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February 19th
There will be no classes on Monday, February 19, 2018 to reflect the province-wide statutory holiday called Family Day. The holiday occurs on the third Monday in February of each year for the purpose of emphasizing and celebrating the importance of families taking time to be together.
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February is African Heritage Month at the Toronto District School Board. This is an opportunity to recognize the experiences, contributions and achievements of African Canadians. This year’s theme is From Africa to the World.
Throughout the month of February, we will highlight the many contributions that the African community has made by offering educational opportunities to our students and TDSB community.
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February Is Chinese Heritage Month at the TDSB – Invitation to Attend the Launch -February 1, 2018
The Toronto District School Board is proud to recognize Chinese Heritage Month (CHM) during the month of February. The theme selected by the CHM Planning Committee for this year is Year of the Dog.
During this month we celebrate the energetic culture and traditions of the Chinese community with students, staff and community members of the TDSB and the City of Toronto.
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This report is a snapshot of the effort underway in the TDSB in support of student achievement and well-being.
Last year, we launched the Integrated Equity Framework; a strategic and coordinated approach to help ensure that all students have equal access, opportunities and expectations. With this as our guide, we continue to have important conversations and learning to further create a culture of fairness, respect and trust that values equity and inclusiveness in every school and workplace.
With this principle at the core of everything we do, and in combination with our Vision for Learning, which focuses on achievement and mental health and well-being, we will make a difference in the schools, classrooms and in the lives of students where it matters most.
John Malloy, Director of Education
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1) Helping All Students Succeed
Trustees at the TDSB approved the new directions developed to enhance the way schools support students throughout the TDSB.
On February 7th, we discussed the Director’s Response to the Enhancing Equity Task Force which identified directions in seven key areas including professional learning, challenging streaming and exclusion and enhancing engagement and voice. Together, these directions align to the TDSB’s principles of equity, valuing student voice and ensuring that each and every student has the right tools, resources, access and opportunities they need to thrive.
“This work is necessary for our underserved students, and it will also raise the bar for all students,” said Director of Education John Malloy. “This strategic approach to this work will ensure that real change happens in the classroom and for students.”
Some of this work is already underway, but this document reinforces the Board’s commitment to equity and provides direction and support. This approved report will help inform the Board’s Integrated Equity Framework and action plans will be developed for September 2018.
I am supportive of the overall direction the TDSB is heading, and this work is an essential component. However, I believe that much work needs to be done is in the area of special education. There are approximately 46 000 students who receive support through special education classes and resources at the TDSB. A full assessment of Special Education at the TDSB would provide us with valuable feedback on how effectively we provide special education for these students. And our focus on equity helps ensure we meet the real needs of students.
2) Post-Secondary & Employment Supports for Students with Disabilities
Building on the equity work of the Board, Trustees have also asked the Director to develop an action plan for September 2018 to better support students with disabilities — specifically one that includes employment and other post-secondary goals for these students.
The action plan would potentially look at a number of areas including the collection of data on post-secondary pathways for students with disabilities, improved staff training, and the expansion of co-op opportunities.
I supported the motion for this direction. We have far too many students with disabilities who graduate from TDSB schools without the kind of training, experience abnd support that gives them a boost in the job market. The Director's action plan will provide a good basis for change in how we suppport our most vulnerable students. You can read the revised motion that passed at Board here.
3) Easing Restrictions on U.S. Travel
Trustees have also voted to ease restrictions on student, staff and Trustee travel to the United States.
Effective immediately, school trips related to student competitions for both elementary and secondary students and professional development opportunities for Board staff and trustees in the United States will not be subject to the travel restrictions put in place by the Board in March 2017.
“The Board was of the view that students’ educational opportunities were being significantly impacted by continuing to restrict student travel to the United States for competitions,” Robin Pilkey, Chair.
We had previously passed a motion restricting school trips to the U.S. that were not already approved so that students would not be put in a situation of potentially being turned away at the border due to uncertainty following an executive order proposed by the U.S. government.
Of the trips that will be allowed to proceed, the Board will maintain its rule that should any individual student or staff member be refused entry to the U.S., for no fault of their own, the trip for all students and staff will be aborted and all involved will return home.
View the US Travel Exemption motion here. (Go to page 4 of Board Decisions)
4) Expanding Extended Day Programs
Trustees approved a recommendation to expand before- and after-school programs at the TDSB. In September 2018, the Board will begin to implement board-operated Extended Day Programs (EDP), in addition to existing authorized recreation programs and third-party child care operators in schools.
“This is great news for families across the TDSB,” said TDSB Chair Robin Pilkey. “This mixed model of delivery will strengthen the Board’s ability to provide a before- and after-school care in every school and enables us to create greater equity of access to programs across the system.”
Initial Communication Plan For Extended Day Program (EDP)
A successful component of the implementation of Extended Day Programs (EDP) is communication with stakeholders such as parents/guardians, third-party operators of before- and after-school programs and board staff.
The following communication tools have been initiated:
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| TDSB Update is published approx. 10 times / year, following a Board Meeting. It carries the latest news across the TDSB, & summarizes board decisions. You can access back issues.
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Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) Information
Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) let students focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). To receive the SHSM seal on the diploma, students must complete a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in the student's selected field, earn valuable industry certifications, and gain important skills on the job through cooperative education placements. SHSMs assist students in their transition from secondary school to apprenticeship training, college, university, or the workplace.
Pursuing an SHSM enables students to:
- Customize their secondary school education to suit their interests and talents;
- Develop specialized knowledge and skills that are valued by the sector and postsecondary education institutions;
- Earn credits that are recognized by the sector and postsecondary education institutions;
- Gain sector-specific and career-relevant certification and training;
- Develop Essential Skills and work habits that are valued by the sector and are recorded using the tools in the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP);
- Identify, explore, and refine their career goals and make informed decisions about their postsecondary destination; and
- Remain flexible, with the option to shift between pathways should their goals and plans change.
Every SHSM must include five components, which are outlined in detail in ministry-approved frameworks developed for each area of specialization. There are 19 sectors of specialization.
Schools must apply to the Ministry to run SHSM programs and must consider the interest to students in the economic prospects in the region, supports needed in the economic sector and community, and which SHSM(s) the school and board have the capacity to offer. For 2018-2019, 13 schools are proposing a total of 17 new SHSM program. SHSM expansion supports the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel Report and is part of the government’s NEW Career Kick-Start Strategy.
Currently, we have a total of 88 Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) in 46 TDSB schools. Nine new programs were approved for 2017-2018.
For a complete list of TDSB schools that offer SHSM programs, please click here.
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A New Vision for Student Transportation
The Ministry of Education has undertaken a consultation on the future of student transportation to find out how transportation services can be improved to better serve students, families and communities.
To help guide the consultation, the Ministry has developed a discussion paper, A New Vision for Student Transportation, which focuses on four key areas: responsiveness, equity and accessibility, safety and well-being, and accountability.
As part of the consultation, the Ministry is looking for feedback from all stakeholders, including students and parents. The TDSB will be sharing extensive feedback with the Ministry as part of this consultation, but it is imperative that parent and student voices are also heard so that the unique needs of our students are considered in any changes that go forward.
To participate in the consultation, please review the discussion paper and send your responses to ST.newvision@ontario.ca by March 28, 2018. For questions that will help guide your submission, please see pages 13-16 of the discussion paper. For more information on the consultation, please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-new-vision-student-transportation.
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February is Kindergarten Registration Month
Registration for all TDSB Kindergarten programs began in February. To attend Junior Kindergarten in September, children must turn four-years-old by December 31. To register for Senior Kindergarten, children must be five-years-old by December 31. You may choose to register in person at the school or begin the process online.
For more information about the Kindergarten program and registration requirements, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten.
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Cabinet shuffle, Minister of Education changes. . .
In an attempt to put a fresh face on the government, a recent cabinet shuffle saw Minister of Education, Mitzie Hunter, who met with us at a public meeting last October to discuss Education Development Charges (EDCs), replaced by Indira Naidoo-Harris.
I have already requested a meeting with the new Minister in an effort to get her up-to-speed on our strongly supported recommendation to change the current regulations in the Education Act that prevents the TDSB from collecting EDCs. At the February 7th Board meeting, Chair Robin Pilkey represented a written progress report on the EDCs motion I brought to the board in 2017. Part of the motion directed the TDSB to engage with other school boards and levels of government and work collectively on lobbying for change. The motion also provided for a communication plan aimed at engaging and educating parents and public school board supporters on the issue of much needed addition capital funding through Education Development Charges. The TDSB legal department is also undertaking legal action on the issue of Ontario Regulation 20/98 of the Education Act that prevents the TDSB from collecting EDCs due to the condition that we are not bursting at the seems with kids at every school in our system (for five years) - if we have excess capacity overall, we don't qualify at all. I've attached the full TDSB Staff Report here for you to review.
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Education Development Charges (EDCs)
The TDSB is advocating for the Ontario Government to amend the Education Development Charges regulation (Ontario Reg. 20/98) under the Education Act to allow the TDSB to collect Education Development Charges to help support urgent school infrastructure needs and reduce overcrowding in high-growth areas of the City.
Based on the total number of units under construction, proposed or planned across the city, the TDSB could generate revenue of approximately $350 million over the next 15 years to help fund growth-related infrastructure needs, which would benefit thousands of students and many communities across Toronto.
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Ontario’s Deteriorating Schools: The Fix Is Not In
Ontario’s deteriorating schools – the fix is not in is a report from economist Hugh Mackenzie about the state of repair and physical condition of Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools. The report looks at the historical level of provincial funding for schools operation and maintenance and estimates the funding needed. The report finds that Ontario’s school repair backlog has increased from $5.6 billion in 2003 to a staggering $15.9 billion in 2017. The report indicates that while the Ontario government has significantly increased annual funding for school repairs, the funding has not kept pace with the accumulating repair backlog, leaving many schools in a serious state of disrepair, affecting both the quality of education and healthiness of the school environment
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Update Ward Boundaries @ TDSB
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Ward Boundary Review, Consultant’s Report Recently The Board decided to adopt the following recommendations: (a) That the Consultant’s Final Report: TDSB Ward Boundary Review, as presented in the report, be received; (b) That Option 5: Learning Centre Boundaries, as presented in the consultant’s report, be approved and presented to the Ministry of Education for final approval in accordance with the Education Act and its Regulations For Willowdale (Ward 12) this means no change to the current ward boundaries at the TDSB. However, the number of city wards within the Willowdale boundary (currently Ward 23 - John Filion / Ward 24 - D. Shiner) will increase from two to three with boundary realignments. This was the City of Toronto's final decision. The TDSB can only have 22 trustee wards so we must conform as best we can to the city's plan. View a map of the new city boundaries and the TDSB decision for School Board Ward boundaries- Go to page 7 of the Consultant's Report below.
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MARCH 8th, Northview Heights SS
Take this opportunity to learn about the Toronto District School Board's budget for the 2018/19 school year. Trustee Lulka and I would like to have your feedback and discuss the budget, the process and your role. If you have any questions in advance let me know by sending them to ( alexander.brown@tdsb.on.ca ) I'll be able to address them thoroughly on March 8th at Northview Heights Secondary School from 7-9 pm. See you there!
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Join us for the Parents as Partners Conference on Saturday, April 28, 2018! This conference is presented by the Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC), Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), Mental Health and Well-Being Parent Partnership Committee and Model Schools for Inner Cities' Parent Academies and is an all-inclusive conference for TDSB parents and caregivers.
Registration opens March 1, 2018! Register early as there is limited space in each workshop!
Who:
ALL parents/guardians and caregivers of TDSB students are invited and welcome to attend.
What:
Parents as Partners Conference 2018 is a FREE conference. Whether your child is just beginning on their educational journey in elementary school or closer to graduation and planning for the future, there are informative and empowering sessions for parents/guardians and caregivers of students of all ages and all stages of education.
Where:
Beanfield Centre (formerly named Allstream Centre) 105 Princes' Blvd, Toronto, ON M6K 3C3.
Busing is available and can be chosen when you register online. Pickup at each busing location will be at 8:00 a.m.
View a map of the Beanfield Centre (formerly named Allstream Centre).
Why:
The Parents as Partners Conference 2018 is planned by parents, for parents and we are so pleased to be able to offer a selection of sessions that cover a broad range of topics to provide parents with useful information and resources to help your child improve their achievement and well-being at school and at home.
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Excellence Awards
Staff at the Toronto District School Board are among the most dedicated and qualified in Canada. Every day, nearly 39,000 professionals support our students and help them achieve their very best. We want to recognize those staff who go above and beyond every day in support of students, staff, parents and the community. The Excellence Awards is our opportunity to honour and celebrate outstanding TDSB individuals and programs.
We invite you – staff, students, parents,Trustees, community members – to nominate a TDSB staff member or team whose work has made a difference in your life or the lives of those around you for an Excellence Award.
Nominations begin on February 16, 2018! To start, you need to gather two letters of reference and one statement of recognition. The statement of recognition is an opportunity to deepen the nomination and can be written by the nominator. Then, you can complete the online nomination form.
The deadline for nominations is Monday, March 19, 2018 at 4 p.m. All nominees will receive a personalized letter congratulating them on their nomination as well as informing them of those who contributed to the nomination. The winners are additionally celebrated at the awards ceremony on May 24, 2018.
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Joseph Z. Grade 12, Earl Haig SS. 2017 Poster Winner | |
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