email : Webview : Important Information about Enhancing Equity Task Force Report

November 26th, 2017

Enhancing Equity Task Force Draft Report

I have had quite a few emails from parents/guardians throughout the TDSB with questions and concerns about the Draft Report of the Enhancing Equity Task Force.

I met with a group of parents/guardians recently at Claude Watson School for the Arts to discuss some of the concerns. The biggest worry was that specialized schools like Claude Watson would be phased out and no longer available for students to attend. This will not happen. On October 24th, the Director of Education provided clarification on this and clearly stated:

"One recommendation proposes phasing out specialized schools, such as a school for the Arts. I do not believe the Board has any intention of closing specialized schools so we have clarified the recommendation by removing the reference to phasing out specialized schools and will, in the revised document, focus on improving access to them." John Malloy, DirectorRead the Full Statement

I also do not support phasing out schools or programs that are providing students with rich learning environments. I support expanding their reach and improving access to them.

In an effort to ensure that as many parents/guardians and students can provide direct feedback to the Trustees, I am providing details here about the process going forward. Along with the dates of upcoming meetings where the DRAFT Report will be discussed, you'll also find information about how to register to speak at committee meetings.

NEXT STEPS:

December 13th, 2017 - Board meeting. The DRAFT Report will be presented by Liz Rykert to the Board of Trustees. A motion for the DRAFT Report to be referred to staff will be made. A staff report will be generated.

January 31, 2018 - The TDSB STAFF Report will be received at the Planning and Priorities Committee meeting on this date. I am a member of this committee. It is a public meeting and anyone can register in advance to speak to the trustees about the Staff Report. (Note: the Draft Report and Staff Report are not the same report). The Staff Report may be received by the committee and sent to the next Board meeting or trustees may refer it back to staff for revisions or other direction.

Register to speak to the Planning and Priorities Committee (or ANY Committee of the Board) CLICK HERE

The Staff Report (if approved in January by the Planning and Priorities Committee) will be received at the Board for discussion and a vote probably at the February 2018 Board meeting.

If the Staff Report is referred back to staff at the January meeting, it will not be presented at the February Board meeting but at a later date to be decided.

Throughout this process parents/guardians/students will have an opportunity to share further feedback and be part of the process.

Common Questions and Answers

Based on the most recent round of feedback from October 6 to November 20, the report will be revised. It will then be presented to the Board of Trustees on December 13, 2017. At the Board meeting, Trustees will determine the next steps and timing for further exploration of these recommendations; no final decisions will be made. There will absolutely be more opportunity for the community to have input before any decisions are made by the Board.

Will recommendations include closing specialized schools such as schools for the Arts?
No. As previously communicated there will be no closure of specialized schools.
Will there be closure of specialized programs such as TOPS or International Baccalaureate?
No, these programs will continue. What is clear is that the TDSB needs to find ways to expand the opportunities that these schools and programs offer.
Will Special Education and Gifted programs continue?
Yes, Special Education programs will continue to be offered. The Enhancing Equity Task Force report does include draft recommendations that do touch on delivery models for special education and Gifted programs. No decisions have been made on the draft recommendations.
Do the draft recommendations propose destreaming Grade 9?
Yes. This is not the first time the TDSB has discussed destreaming and it is currently practiced in a number of pilot schools in the Board. You can learn more about destreaming here. That being said, no system decisions have been made.
What impact would destreaming have on Special Education or Gifted programs?
None. Destreaming encourages all students to take the academic stream instead of the applied stream. There would still be programs and locally developed support for those identified with special education and gifted needs.
Will there still be Optional Attendance in 2018?
Yes. Optional Attendance is a policy of the Board. As such, any changes are subject to the Board’s policy review process which is governed by the Policy Framework (P001) and Policy Development and Management Procedure (PR501).

In the draft recommendations, there was a proposed recommendation related to optional attendance. No decision has been made. Based on the most recent round of feedback from October 6 to November 20, the report will be revised. It will then be presented to the Board of Trustees on December 13, 2017. At the Board meeting, Trustees will determine the next steps and timing for further exploration of these recommendations; no final decisions will be made. There will absolutely be more opportunity for the community to have input before any decisions are made by the Board.

Since October 30th, 2017 when the Minister of Education met with hundreds of concerned parents at Earl Haig Secondary School, several things have happened. The media attention on this issue has been greatly increased. I want to thank everyone for their dedication to this and for helping to get us closer to the goal. Below are a few other things that have happened very recently...

The Ontario Public School Boards Association wrote a letter to the Minister offering to meet and discuss required changes to the Education Act and Ontario Regulation 20/98 (Education Edvelopment Charges). This came on the heels of the Minister expressing an interest to further explore the Educational Development Charge option for boards, and for the need to discuss the implications of any changes to the Education Act with all Ontario School Boards. This is NOT a Toronto issue only. Many school boards are experiencing growth and new development. They are struggling to fund new school expansions and rebuild as well.
Read the letter
The City of Toronto passed a motion that asked the Province and Ministry of Education to make amendments to Ontario Regulation 20/98 (Education Development Charges) that would allow the TDSB more flexibility to collect the levy from new developments in the City.
Read the motion
I brought a motion to the November 22nd Board meeting giving the Chair direction to work with the Mayor, Toronto schools boards and other stakeholders to meet with the Minister and work out a plan to bring about change to the Education Development Charge issue at the TDSB (and for all Ontario Boards).

The motion also asks for a communication plan to be developed to help inform parents/ gaurdians and school councils about the Education Development Charge issue and how they can advocate for change.
Read the motion
A new TDSB staff report will be heard at the November 29th Planning and Priorities Committee meeting (5pm at 5050 Yonge Street Cte Room A). The report recommends a legal review of the Education Act and Ontario Regulation 20/98. I've attached the recommendation here:

It is recommended that:

1. Staff engage other interested stakeholders and approach the Province seeking their agreement to (a) delete Section 10 of O.Reg. 20/98 - Education Development Charges of the Education Act; and (b) amend the definition(s) of Education Land Costs in the Education Act to include the capital cost of new construction.

2. Staff be given authority to commence an application for judicial review seeking relief in the general nature outlined in Appendix “A”, and to take whatever action is necessary in the course of these proceedings to ensure a timely hearing of the matter and/or resolution of the proceeding on terms they may deem acceptable.

Read the Staff Report

As more news becomes available I will be in touch again. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

School Repairs:

For the second year in a row, the TDSB has released the school-by-school Facility Condition Index rating for all school buildings.

The Facility Condition Index (FCI) rating is a measurement of the condition of a school building. It does not reflect on the safety of the school building.

Our Facility Services staff works year-round to ensure our schools are safe regardless of their FCI rating.

Almost half of the 583 TDSB school buildings were built more than 60 years ago. Older schools often have a higher FCI rating as some building components such as walls, lights, floors and ventilation systems may require major repairs or replacement.

Key Facts:

The FCI rating does not reflect on the safety of a school building.
Even with the additional renewal funds provided by the Ministry over the last few years, our renewal needs backlog sits at approximately $3.7 billion as of September 2017 and continues to rise.
Unlike most other Ontario school boards, the TDSB does not qualify for Educational Development Charges (EDCs) because there is surplus space across the system, which puts the TDSB at a disadvantage.
The TDSB keeps advocating for the Ontario Government to amend the Education Development Charges (EDCs) regulation (20/98) to allow the TDSB to collect EDCs to help support urgent school infrastructure needs and reduce overcrowding in high-growth areas of the city.

Learn more or visit Find Your School to see the Renewal Needs and Facility Condition Index for a particular school.

Trustee Ward Boundary Review

The Toronto District School Board is undertaking a Trustee Ward Boundary Review in order to align with the new City of Toronto wards recently enacted by Toronto City Council. Members of the public are invited to provide feedback on the proposed options through public meetings and an online survey. To learn more and provide input, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Trustees/WardBoundaryReview.

New School Traffic Management Program to Improve Safety in School Zones

The TDSB and the City of Toronto are working together to improve traffic management, and make school zones safer, to encourage more students and families to walk and bike to school. Compared to previous generations, fewer students are walking and cycling to school. With more children being driven, there are rising environmental concerns, due to pollution from cars, and health and safety concerns, as children have less physical activity in their daily lives.

Learn more about how the TDSB's traffic management program and the City's Vision Zero Road Safety Plan are supporting active and safe routes to school

French Programs Application Deadline

For families interested in the TDSB's French Immersion or Extended French programs, we offer an online process for applying to Early French Immersion, which begins in Senior Kindergarten and Junior Extended French, which begins in Grade 4. Applications for Early French Immersion must be completed online between October 30, 2017 and November 30, 2017. Learn more

Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) Survey

If you are a parent/guardian of a current or former TDSB student with special needs and you haven't yet filled out the survey, SEAC would like to hear about your experiences and ideas as they make recommendations on how to improve Special Education at the TDSB. Complete the anonymous SEAC Survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SEAC-TDSB

Board Meeting Notes:

Marijuana Stores Should Not Be Located Near Schools

As part of the TDSB's commitment to providing safe and healthy environments for all students and staff, Trustees are calling on the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario to ensure marijuana dispensaries are not located near schools. In a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory, Trustees formally requested that TDSB Trustees and staff be consulted and included in discussions about regulation and locations of marijuana dispensaries. Read the Board decision (page 15). Read the media release.

Board Opposes Public Health Recommendations in Provincial Report

Recommendations put forward in Public Health Within an Integrated Health System, a report from the Minister’s Expert Panel on Public Health, include integrating public health units with Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), which would require separating the City of Toronto into three and dividing some TDSB wards. In a letter Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Health and Long-term Care Eric Hoskins and Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter, Trustees opposed these proposals as they could have a negative impact on programs that are vital to student health and well-being. Read the Board decision (page 1)

Leasing Properties to Private Schools

A report on the implications of not leasing surplus school properties to private schools will come before the Board in 2018. Read the Board decision (page 15)