Hello Beaches - East York,

I hope you are having a relaxing start to the summer. I know many of your minds are already thinking about September and what school and childcare might look like. You might be interested in the TDSB meetings this week and coming up in August, to get updates about the 2020-21 budget, proposed back-to-school plans, and the search for a new Director of Education. I've listed dates below and which meetings have the opportunity for written or "live" delegations.

Upcoming Meetings:

Due to the current building closures all standing committee and regular board meetings are being held virtually and broadcast live to the public. Public delegations (written or "in person") are accepted at all committee meetings from any member of the public. You can submit a written delegation up to the morning of a meeting or request a time (48h in advance) to delegate live by contacting delegates@tdsb.on.ca:

July 15th @ 12pm - Finance, Budget & Enrolment Committee (Staff to present 2020-21 budget with suggestions for changes to the coming year and expected costs due to Covid19) - Agenda
July 15th @ 4pm - Special Board Meeting (staff to present a revised school year calendar and first draft of reopening plans for September return to school (see timeline below)) - Agenda
July 16th @ 11am - *NEW DATE* Committee of the Whole (taking delegations from the public) - Agenda
July 16th @ 3pm - Special Board Meeting (to finalize recommendations from 11am meeting) - Agenda
August 5th @ 12pm - Finance, Budget & Enrolment Committee (staff to present the revised 2020-21 budget for approval) (taking delegations)
August 6th @ 3:30pm - Special Board Meeting
August 26th @ 4:30pm - Regular Board Meeting

Learn more about the TDSB Delegation process here.

Return to School Planning

At the end of June the Ministry of Education instructed school boards to change their school year calendars (revised TDSB calendar) and outlined criteria for Boards to plan a return to school. We are currently planning for three possible options for a safe return for staff and students (see timeline), as outlined by the Ministry of Education, with the final direction coming from both the Ministry and Toronto Public Health in August. The Ministry's defined options are as follows:

Model 1: Normal school day routine with enhanced public health protocols: Students going to school every day, in classes that reflect standard class size regulations.
Model 2: Modified school day routine: An adapted delivery model that allows for physical distancing and groups of students where there would be a limit of 15 students in a typical classroom at one time and students would remain in contact only with their classmates and a single teacher for as much of the school day as possible. This model would require alternate day or alternate week delivery to a segment of the class at one time.
Model 3: At home learning: Should the school closure be extended, or some parents choose not to send their child back to school, remote education would continue. Remote education should be delivered online to the greatest extent possible, including the establishment of minimum expectations for students to have direct contact with their teacher at the same time on a regular basis, also known as synchronous learning.

The Ministry of Education has yet to announce any funding to address outstanding costs or additional staffing (teachers, custodians, PPE, cleaning supplies) nor a plan for childcare or parental leave if they choosed to approve Models 2 or 3. In addition the Ministry has not defined how it will fund and coordinate the implementation of a new math curriculum admist still uncertain back to school challenges. Trustees have formally asked for the Province to fund the additional costs of a safe return to school and to fund full-time learning and care and to delay the implementation of the new math curriculum until schools can return to normal operation, post-Covid19. Read about the motions here.

Director of Education Search

We are happy to announce that Carlene Jackson, Associate Director Business Operations and Service Excellence , has been appointed Interim Director of Education of the TDSB for a period of 6 months. Ms. Jackson is a phenomenal business leader and we have great confidence in her ability to lead the TDSB through the coming challenges.

The next steps in the search for a permanent director include the formation of a Trustee Search Committee, training, and then consultations with our staff, parent, and community stakeholders to get input on a Candidate Profile for a new director. Trustees will be aided in this work by an executive search firm (with a strong equity, diversity, and consultation focus). Please stay tuned for upcoming consultations and engagement as part of the process to build a comprehensive Candidate Profile.

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