A Message From Education Action: Toronto

May 26, 2009

Dear Friends,

     There are two key meetings coming up. We hope you can be there for both of them.

     The first is the Education Action: Toronto policy meeting at 40 Wilcocks Street, New College, University of Toronto on Monday, June 8, 6:30 pm, Room 1017. (Wilcocks runs east of Spadina a couple of blocks south of the Spadina Subway on Bloor.)

     At this meeting we'll go through the first draft of a policy booklet and a set of key policies, which we hope can be used for community discussion in the 2010 trustee elections. These policies have been worked out in conversations with community, labour, and social justice groups across the city over the last three years. They are still, however, very much in draft form and we need your input. They are also incomplete - these conversations always take longer than we think - but we have enough now to form the core of a public position. Our deadline for this draft is June 1, when you will all receive a copy.

     The second is the June 24 meeting of the Toronto District School Board, 5050 Yonge Street, when it will approve its budget for 2009-2010. The meeting begins at 4:30 pm, but is likely to continue well into the night. Get there when you can. 

     At the moment, the Board is looking at cuts in the neighbourhood of $39. 3 million. They will have a devastating effect on our schools. So far, the Board has tentatively approved staff reductions of 36 teacher librarians ($3.0 m), 150 education assistants ($5.9m), 20 Special Education teachers ($1.7m) and 28 caretakers ($1.6m) for a total of $12.2 million. That leaves $27.1 million still to cut.
    
     Be at the June 24 Board meeting to tell our trustees to say NO to these cuts. If the province imposes a Supervisor, we must then begin organizing to make it clear to the people of Toronto that this assault on our public schools is a provincial initiative. Make the province wear these cuts.

     In solidarity,

     George Martell and Faduma Mohamed
     Co-chairs Education Action: Toronto
      

 

 



This email was sent by Education Action: Toronto
1698 Gerrard St. East,
Toronto, On. M4L 2B2