Latest news with #TDSB
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
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. 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. 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. Then it will be open to the minister to approve or reject the new name. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The legislation, Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025 , takes aim at school board accountability, in particular financial mismanagement. '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. 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. 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). '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. '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.' 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. Those efforts seemed to be for naught, as the board announced in late February that it was going ahead. Williams says the CIHE petition to stop the TDSB will stay online for signing until the proposed legislation is a done deal. Historian J.D.M. Stewart calls the government's move 'a rebuke of the TDSB and its flawed process for renaming these schools, a process that inexplicably did not include consultation with historians.' On a positive note, Stewart says, this is 'an opportunity to learn more about our history. The last several years have been filled with misinformation and misunderstanding.' The new legislation was hailed by education consultant Paul Bennett in a post on X. 'Historic School Names Saved in Toronto! Ontario Education Minister @PaulCalandra intervenes to halt erasure of John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and William Dundas from Toronto schools,' he wrote on Friday. Breaking News: Historic School Names Saved in Toronto! Ontario Education Minister @PaulCalandra intervenes to halt erasure of John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and William Dundas from Toronto schools. The @tdsb as been stripped of its powerto change the names. #cdned #ONTed The move came just two days after the Ontario government decided to remove the plywood box surrounding John A. Macdonald's statue at Queen's Park , restoring it to public view. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
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.
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
VUONG: Supervision needed for TDSB to refocus on education
The next generation is paying the price for the school board's activism agenda The Toronto District School Board head office located at 5050 Yonge St. in North York. Photo by JACK BOLAND / TORONTO SUN FILES The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is under financial investigation, but last week's vote has made it clear that it's not just their financial mismanagement and $58-million deficit that needs to be scrutinized. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Just last week, on May 21, the TDSB voted to accelerate the timeline for the creation of an anti-Palestinian racism (APR) strategy. Like the recent news of the City of Toronto moving forward with a 'Black-mandated' shelter for only homeless Black people and staffed by only Black employees, this is the latest in an alarming trend of increasing institutionalized segregation. Instead of focusing on students' shared Canadian identity and what unites them, the TDSB is further balkanizing the student body where they are being divided by what makes them different. How does greater division by emphasizing differences create a more inclusive classroom and learning environment? What message are they sending to students of other communities? Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Moreover, now is not the time to be taking on new matters, requiring new resources with money that the TDSB doesn't have, when the school board has been failing to fulfill its core mandate of educating our children and youth. One need only look at the school board's EQAO and Grade 10 literacy test results to see how our next generation is paying the price for the TDSB's activism agenda. Take their grade 3 EQAO results. Their students perform worse than the provincial standard in every tested area of reading, writing, and mathematics. Their Grade 6 students fare slightly better; they exceed the province in mathematics but are worse in reading and writing. The high school figures are the most alarming. In Grade 9, while the TDSB does marginally better in the EQAO's mathematics assessment, the fact is only a little over half of their students (56.4%) met the provincial standard. Put another way, almost half are failing. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But, if you drill down further into the TDSB's own published analysis of individual school performance for 2021-22 (the most recent EQAO Grade 9 mathematics data available), the results will show you the true price of activism at the expense of education: — At 30 of the TDSB's 73 high schools, less than half of the students passed. — At 16 of the 73 schools, only one third or less of the students passed. — At 8 of the 73 schools, only one fifth or less of the students passed. — At one school, alarmingly, only 6% passed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some of the schools struggling to pass are represented by trustees who have been distracted with their own political activism instead of fulfilling their responsibility of advancing student achievement. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trustee Alexis Dawson (Davenport and Spadina-Fort York), who claimed credit for championing the APR motion alongside her colleague Debbie King (Parkdale-High Park), as well as TDSB Chair Neethan Shan (Scarborough Centre) all represent schools where the majority of students are failing to meet the provincial standard: — David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute, 19% pass rate, Trustee Neethan Shan. — Oakwood Collegiate Institute, 44%, Trustee Alexis Dawson. — Runnymede Collegiate Institute, 30%, Trustee Debbie King. — Wexford Collegiate School of the Arts, 42%, Trustee Neethan Shan. — Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute, 20%, Trustee Neethan Shan. What's abundantly clear is that the TDSB has lost its way — student success has taken a backseat to ideology and grievance politics. The institution has become too focused on activism at the expense of education, and the school board's test results show us how students are already paying the price. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. They need a reset. This is why Ontario's education minister must place the TDSB under supervision. Our children and youth need education, not indoctrination, and far too many of the school board's trustees and administration have shown us that this change will not happen organically. The minister must act. Our next generation cannot afford to wait for the TDSB to get their act together. — Kevin Vuong is a proud Torontonian, entrepreneur, and military reserve officer. He was previously the Member of Parliament for Toronto's Spadina-Fort York community, and is the father of a beautiful little girl who will reach school age in the next few years. Crime Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors
National Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Randal Denley: Ontario's school boards have gotten seriously out of hand
Article content New Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra wants to fix apparent financial incompetence at some of Ontario's largest school boards, and so he should. The problem is the fixes will only be temporary unless the provincial government is willing to make fundamental changes in the way school boards are run. Article content Article content Ontario's education governance is designed to fail. Trustees are elected, but not responsible for the taxes that pay for the province's schools. This inherent lack of responsibility has turned some boards into lobby groups for higher spending. Why not demand more if you don't have to ask voters to pay for it? Article content Article content Calandra has ordered investigations into the finances of Toronto's English public and Catholic school boards and Ottawa's English public board. Provincial investigators are to report their findings by May 30. Article content Article content All three boards are facing significant deficits for the next school year. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has a projected shortfall of $58 million, the Toronto Catholic District School Board expects to be $65.9 million in the red, and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is looking at a $20-million shortfall. Article content Those boards have been struggling to balance their books for years, despite a balanced budget being a requirement of the Education Act. The boards blame the problem on things like underfunded sick-leave costs, basic grants that haven't kept up with inflation, lack of money for special education, and a provincial rule requiring that under-utilized schools remain open. Article content The big three boards aren't alone in having deficits. This school year, 31 boards are reporting in-year deficits amounting to $200 million. Back in 2020–21, only 11 boards had deficits. Article content Article content The investigators' reports should shed light on what's happening with the three boards, at least. Are they short of money to do their basic job or are they just bad at handling the money they have? Calandra, the education minister, says he will offer financial help if it's warranted, but that will be a short-term fix, not a solution. Article content Article content Fundamental reform is needed. The provincial government levies the taxes and the school boards spend the money. Those two functions need to be combined if there is to be any accountability in education. Article content Calandra has three options. He could abolish school boards altogether. The province can already appoint a supervisor to make financial decisions when a board gets into money trouble. Make it the norm, not the exception. This would be the simplest way to proceed, but there is a political downside. With this approach, the government would get all blame for real and perceived education problems. Article content The middle ground is to appoint a board of local people with relevant financial and governance experience. It would be decried as anti-democratic, but would surely be more efficient. That would return boards to their core job of strategic direction, policy oversight and financial accountability. As a bonus, it would end the problem of trustees who think their real job is promoting social justice, not focusing on basic education priorities and careful spending.
CBC
09-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ontario opposition grills Ford government over education spending
As multiple Ontario school boards brainstorm ways to dig themselves out of multi-million dollar deficits, Premier Doug Ford's government faced heated questions from opposition leaders Thursday over its education spending. The discussions come just a week before the government is set to table its budget, and as three school boards face provincial audits, examining how much government spending really ends up in the classroom That includes the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), where trustees are considering shuttering pools and laying off instructors to curtail a $58-million dollar deficit. NDP Leader Marit Stiles, a former TDSB trustee, said the Ford government's chronic underfunding of education is to blame for the deficits school boards face. "This government is forcing boards to make decisions every single day that impact our kids. They're the ones who are feeling it," she said. On Wednesday, TDSB trustees called on the government to pay its fair share of education funding, saying it hasn't caught up with costs outside their control, such as a growing state of good repair backlog and rising staffing costs. In a report, the board attributed nearly 85 per cent of its expenses to labour costs. Liberal House leader John Fraser said education funding has dropped by $1,500 per student since 2018, when adjusting for inflation — a figure the government disputes. "My question to the Premier is, does he really think that spending $1,500 per student less every year is good for their education?" Fraser said. Minister says existing funds being spent in wrong places Education Minister Paul Calandra said Thursday he believes existing funds are being spent on the wrong priorities, and that's why he's ordered government audits. "I don't understand why they're so afraid, because presumably their numbers are so firm that the investigation will find that what they've been talking about is accurate, right?" he said, referring to the NDP and the TDSB. "I suspect what will be found is that money is not being put into the classroom for classroom education as it should be." A day earlier, Calandra told reporters the TDSB should approach cuts differently than what's being considered. "They should not do it by firing teachers and they should not do it by closing down pools. That is not what I would allow to happen. There are other avenues to do it," he said. His press secretary told CBC in a statement last week that the government gave the TDSB a record increase in education funding this school year, adding the board had "multiple opportunities" to address its financial situation. TDSB chair Neethan Shan says he welcomes the audit, as it will show the government why it's hard to cut costs. "There's no more place to cut in a way that doesn't significantly impact our children and their education. So, you know, we are looking forward to that conversation, and we are very open," he told CBC Thursday. School board crackdowns follow financial scandals The government has promised in recent weeks to crack down on school board spending after a series of scandals involving travel expenses. The government recently took control of a school board in London following a $40,000 retreat to Toronto, which staff took while the board was facing a deficit worth $7.6 million. The province also ordered the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board to pay back the costs of a luxurious trip to Italy, where 4 trustees went to buy art for schools and spent $190,000 of public money. And now the TDSB, the Toronto Catholic School Board and Ottawa-Carleton school boards are facing audits from the provincial government, which has threatened to take over boards that fail to take proper measures to balance their budgets WATCH | Ontario government responds to excessive school board spending on travel: Ontario cracks down on 5 school boards after expensive trips 15 days ago Duration 2:03 Ontario's new education minister has taken control of one school board over financial mismanagement, launched financial probes into three other boards and ordered a fifth board to repay costs for a trip to Italy to buy art. CBC's Lorenda Reddekopp has the details. TDSB trustees have asked Calandra for a sit-down meeting as they continue brainstorming ways to trim costs — all with the hopes the province will pitch in more funds. Calandra says the preliminary investigative reports on the school boards' spending could arrive at the end of May.
