Latest news with #PaulCalandra
CBC
24-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
OCDSB supervisor reinstates some exams, says board's problems go 'beyond budgeting'
The provincially appointed supervisor of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) said exams will be reintroduced for students in grades 9 and 10, writing in a email to parents Wednesday that the problems with Ottawa's largest school board are "beyond budgeting." The supervisor, consultant Robert Plamondon, was appointed by Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra at the end of June. The province had previously launched an investigation into the OCDSB's finances, spurred by the previous four years of financial deficits at the board. The province cited financial mismanagement as its reason for installing a supervisor over the OCDSB, though critics have panned the move as a "power grab." On Wednesday evening, Plamondon sent parents an email addressing problems within the board. "The operating challenges facing the board go beyond budgeting," Plamondon wrote. "Despite the dedicated efforts of teachers and staff, confidence among parents in the OCDSB has declined. Many believe the board lost focus on the fundamentals of education — impacting both trust and student enrollment." Exams to return in September Plamondon also shared a list of updates with parents that included the return of exams or summative assessments for students in grades 9 and 10, effective this September. The OCDSB had dropped exams for those grades in 2023 as a means of supporting "the health and well-being of students by removing the pressures associated with exams," though many parents took issue with the decision. Plamondon also wrote that conversations with the ministry about the OCDSB's controversial elementary program review are continuing, saying he would update parents on the status of those talks as soon as he has news to share. "Supervision is not just a change in governance — it's an opportunity to move quickly and make the positive changes our students need and deserve," he wrote.
Edmonton Journal
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Jewish group calls on Ontario government to address antisemitism in schools following federal report
Article content 'Without the proper tools or understanding, this has proven to be problematic for individual school boards to navigate,' he said. Article content The Canadian Jewish group is also asking the province to create a 'standardized hate reporting system' and to streamline the release of its Holocaust education curriculum. The latter was delayed after the Ford government appointed supervisors to oversee some of the largest school boards in the province in early July, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Article content CIJA's public appeal comes just days after it sent a letter to Education Minister Paul Calandra and Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Graham McGregor on July 18 advocating the need for a 'joint strategy to address antisemitism within Ontario public schools.' Article content The letter, which was also authored by Landau and publicized on Wednesday morning, refers extensively to last week's Ontario public school antisemitism report. The report found 10 per cent of Jewish students had 'directly experienced' an antisemitic incident between the October 7 Hamas attacks and January 2025 and that over 40 per cent of encounters 'involved Nazi salutes, glorification of (Adolph) Hitler, or similar expressions of hate.' Article content Following the release of a federal report confirming widespread antisemitism within Ontario's schools, we wrote to the Government of Ontario, urging them to develop and implement a strategy to stop antisemitism in our classrooms. Jewish students are being harassed, excluded, and… — CIJA (@CIJAinfo) July 23, 2025 Article content On Wednesday, Calandra told the Post in a written statement that he was 'deeply concerned, angry and frustrated with the findings of a recent report on antisemitism in Ontario schools' and he pledged to intervene if school leaders fail to uphold standards. Article content 'Schools must be a safe place for every student to learn in a respectful and supportive environment. I expect school boards across the province to focus on student achievement and creating supportive classrooms, free of discrimination in any form, absent of divisive politics that leave students feeling unsafe, parents frustrated and angry, and teachers who simply want to teach but unable to do so,' the Conservative MPP said. Article content 'If boards are unable to succeed in their main mandate ‚ student achievement — by delivering safe schools, then I will step in.' Article content The minister of citizenship and multiculturalism reiterated Calandra's statement and directed the Post to the Education Minister's statement published on X. Article content Article content Deborah Lyons, Canada's special envoy on antisemitism, told National Post in a written statement last week that the report's findings demonstrated the 'need to seriously consider antisemitism education, not just Holocaust education.' Article content 'Something has gone terribly wrong with our promises of 'Never Again' when over 40 per cent of the incidents in this study involved Nazi salutes, Holocaust denial, and overt verbal hate such as 'Hitler should have finished the job,'' said the former Canadian ambassador to Israel.
National Post
23-07-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Jewish group calls on Ontario government to address antisemitism in schools following federal report
Article content The Canadian Jewish group is also asking the province to create a 'standardized hate reporting system' and to streamline the release of its Holocaust education curriculum. The latter was delayed after the Ford government appointed supervisors to oversee some of the largest school boards in the province in early July, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Article content CIJA's public appeal comes just days after it sent a letter to Education Minister Paul Calandra and Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Graham McGregor on July 18 advocating the need for a 'joint strategy to address antisemitism within Ontario public schools.' Article content The letter, which was also authored by Landau and publicized on Wednesday morning, refers extensively to last week's Ontario public school antisemitism report. The report found 10 per cent of Jewish students had 'directly experienced' an antisemitic incident between the October 7 Hamas attacks and January 2025 and that over 40 per cent of encounters 'involved Nazi salutes, glorification of (Adolph) Hitler, or similar expressions of hate.' Article content Following the release of a federal report confirming widespread antisemitism within Ontario's schools, we wrote to the Government of Ontario, urging them to develop and implement a strategy to stop antisemitism in our classrooms. Jewish students are being harassed, excluded, and… — CIJA (@CIJAinfo) July 23, 2025 Article content On Wednesday, Calandra told the Post in a written statement that he was 'deeply concerned, angry and frustrated with the findings of a recent report on antisemitism in Ontario schools' and he pledged to intervene if school leaders fail to uphold standards. Article content 'Schools must be a safe place for every student to learn in a respectful and supportive environment. I expect school boards across the province to focus on student achievement and creating supportive classrooms, free of discrimination in any form, absent of divisive politics that leave students feeling unsafe, parents frustrated and angry, and teachers who simply want to teach but unable to do so,' the Conservative MPP said. Article content 'If boards are unable to succeed in their main mandate ‚ student achievement — by delivering safe schools, then I will step in.' Article content The minister of citizenship and multiculturalism reiterated Calandra's statement and directed the Post to the Education Minister's statement published on X. Article content Deborah Lyons, Canada's special envoy on antisemitism, told National Post in a written statement last week that the report's findings demonstrated the 'need to seriously consider antisemitism education, not just Holocaust education.' Article content 'Something has gone terribly wrong with our promises of 'Never Again' when over 40 per cent of the incidents in this study involved Nazi salutes, Holocaust denial, and overt verbal hate such as 'Hitler should have finished the job,'' said the former Canadian ambassador to Israel. Article content
Hamilton Spectator
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
School trustees with TDSB told what they can and can't do (it's mostly can't) after Ford government takes over the board
Trustees with Toronto's public school board have been given the do's and the don'ts. They can forward emails from constituents to the director of education and redirect calls to the board's main line. They cannot issue updates to their community; access administrative offices; use their board email account to communicate with constituents; or participate in any events as trustees, which includes engaging with school staff and parent councils. Those are just some of the changes to trustees' roles following last week's provincial takeover of four school boards — including Toronto's Catholic and public — for alleged financial mismanagement. A supervisor was appointed to each board, taking over the authority held by the board of trustees, who have been stripped of their power. School board takeover: Don't be fooled. It is not about finances — it's power politics On Monday, the TDSB director emailed trustees with information, from the supervisor, on 'key topics' to help 'facilitate the transition.' The issue came to the Star's attention after a member of the public expressed alarm at not being able to connect with his trustee. Among other things, the trustee honorarium — it amounts to roughly $25,000 a year — was suspended as of June 27, when Education Minister Paul Calandra made the announcement that also affects the Dufferin-Peel Catholic board and Ottawa's public board. Alexis Dawson is now calling herself a 'community member and democratically elected public school board trustee,' noting, 'You can take away my access to TDSB, you can take away my institutional power, but you cannot take away the fact that I was democratically elected by the public to serve in the capacity of trustee.' In an interview, Dawson said not being able to respond to constituents' emails, and help them navigate the system, is particularly difficult. 'By the time issues are brought to trustees, they're full-blown,' she said. 'We are the important bridge between the community and the school board that can help to advocate at that level. We don't have the decision-making power when it comes to school-based issues, but we certainly have that advocacy power and I have seen that directly influence decisions at the school level.' Because Dawson was a community advocate before becoming a trustee, she says many folks have her personal contact information. And she vows to keep advocating on their behalf as a community member. On Wednesday evening, Dawson was part of an online community discussion on the role of uniformed police in schools. Promotion for the event described her as a community member and democratically elected school board trustee. Similarly, Sara Ehrhardt said she 'took an oath and was elected to keep listening to my community and advocating on their behalf.' Before receiving the director's email on Monday she had already set up an automatic reply on the TDSB email redirecting any constituents who reach out to her personal email. 'I will keep trying to do that to the very best of my ability, and I would hope that the Doug Ford government and this supervisor would encourage that continued community voice,' said Ehrhardt. 'I will seek to assist people in finding the information they need to navigate the school system when I'm paid or not, whether I have a TDSB email or not, whether the Doug Ford government wants me to be doing it or not. ' Weidong Pei said he hopes his fellow trustees will be able to meet the supervisor to share their thoughts on how the TDSB can move forward. 'It hurts me that I cannot advocate for parents and students more,' said Pei, adding he should represent the views of his constituents, especially if there are any reductions coming down the pike that will affect students. Meanwhile, trustees at the Toronto Catholic District School Board haven't been given direction. There, trustees receive about $18,000 a year and will continue getting about 25 per cent of their pay, since they still have decision-making power over denominational issues. 'All we know is that the supervisor must convene the trustees on issues of denominational rights,' TCDSB Chair Markus de Domenico told the Star. 'That is a huge part of our culture and focus. I don't know what the parameters and protocols of that are but I can say that we will advocate very strongly to protect our Catholic identity.' TCDSB Trustee Maria Rizzo said 'We're in the dark ... There has been no contact about what we can and cannot do. So when constituents ask for help, we're helping them.' De Domenico met Calandra on Wednesday, and had a 'frank, constructive productive discussion.' 'I spoke to the unique position Toronto Catholic is in, how the investigator's report confirmed that Toronto Catholic has an excellent senior admin team and a well-governed and committed board of trustees,' said de Domenico. 'I assured the minister that we are ready to do our part and to co-operate with the supervisor and the ministry to make our board financially sound so we can continue to support students and families.' The province appointed supervisors to oversee the boards' finances after investigations showed each had accumulated deficits, but boards argue funding from the province hasn't kept pace with actual costs. The TDSB — it had a projected deficit of $58 million for 2025-26 — has grappled with a structural deficit, meaning it spends more than it receives in funding. Reasons for this include government funding that hasn't kept pace with inflation; unfunded increases in statutory benefits (Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance); and the inability to close underused schools because of a provincial moratorium. The TDSB's supervisor is Rohit Gupta, a public policy and finance professional with expertise in governance, strategic planning and engaging with stakeholders. The TCDSB's supervisor is Frank Benedetto, a legal professional. That board initially reported a deficit of $65.9 million for 2025-26, but found savings and reduced it to $48.5 million. It wanted to use $30 million of its money from the sale of properties to further reduce the deficit, and proposed a multi-year financial recovery plan.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
NDP slams Ontario school board takeovers as ‘power grab,' say parents have no voice
Opposition critics are slamming the Ontario government's decision to take over four Ontario school boards, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), calling the move a 'power grab' that silences elected trustees. 'Doug Ford is playing political games with our kids' futures instead of focusing on the future of our schools and what's best for students,' Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said. Stiles and a coalition of teacher unions and trustees held a news conference Thursday to call attention to the move. She accused Education Minister Paul Calandra of 'forcing through a political power grab' that shuts parents' voices out of the classroom. The province announced on June 27 that it would be appointing supervisors to take over four school boards, citing investigations into their finances. In addition to the two Toronto boards, the province also appointed supervisors to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB). The ministry claimed the boards had 'failed' in their responsibility to ensure student success and said it planned to address 'concerns regarding growing deficits, depleting reserves and ongoing cases of mismanagement.' A report on the TDSB released by Ontario's auditor general in December found that 'financial and capital resources are not consistently allocated in the most cost effective or efficient way' at the board. However Stiles said the decision 'was about control' rather than improving schools. 'This decision had nothing to do with improving our classrooms and everything to do with control,' she said. 'It's about shutting out families. It's about a power grab, and it's about political gains and what Ontario schools actually need is real investments.' Trustee says parents don't have voice now TDSB Trustee Matias de Dovitiis also spoke at the news conference. He said he's been instructed by the ministry not to respond to complaints from the community while the board is under supervision. 'The role of trustee is to be the voice for a community. So it's not about the individuals that are currently elected; it's about a democratic tradition that goes back to 1849,' de Dovitiis said. 'We've had elected trustees in this province before Canada became a country.' Chandra Pasma, the NDP's shadow minister for education, said trustees provide an important link between parents and the school system. 'What we've seen in those provinces that have done away with elected trustees is that there's incredible parent frustration because they've lost their ability to have a say in their children's school system,' Pasma said. De Dovitiis said the province has chronically underfunded schools, putting them in a position where they're being asked to slash services the community wants. 'The supervisor created a report and gave it to the minister. It said, basically, we didn't follow 40 per cent of the recommendations from staff,' de Dovitiis said. 'The recommendations from staff that we didn't follow were to close down pools, fire principals, fire safety monitors, to reduce outdoor education and to do away with the many things that make school education, public education better for our kids. We weren't prepared to do that because we represent our communities, and our communities don't want us to do that.' Michelle Teixeira, president of the Toronto branch of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), also spoke at the news conference and said the move is a distraction from underfunding. 'It is an affront to local democracy and community voice,' she said. 'The recent takeover of four school boards – including the largest in Canada, the TDSB – is evidence of this. The investigations into these school boards were nothing more than a ruse designed to distract from the fact that they are willfully underfunding education in this province.' She cited a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which estimated Ontario underfunded education by $6.3 billion since 2018. That report pegged underfunding for the TDSB since 2018 at nearly $900 million. She also noted that the TDSB continues to make up a large portion of the school repair backlog in the province, which stands at around $17 billion. 'Focus on your mandate, or step aside' In an email to CP24, Education Minister Paul Calandra said he's unconcerned with the opinions of trustees. 'I am focused on listening to parents and teachers about how we can set students up for success, and less concerned about the opinions of trustees that have failed in their most basic responsibility: putting students first,' Calandra wrote. 'We are restoring accountability in Ontario's education system and putting all trustees on notice: focus on your mandate, or step aside.' He accused the opposition parties of defending 'broken boards' and opposing accountability. 'While they fight to support out-of-touch school board trustees, we will fight for students, parents, and teachers,' Calandra wrote. Calandra's office did not say what process parents should follow for communicating their concerns while school boards are under supervision.
