While summer vacation is on the horizon for thousands of GTA students, their classrooms may look a bit different next year amid staff cuts and changes to how classes are delivered at multiple school boards.
“I’ve definitely already started to see the damage of the budget cuts on education,” said Ava Posteraro, a Grade 11 student heading into Grade 12 in the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).
Posteraro’s dream is to be an actress and study theatre in university, but her Grade 12 drama class was at risk.
“Drama and dance were cancelled. Luckily, we were able to, through a lot of parent calls and student intervention, we’re able to bring them back,” shared Posteraro.
Now the drama class will be blended with multiple grades. She is one of the lucky ones, as some of her friends have had a hard time with some of their classes.
“Religion, a couple courses were moved, law was moved. One of the biggest ones that shocked me personally was we only have one in-person calculus. So I think three other classes are left online, which our friends have been talking about because it’s ridiculous to try and learn calculus online,” said Posteraro.
The TCDSB is one of the five GTA boards currently under provincial supervision. Education Minister Paul Calandra has said the supervisors are meant to re-focus school boards on student success and good management.
Speaking with local union presidents and trustees, CityNews has compiled a list of the cuts happening at the five affected boards. In some cases, unions have been warned more cuts are coming.
So far, there are around 800 job cuts at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), including 300 elementary teachers, 145 model school teachers, 72 English as a second language teachers, 40 special education assistants and 150 lunchroom supervisors.
The TCDSB is phasing out their “Fifth Block” literacy program and most international language instruction will move from schooldays to Saturdays.
Both the York Catholic and Dufferin-Peel School Boards are expected to lose a handful of teachers. At the Peel board, the community is bracing itself.
“We’re going to see another $4.7 million cut from special education at our board,” said Jill Promoli, Peel Region District Board Trustee.
“If you’re not properly funding special education, then schools don’t function. And I think that’s something that people often don’t understand is that when you aren’t taking care of that fundamental need, then that affects every single kid in a school.”
She said the board has “surplussed” 330 teachers, about three times the number it usually does. While many will find placements within the board, she said the push is to funnel more students into online courses and larger classes with other courses not being offered anymore.
“When we have high schools that can’t offer basic opportunities for our students, of courses that they would need for university … That’s not fair to students.
“To have so many vital courses go cancelled or solely online is disheartening,” said Posteraro.
CityNews has repeatedly reached out to the education minister and Ministry of Education to get a comprehensive list of cuts or changes, but have not received a response.
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