East Toronto rally calls for provincial government to ‘properly’ fund public education

By JESSICA SHACKLETON

Almost two months into Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s third term, education advocates continue the fight against what they say are government cuts to the public school system.

East Toronto residents gathered at Robertson Parkette on Saturday, May 3, to make signs, share their concerns, and gather signatures for a petition to take to Queen’s Park.  The rally mainly consisted of organizers from advocacy groups for many issues facing public education, and its goal was to start the conversation and inform parents.

The rally was organized by East End Parents 4 Public Education, a group of parents from Leslieville, the Beach, East York, and Danforth advocating for better support for education. Its Facebook Group has about 1,500 members. 

Some of their group’s concerns are access to special education, the post-COVID classroom, and funding for school pools and the maintenance of buildings within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). 

Kate Dupuis, with East End Parents 4 Public Education said at Saturday’s rally that it was “shameful” that they still had to meet to protest cuts at the TDSB. 

“We shouldn’t have to be doing this. We shouldn’t have to be out here on a beautiful Saturday fighting the government, begging the government to fund public schools,” she said. “We all deserve a government that will fund public education properly.” 

Though the fight against cuts is not a new one, advocates have been facing a growing list of issues to tackle.

Education Minister Paul Calandra announced recently that the province would launch an investigation into the TDSB’s finances. The ministry is also investigating the finances of eastern Ontario’s largest school board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). 

Ontario’s 2025 budget is set to be tabled on May 15.

The petition circulated at Saturday’s rally was to send the message to the province to stop budget cuts to public education. The Ontario Legislature requires original signatures only and does not accept online petitions.

Toronto–Danforth NDP MPP Peter Tabuns was at the rally, and said he will present the petition to the government. 

“This will be a tough fight. This is just the beginning of this phase of a series of battles to protect public education in this city, this community, and this province,” Tabuns told those attending the rally.

“When parents come to me and say, we can’t get the teachers we need, the buildings our children are in are crumbling. That’s because of a government that’s not interested in education, not interested in our children.”  

Jennifer Volk is an administrator with East End Parents 4 Public Education, and said she has spent years calling for better funding of Ontario’s public education system . Her two kids are in high school now, but she said she has been writing letters and calling ministers since they were in kindergarten. Her advocacy began with pool closures, but she told the rally that none of the cuts she sees are OK. 

“If you’re here and your passion is pools, if your passion is special education, if your passion is outdoor education, music programs, alternative schools, whatever it may be…What we have to do today is join together and tell this government we will not accept any more cuts,” said Volk. “Take that passion and join together and bring that message to the government.” 

Toronto–Danforth TDSB Trustee Sara Ehrhardt was first elected in 2022. She is also a parent and has used her position to speak on the issues facing the TDSB from the provincial government. 

“Every year that I have been there, we have been talking about cuts at a time where we need to be talking about how to serve our children and uphold our public institutions,” she said. “This is affecting our kids.”

Since taking office in 2018, the Ford government has cut approximately $1,500 per student in the province, according to the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario’s Building Better Schools website (at https://www.buildingbetterschools.ca/issues).  There are two million students in Ontario public schools.

“If we are going to protect Ontario, we must protect our public institutions, we must protect our schools and provide a stable environment,” said Ehrhardt at the rally. 

Though the rally took place on Danforth Avenue in East Toronto, voices from other parts of the city were there too. Toronto–St. Paul’s Councillor and former TDSB trustee Josh Matlow and Etobicoke–Centre TDSB Trustee Dan MacLean also attended the rally. 

MacLean is chair of the TDSB Finance Committee, and he stressed the importance of protecting school pools, given they play an important role in children’s education and safety. He knows from experience as he is the father of Canadian Olympic swimmers Heather and Brittany MacLean. 

“Toronto has the best female swimmer on the planet, who grew up in our community, inspiring Canadians, and then we’re going to turn around and cut off and limit their access to community-built pools,” said MacLean.

Swimmer Penny Oleksiak, Canada’s most decorated Olympian, went to Monarch Park Collegiate.

Communities rely on school pools for lifesaving and swimming skills, said MacLean.

He encouraged those at the rally to have a conversation about appropriate funding for schools, and make sure their MPPs and other politicians are aware of there feelings. 

For more information on East End Parents 4 Public Education, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322010878513304/