BELL: Ford’s hand-picked TDSB supervisor is putting kids’ education, safety at risk

TORONTO — Ontario NDP MPP Jessica Bell (University—Rosedale) blasted the Ford government, today, for their appointed TDSB supervisor’s decision to scrap class size caps for Grades 4 to 8.

MPP Bell stood alongside parents, and the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, urgently calling on the Ford government to provide the funding they need to help kids learn, and keep them safe.

“For parents, this move means ultra-large classes could be coming to your child’s school this September,” said Bell. “We know what this means. Learning suffers, children get less attention from their overworked teachers, and violence and bullying become more frequent.

“Since the Ford Conservatives came to power, they’ve cut $6.3 billion from education. Meanwhile, teachers are buying their own paper. Children are sitting on the floor because there are too many kids in their classroom. This is what Doug Ford and Paul Calandra think our kids deserve.

“Ford and Calandra’s appointed supervisor gets paid $350,000 a year, while refusing to speak with parents, teachers, and advocates. The Conservatives owe them accountability. We need smaller class sizes, more teachers, and more educational assistants. That only happens if they stop the underfunding.”

ADDITIONAL QUOTES:

“Every student in Ontario, regardless of their socio-economic background, should have access to the highest quality public education system, where they can thrive. We want an immediate return to class size caps, public oversight, and accountability through the reinstatement of trustees, smaller class sizes, and the funding to support the schools our students deserve.”

— Helen Victoros, President, Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT)

“With my daughter going into Grade 4 next year, I am concerned that she could end up in a class that is too big to meet students’ needs. We need class caps and support staff. Parents of children in the special education programs tell me that because there are not enough support staff, there are times when they must pick their child up early, and times they cannot even send their child to school. Teachers work so hard every day and care deeply about educating our children, but there are only so many minutes in the day. We need class caps and support staff.”

— Rebecca Osolen, parent