wide powers to investigate and place school boards under supervision, which would "ensure that every dollar invested is preparing students with practical skills for good-paying, stable careers." During a news conference to introduce the bill, Calandra referenced school board trustees from the Brantford, Ont., area who were forced to repay $50,000 they spent during an art-buying trip in Italy last July. But Lynn Scott, chair of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), said this was not a widespread phenomenon. "I don't think that wasteful spending is the root cause of the funding shortfalls and the deficit budgets that many boards have had to contend with over the last few years," she told CBC. OCDSB singled out The OCDSB is one of five school boards Calandra singled out for financial mismanagement last month. The province is investigating the board as it seeks $20 million in savings in order to avoid a fifth consecutive deficit ahead of finalizing its budget next month. The investigator's report, due on May 30, will recommend whether the OCDSB should hand over control of its finances to the Ministry of Education. The ministry has not yet released the full text of the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, leaving questions over much of its content. "If the bill is truly taking aim at good governance, I am absolutely in support of that," Scott said. "But right now, I think the big question for me is what is actually in the legislation? Is it going to be clear enough? Is it going to be fair? And is it going to itself be focused on what is going to help us improve student achievement and well-being for all of the kids in our schools across the province?" Blaming school boards for wasteful spending appeared to be a diversion from a government that has cut funding for education, said Chandra Pasma, MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean and shadow education minister for the New Democratic Party. "While this government's been in power, they have cut spending to the point where $6.35 billion have come out of the education system over the past seven years," she said, referring to recent research from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. "The school boards aren't able to fix that," she added. Questions about oversight Some school board trustees are also concerned that the legislation could allocate wide powers to the minister, and have questions about oversight. Bob Schreader, the chair of the Renfrew County Catholic School Board, questioned why Calandra had announced the legislation would give the minister the power to name schools. "We've always named our schools after saints," he said, saying it was a priority for school boards to retain ability to name schools, as opposed to the minister. Schreader lauded the bill's aim to improve financial transparency but said most boards were not spending extravagantly. "I would say 99.9 per cent of the boards spend their money appropriately, frugally, and try to ensure that the money that they're given is put into the classrooms to ensure student success," he said.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ottawa school boards watching proposed legislation that gives power to Education Ministry
Trustees at the OCDSB were told they will need to make some difficult choices to avoid a fifth year of budget deficits. CTV's Natalie van Rooy reports. Trustees at the OCDSB were told they will need to make some difficult choices to avoid a fifth year of budget deficits. CTV's Natalie van Rooy reports. The Minister of Education announced broad legislation at Queen's Park on Thursday that could change the future of how school boards operate in Ontario, making it easier to allow the province to take over boards that it believes are acting irresponsibly. The province says this is necessary to address financial mismanagement and to ensure school boards are putting resources into educating children, but critics are raising concerns about the possibility of taking away power from local trustees and putting it into the hands of officials at Queen's Park. 'This is for every board across the province of Ontario. It removes an antiquated and old, outdated system,' said education minister Paul Calandra. 'What it should have is the authority to step in when boards aren't doing what they're doing, what they're supposed to be doing, and when they have gone off the rails, either financially, or on other matters that are important to students, parents and teachers.' The move would also eliminate third-party investigations and recommendations, allowing the province to make the decision to put boards under supervision. 'I think it's really important for there to be an opportunity for the minister to hear from school boards before the decision is made and to only take over a board where the board is clearly refusing to carry out its responsibilities in accordance with the applicable legislation,' said Lynn Scott, the chair of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCSDB). The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) says it's not an education reform, but authoritarianism that's designed to deflect blame, suppress dissenting voices, and tighten political control over a public education system this government has failed to adequately fund. Meanwhile the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) said in a statement, 'It remains committed to responsible governance, transparency, and decisions that serve the best interests of our students, staff and school communities. We recognize the Ministry of Education's intent is to ensure that school boards across Ontario operate effectively and in alignment with provincial expectations, which is what we have always done as an organization.' The province made the announcement amid a financial investigation into the OCDSB, raising questions about what could happen when the imminently expected report is released. 'We look forward to seeing what the findings are and to working with the province to make sure that any deficiencies are corrected moving forward,' said Scott. Parents with children at schools within the board also weighing in. 'It sort of comes as a surprise to hear that while we're waiting for those results, we're now being told that going forward we won't have third party involvement,' said Michelle Bertram, a parent in Ottawa. 'That's my first question, is with the timing. I'm just surprised because we have been told wait for the results of those investigations done by third parties.'
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Doug Ford accused of ‘Trump-style politics' with legislation that allows sweeping new powers over the education sector
Education Minister Paul Calandra will tighten control over Ontario's school boards, have the power to rein in locally elected trustees and return community police officers to classrooms in sweeping new legislation critics dub a massive 'power grab.' Triggered in part by an outcry over a $45,000 art-shopping trip to Italy by Brantford-area Catholic trustees, Calandra said the proposed bill allows him to more quickly investigate or take over supervision of school boards that have 'gone off the rails, either financially or on other matters that are important to students, parents and teachers.'
