“Devastating,” NDP joins calls to implement expert recommendations to support students with disabilities in Ontario classrooms

End of Summer Wrap-Up

It’s the first day of school! I want to wish all our Parkdale—High Park students, teachers, and families a fantastic school year filled with learning, discovery and fun.   This past weekend, my team and I handed out over 300 backpacks and school supply sets at our office’s annual Back to School Fair. Watching kids’ faces light up, I was reminded of the wonderful sense of possibility back to school brings. It should be a time of excitement, not worry. But the Ford government’s relentless attacks on our public schools are taking away students’ supports and families’ peace of mind. Parents of special needs kids are increasingly frightened to send their kids to schools with inadequate staffing and resources. In our own riding, I’ve heard from many parents distressed by the loss of invaluable EAs and support staff in their kids’ classrooms. It’s a direct result of Ford’s $6.36 billion cuts to public schools since 2018. And now, instead of funding our schools, the Ford government wants to police them.

In June, the Ministry of Education took over Toronto school boards and shut out our democratically elected trustees, robbing our community of its voice. They’ve placed the Toronto District School board under the full control of Ford-appointed Rohit Gupta, a former Metrolinx advisor who lacks any experience in public education. Meanwhile, our democratically elected school board trustees have been locked out of their TDSB emails and phones and ordered not to engage with families or students. (Add your name to tell the Minister this is not okay.) It's all part of a larger power grab. Education Minister Paul Calandra has recently said that the government is considering eliminating all democratically elected school board trustees province-wide. The announcement comes as Conservatives gear up to pass Bill 33, Supporting Students and Children Act, which will give them greater power to take over school boards.

School’s starting. Ford’s failing.

The children are not alright…but there is hope when we work together. 

As summer break ends and families across the province prepare for back-to-school, I can’t help but feel deeply disappointed — and angry — at how this government is treating Ontario’s children. 

You’ve heard me say it before. From overcrowded, overheated classrooms to five-year waitlists for autism support, to the heartbreaking reality that one child dies every three days while under Ontario’s protection, the Ford government’s neglect of our most vulnerable young people is impossible to ignore.