The Conservative government of Ontario is set to pass the Covid 19 Economic Recovery Act 2020 (Bill 197) on Wednesday 22nd of July before their emergency powers run out.

One insertion in this bill removes the requirement for Directors of Education to be qualified teachers. This is the beginning of an approach to privatize education & further enhance a two-tiered education system in Ontario.

This should raise significant concerns for all communities, especially those who are most marginalized – Indigenous, Black, racialized, children with identified learning needs/non-neurotypical/those with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ identifying children and those coming out of poverty - as they will be the ones who will be most hurt by this move.

This bill allows school boards to hire fiscal managers to be Directors of Education. As fiscal managers, their goal will be to make budget decisions that will be harmful to students and will usher in the government’s plans to increase class sizes, to increase online learning and to reduce course options in high schools. Lack of education experience means that Directors will not understand the anti-racist and anti-oppressive considerations necessary to align resources and supports across the organization to support marginalized student populations.

We, the people of Ontario, demand that all MPPs oppose Bill 197 and stand up for public education.

CALLS TO ACTION before Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020

1. Sign and share this petition widely.
2. Copy and paste the letter below and send it to your MPP (Find your MPP here: https://www.ola.org/en/members

3. Tweet @Sflecce, @fordnation and your MPP and use hashtags #OnPoli #OntEd #Bill197

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Dear MPP (Find your MPP: https://www.ola.org/en/members

On July 8th the Government of Ontario introduced an omnibus bill - COVID19 Economic Recovery (Bill 197). As you are aware, this bill is set to pass on Wednesday July 22, 2020 in the Ontario Legislature proposing sweeping changes with minimum debate and no public consultation. This bill will have many devastating impacts on public education and the diverse communities that our schools serve. This issue has raised significant concerns within our local community and across this province. We are/I am writing this letter urging you to oppose Bill 197, which will contribute to the dismantling of public education in Ontario.

One impact of this bill is removing the requirement for Directors of Education to be qualified teachers. This means that anyone outside of education could be selected by a board of trustees to lead a school board. This will directly impact our local, publicly funded school. Given the title of the bill, “Economic Recovery”, it is not lost on anyone that this will prioritize fiscal responsibility at the expense of quality education for all. It will support a move toward the privatization of public education, resulting in a two-tiered education system. This approach has significantly widened gaps between privileged and marginalized communities in the United States and that is not acceptable for the students of Ontario. Such a move has dire implications on Ontario’s public education system which is one that, while imperfect, is within the top 10 International PISA standings in math and 7th overall in the world. How can someone without teaching credentials properly lead a school board in addressing achievement and well-bring gaps and make decisions on behalf of ALL students?

A move toward privatization will end the focus on students and achievement gaps that impact marginalized students (Indigenous, Black & 2SLGBTQ+ students, students impacted by poverty, students with disabilities, those who have identified special learning needs and all equity seeking groups). Ontarians require leadership in our schools that will advocate for and implement much needed changes that remove barriers for historically and presently marginalized populations. Recently, Premier Ford and Minister Lecce publicly referenced the importance of ending academic streaming and mandating anti-racist training, but this bill is in direct contradiction to these actions. 

As our elected official, we/I demand that you oppose Bill 197 that will fundamentally undermine the types of knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to lead school boards in Ontario. You have a chance right NOW to clearly demonstrate that your first priority is students, and that they deserve to be led by experts in their field.

Thank you for doing what’s right for the students of Ontario.

Sincerely,

The People of Ontario