- 5/25/2025
I missed one speech and half of another due to the camera abruptly powering off shortly after starting the recording, resulting in corrupted files. I cannot figure out why this happened.
While the captions weren't really necessary, I did have to use a high-pass filter and amplified the volume due to the loud generator being too close to the microphones and also the crowd behind the tent chatting away which was picked up by the other microphones (which should have been turned down or off).
While the captions weren't really necessary, I did have to use a high-pass filter and amplified the volume due to the loud generator being too close to the microphones and also the crowd behind the tent chatting away which was picked up by the other microphones (which should have been turned down or off).
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NewsTranscript
00:00I have to do what I'm told. While I'm the emcee, I have to do what I'm told.
00:06So I want you all... I think we're going to follow me. We're going to go over towards...
00:14Can I get a little help here? Where would you like us all?
00:18Okay, so folks, see where I'm going? You're going to have to follow me.
00:23And we're going to go... We're moving the official part of the stage. We'll be back there shortly.
00:28But we're moving the official part of the stage over here. Follow me, I know.
00:33I'm not the Pied Piper because it's a guitar, but come on over. We'll take our time.
00:40That's okay. That's okay. We're school teachers and education workers.
00:50Okay, everybody knows about the free ice cream. So now... And you can only get the free ice cream
00:54by getting one of the chance sheets. You've got to scan the chance sheet QR code.
00:59It's going to give you an action, i.e. you're going to go to fundourschools.ca
01:04and at fundourschools.ca you're going to take an action.
01:08We're going to tell Paul Calandra to get his hands off our public schools.
01:15Okay, so now I'd like to welcome someone who's been a champion for public education and school boards
01:21in the legislature. Leader of the Ontario NDP and MPP for Davenport, Maureen Stiles.
01:31Hey everybody, I'm Maureen Stiles. I'm the leader of the official opposition in Ontario,
01:37the leader of the NDP and the MPP for Davenport.
01:43Most importantly though, I am a mom. I am a mom of two daughters.
01:49Two daughters who are now graduates of public education in the province of Ontario, right on.
01:56But I wanted to tell you a little bit about that because the story of how I got to do what I'm doing today
02:04starts with being a mom. I was a mom in public schools and I saw back in the earlier aughts
02:12the struggles that kids were having back then even.
02:17So I ran to be a school board trustee so I could try to fix our schools.
02:23And when I was a school board trustee, I realized as well that so many of the decisions we were being forced to make
02:31were being pushed on us by the provincial government of the day.
02:36So I thought, you know what? To fix our schools, I've got to run for provincial government, right?
02:41So that's what I did.
02:46And I'm joined here by the way as well by three amazing MPPs who helped organize today.
02:51We've got Kristen Wong-Tam, Toronto Centre.
02:56We've got Chris Glover, Spadina Fort, York.
03:01We've got Jessica Bell, University of Rosedale.
03:06And we've got the extraordinary champions for publicly funded education in the province of Ontario.
03:15So I got elected along with my colleagues here back then.
03:20And ever since then we have seen under the conservative government our public education funding continue to be cut.
03:28$1,500 less today funding for every single student in the province of Ontario in our publicly funded education system.
03:36$1,500 less.
03:41That's a $3.1 billion cut to education.
03:46Don't let the conservative government tell you that they're paying more today than ever before.
03:51Because they have cut from education and we, the families, the students, the education workers,
03:56we see it and we live with it every single day, right?
04:01Now, in this last budget,
04:06the provincial government is cutting $1.2 billion from post-secondary education.
04:11So here's what I want to share with you today.
04:16I have two things I want to share with you today.
04:21The first one is this. Budgets are about choices.
04:26They're not just numbers on a page, right?
04:31They are about what we value in our country, in our province, in our city, in our institutions.
04:39What do we value?
04:44Do we value luxury spas down on Toronto's waterfront?
04:49Do we value fantasy tunnels under the 401?
04:54No? Well, do we value our children?
04:59Do we value our young people?
05:04Do we value those caring adults that work every single day at our schools?
05:09You're darn right we do.
05:14Do we value music education?
05:19Do we value publicly funded education in the province of Ontario?
05:24You're darn right we do.
05:29And that is what Ontarians value.
05:34We care about our schools, we care about our kids, and it matters.
05:39And so the second message I have for you today is this.
05:44You have the power in this moment.
05:49We're surrounded by folks like Doug Ford, Donald Trump.
05:54Merchants of chaos, right?
05:59Merchants of chaos.
06:04Folks who want to prioritize luxury spas and fantasy tunnels over publicly funded education.
06:09But we know, you know, that better is possible.
06:14And I want to say this to you.
06:19We, all of us here, elected people, and the institutions that we work in, right?
06:24We're just part of the solution.
06:29The real power lies with the people, yeah?
06:34You know that better is possible.
06:39And you know that it is a choice of government in what they invest in.
06:44We are going to stand up every single day for that better, right?
06:49We are going to fight because, like that sign says over there, our kids deserve better.
06:54So we're going to raise our voices together
06:59to fix our schools, to make sure that our little ones have food in their bellies, right?
07:07To make sure that they are safe in our schools alongside their education workers,
07:12those caring adults who work so hard to support our children.
07:17They deserve to be safe as well, right?
07:22We are going to work so hard to protect our publicly funded education system.
07:27We are going to let Doug Ford take a bite out of public education.
07:32We are going to spread the word and we are going to keep building.
07:37I sense out there that people are feeling a little bit hopeless these days.
07:42Do you feel that? People are feeling like that, right?
07:47It's harder and harder to get people out.
07:52This is the beginning of the end of that.
07:57This is the beginning of the building to properly fund public education
08:02and to build the schools that we need in the province of Ontario to power our economy,
08:07to keep our communities thriving, and to build a better Ontario and Canada.
08:12So everybody, let's get out there, let's do it, let's keep building.
08:17Our children can't wait a second longer.
08:20We are going to fight like hell every single day for publicly funded education. Let's go.
08:25Marge Stiles, leader of the Ontario NDP.
08:30We are fighting here for a better day.
08:33Thank you very much, Marge.
08:36Oh, just remember, we got free ice cream. Did anybody tell you that?
08:40But you got to go get one of those flyers that the marshals all have.
08:45There's a QR code on it. Scan the QR code.
08:48It's going to take you to fundourschools.ca.
08:51On there, you're going to take an action.
08:53We're going to tell Paul Kalantra, keep your hands off our schools.
08:58Okay, so now let's welcome Katrina Matheson, a parent organizer and a fierce advocate
09:04from the Toronto Schools Caregiver Coalition. Welcome.
09:09Thank you, Nigel. Thank you to the organizers for having me here today
09:13and thank you to NDP leader Marge Stiles.
09:16First of all, where are the parents and caregivers? Can I hear you, please?
09:20Okay, to all of you, I just want to tell you that I'm really proud of you for being here.
09:26Because by showing up today, you're telling all of the elected leaders
09:29that you know that good things are worth fighting for and public education is worth fighting for.
09:34It's very likely that you came here today because you're fighting for something
09:39that's being threatened at your school by cuts.
09:41Maybe it's your child's access to a pool or your vice principal or the elementary music program.
09:46That urge to protect what our children have is powerful and it is commendable.
09:52And that's what brings us out. But now that we're here, we need to look around.
09:56Okay, I want you to entertain me for a moment. This is going to be interactive.
10:01I want you to turn to the person next to you. Maybe it's someone you know.
10:05Maybe it's someone you don't know. And I want you to tell them this.
10:07I want you to say, I will fight for your child, too. I want you to actually do it.
10:13I want you to turn to the person next to you and actually tell them this.
10:16We don't have to fight alone. That's my point, okay? We shouldn't have to fight alone.
10:20We're out here fighting for our individual projects and our individual things that were threatened.
10:26And it's not just about that. It's about all of the kids and it's about public education writ large.
10:32Strong public education anchors a livable society.
10:35It's a vehicle for economic development, civil discourse, and social growth.
10:41We tend to get caught up in debates that are very ideologically coded.
10:45And I urge you, don't fall for this.
10:47Because those fights distract us from the real problem, which is the underfunding problem.
10:52The truth is that we need funding sufficient to meet student needs.
10:56That's ground zero. Because when parents have confidence that their kids' needs are being met
11:02by adequate numbers of well-trained staff, access to high-quality learning materials,
11:07and buildings that are safe, that's when those divisive debates become much less urgent.
11:13Education funding affects every Ontarian, whether you consider yourself left, right, or centre.
11:24And whether or not you have a child in public school.
11:27Because if we fail at education funding, we are a failing society.
11:32It's easy to point blame at the current government, and rightly they carry their fair share of blame.
11:38But the truth is that education funding has been declining over the last two decades
11:44across liberal and conservative governments.
11:46We have to stem this decline and reverse it.
11:50I'm actually heartened because the provincial budget released last week
11:54finally posted a funding package for education that was above the inflation rate.
11:59Okay, that's a win. That's a small win.
12:02And your calls and your emails did that, okay?
12:05But we have to keep working.
12:07They have paused their defunding because of us, and now we have to get them to refund education.
12:13We are $6 billion in the hole for education just since 2018.
12:17Okay, that's where we have to get back to.
12:19Parents, caregivers, unions, elected leaders, and anyone else who showed up today,
12:24I look forward to continuing this fight with you and fighting for your child too.
12:31Thank you, Katrina. Thank you.
12:33When parents lead, change follows.
12:37You know, some people bring receipts to hold politicians accountable.
12:40We bring signs. We bring chants.
12:44We bring each other. We bring our love together right now.
12:48So now, I'd like to welcome two long-time contributors to Toronto's music and education scene.
12:54Jim Cregan, bass player, Bare Naked Ladies for 35 years.
13:01A product of the music, the music, our music, the IMI program in the Toronto District School Board.
13:08He is a product of that.
13:10He is one of the parent co-chairs at his child's school.
13:14We also want to welcome Mimi Matamoros, a young folk singer-songwriter born and raised in Toronto,
13:20the daughter of two actors.
13:22Mimi grew and was immersed in the Toronto arts scene
13:25and is now rediscovering the creativity and community through her music.
13:29Welcome!
13:55Yeah, thank you both, because music education doesn't, it's not just teaching notes.
14:01It's about hope, it's about collaboration, and it's about joy.
14:05And speaking about joy, speaking of joy, please welcome Gina Hilton,
14:11a Peel educator and AAPSU member for over 23 years.
14:15Welcome, Gina!
14:25I'm Gina Hilton, and I've worked on this Peel District School Board for 25 years.
14:29And over those years, I've seen a lot of changes.
14:32Some positive, but too many that have made doing the job that I set out to do more difficult.
14:38Supporting students.
14:44These days, more and more students are entering the schools with complex needs.
14:49Whether it's behavioural, educational, or learning-related.
14:59We're stretched too thin.
15:02Leaving both students and staff in an already overworked system.
15:12Let's be real, we didn't start out in this profession for the money.
15:16We do it for the kids and the students we support.
15:19We want to see students thrive, but we're unable to do that in a system that's underfunded and overworked.
15:32Every child deserves a right to a quality education.
15:50But the reality is, that's not what's happening right now in our classrooms.
15:54More students are falling through the cracks every day.
16:02They can succeed, but...
16:05Sorry!
16:10Whose schools? Our schools!
16:13And I've worked for the Peel District School Board for the last 25 years.
16:17And during those years, I've seen a lot of changes.
16:20Some positive, but more and more that are making it difficult to do the job that I set out to do.
16:26Which is support children.
16:28More children are coming into schools every day with more complex needs.
16:32Whether it be behavioral, emotional, or learning-related.
16:39But the support they need and rely on just isn't there.
16:43Staffing levels are being cut, and resources are being stretched thin.
16:49Leaving both students and staff in an already overworked system to struggle.
16:56Let's be real. We don't do this work for the paycheck.
17:00We do it because we want to believe in the students we support.
17:03And we want to see them thrive.
17:05But when education is underfunded and overwhelmed, we're often left doing the bare minimum.
17:16And that's not why any of us got into this work.
17:19Every child deserves quality education.
17:23But that's not the situation right now, or the reality in every classroom.
17:28More and more students are falling through the cracks.
17:31Because we can't support their needs.
17:35There just isn't enough of us in schools.
17:38The truth is, we want to give our all every day.
17:42But with constant cuts and staff shortages, we're stretched way too thin.
17:52There just aren't enough of us in schools to give students the support they need.
17:58Especially students with disabilities or exceptionalities.
18:02The care and time and attention they truly deserve.
18:06And it's not just our students that are feeling it.
18:10These cuts have taken a real toll on staff.
18:13We're being asked to do more with less.
18:17More students, more responsibility, and more pressure.
18:21It's exhausting.
18:23And what's even more concerning is the rise in violence that educational assistants are being faced with within the schools.
18:33We're often placed in high-stress situations without proper supports to keep us safe.
18:41It's not just unfair, it's unsustainable.
18:45Our working conditions are our students' learning conditions.
18:49And in the end, it's students that will suffer when we're stretched beyond our limits.
18:57We need real change.
18:59We need to have governments invest in schools.
19:01Because education is a critical infrastructure.
19:05It's a foundation for everything.
19:07Economic growth, community service, equity, and opportunity.
19:13Without immediate funding, we run the risk of long-term harm.
19:17Not just to our students, but to society as a whole.
19:21I truly believe things can get better.
19:23But we need action now.
19:25The longer we wait, the more students we lose to an educational system that just isn't meeting their needs.
19:32Our students can't wait.
19:34If we want a brighter future, we have to act now.
19:38Education workers are ready and willing to stand in solidarity for education in Ontario.
19:46Thank you, Gina! Thank you, Abzu! Thank you!
19:51Who scores?
19:54Oh, come on!
19:56Arshi Nath, a grade 10 student, two-time winner of Canada's Top Scientist Award.
20:06And one of the most inspiring students that we know. Welcome!
20:15Hello, everyone! Bonjour!
20:17My name's Arshi, and I'm a grade 10 student.
20:20J'espère que vous allez bien.
20:22As a first-generation Canadian, my education journey began in Ontario's public school system.
20:30It's where I met my very first friend, participated in my very first musical,
20:36learned to swim, and became fluent in both English and French.
20:42Thanks to teachers that encouraged my curiosity,
20:47school science fairs that welcomed my projects,
20:50and after-school programs that gave me the space to explore,
20:54I found my passion for science and astronomy.
20:58This passion led me to build tools to help detect and deflect asteroids.
21:05It took me all the way to the Canada-wide science fair,
21:08where I won the Top Young Scientist Award two years in a row.
21:16Our public education system is a success story,
21:19one that needs to be protected and invested in.
21:23When decisions to make education cuts are made in air-conditioned chambers at Queen's Park,
21:30the consequences are felt by my generation.
21:34To one trying to study in hot classrooms with leaking roofs and broken furniture.
21:42When schools and teachers are under-resourced, my STEM classes get cut.
21:47My field trips are cancelled.
21:49My after-school clubs disappear.
21:54And we lose safe community spaces and swimming pools where teens gather.
22:00And if that wasn't enough, even our beloved Ontario Science Centre and Ontario Place have been destroyed.
22:08It's becoming harder for me and my friends to become who we want to be.
22:13Scientists, engineers, artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, and even good politicians.
22:22When we starve our education system, we weaken our homegrown talent pipeline.
22:27No wonder Ontario is spending billions subsidizing foreign companies to bring their talent here,
22:33effectively funding education systems elsewhere while starving our own.
22:41Ask any public school kid and they can do the math and tell you,
22:44spending billions to save millions is a bad deal and a failure of economic vision.
22:53I can't vote yet, but I have a voice.
22:55And I'm using that voice today, not just for myself, but for every student, to say this message out loud.
23:07Ontario public education is ours to protect, not yours to destroy. Thank you.
23:133 in 10 public schools, whose schools? Whose schools?
23:19The Toronto education workers here in Toronto, welcome to the stage, Mr. John Weatherup.
23:33I just want to welcome everybody here today.
23:35My career started 40 years ago at the Toronto District School Board.
23:39Started 40 years ago at the Toronto District School Board.
23:42Some of you won't remember, but right around the corner here is 155 College,
23:47which used to be the headquarters of the Toronto Board of Education.
23:50And the programs around international languages, LTVQ, Tim McGaskill, and the crew that ran that,
23:58and the trustees that Tony Salipo went on to be the Minister of Education,
24:02put those international language programs at the forefront.
24:06Fiona Nelson once told me, every seniors program in Toronto should be free for seniors.
24:14They paid the taxes, they paid the price, and now they're cutting those programs.
24:19So my mother used to have a quote she used to tell me.
24:22The saying, liars never figure and figures never lie,
24:26is a play on words highlighting how data can be manipulated to support a desired outcome,
24:32even if the underlying figures themselves are accurate.
24:35If those numbers are factual, people are liars.
24:39And they can use those numbers to draw misleading or false conclusions.
24:44You're going to get sucked into this budget discussion,
24:47where they're going to talk about numbers and billions and who spent what billions.
24:51All you have to do is look in the schools, take a visit to your school,
24:56see what's happening in special education, see what's happening with early childhood education,
25:01see what's happening with our class sizes in our schools.
25:04Don't get sucked into this budget argument about the billions, how much on administration,
25:10who's spending what. Look for yourself.
25:13Because that's what's going to be the telltale sign of this fight.
25:17We are not going to be able to have enough press to cover the lies.
25:21They call it core funding.
25:23I don't know if you've seen the new Toronto District School Board logo from a number of years ago.
25:28It looks like a half-eaten apple.
25:31It looks like the apple has halved.
25:33My mother used to call it rotten to the core.
25:36Those cool programs that used to be valuable to us have now been abandoned.
25:41Whatever programs, African heritage language, adult learning, international languages, it is a problem.
25:48Just so, because I represent four school boards now across the province and across Toronto,
25:54and we also represent in Bloorview School Authority,
25:58another wonderful place where some of our children with the most needs and the most vulnerable are already there.
26:04We deliver services people can't even imagine to understand the medical conditions that our children are,
26:10and the conditions that are making them live it.
26:13If you're a special education parent, you've been abandoned a number of years ago
26:17with the resources that you need for your children in the schools.
26:21The Beverly Street School is just down the street.
26:24We have children who have to go to sick kids every day,
26:27and they have to have those schools in their communities as they try to close congregated sites
26:32by telling us, don't you believe in integration?
26:36Of course we believe in integration into our schools,
26:39but we need resources for integration, not abandonment of those kids in our schools.
26:48There's lots of other speakers to come forward.
26:51Just like I said, a little history.
26:53We were on strike in 1991.
26:55We were on strike in 2001.
26:57I was here in 1997 with the teachers' protest for two weeks on strike.
27:02This fight continues on.
27:04The right never goes to sleep,
27:06and we always have to be there to protect our adult learners, our seniors, and our most vulnerable students.
27:12Thank you very much, and have a great day.
27:19So now I'd like to welcome to the stage
27:22Raha Janafar, Angie Hilts, and Jenny Tai,
27:27three musicians working as artists raising young children in Toronto.
27:32Between them, they've performed on countless stages,
27:35toured extensively, released albums, and taught music to generations of children across the city.
27:41Welcome Raha, Angie, and Jenny.
27:47We immigrated here from Iran,
27:49and amongst the very few items that my parents brought with them on the planes
27:53were three small, child-sized violins,
27:56because that's how important it was for them to have their kids grow up with the arts,
28:01and they knew that they wouldn't be able to afford those once they got to Canada.
28:04I was so lucky to be enrolled in a publicly funded arts school
28:09upon arrival to this country.
28:12As an eight-year-old in grade four,
28:15with English as my second language,
28:17cultural barriers,
28:19and a very low self-esteem,
28:21that school and those teachers at that school
28:24gave me the opportunity to find myself,
28:27to learn how to use my voice
28:30to have a life full of expression.
28:33And because I am an artist,
28:35I have since connected with countless people.
28:38I have become a member of a strong community,
28:41and I have made lifelong friends,
28:44with whom I have now created a village,
28:46and together we are raising our children.
28:49At a time when there is so much divisiveness,
28:52when people are feeling so isolated,
28:54the arts are going to be the thing.
28:57It's our ticket out of this mess.
29:00And through the arts we are going to learn
29:03not only how to tell our stories,
29:06but more importantly,
29:08how to listen and hear the stories of others,
29:11and find a connection with one another,
29:14and re-find our humanity.
29:17Doug Ford, you will not deprive my children
29:21of the opportunities that my parents brought me
29:24to this country seeking.
29:26No cuts for arts in schools!
29:34Woo!
29:36I just also wanted to say something
29:38about the cuts to the special education programs.
29:42My friend Fiona Copley is a teacher in the TDSB,
29:45and she gave me these words,
29:47that our children with special needs
29:49are canaries in the coal mine,
29:51and their needs affect the entire health of the school.
29:56Not just affecting that student or that family,
29:59it's affecting the entire class
30:01and the entire ecosystem of the school,
30:03and it all depends on the support that these kids have.
30:06So we need to stop talking about more technology,
30:09swimming pools, and all these other things.
30:11We need to have bodies in the school
30:13helping each children get what they need.
30:16So, screw you, Doug Ford!
30:23Special education is under attack in Ontario,
30:26and the reality is that this government
30:28seems perfectly fine to sit back and let it burn down.
30:35For students with complex needs,
30:37they are increasingly being put on modified schedules,
30:40being told that schools can only support them
30:43for a few hours a day.
30:45This is a human rights issue.
30:47More than that, they're often being excluded completely,
30:51and the government just continues to ignore that fact.
30:56Almost daily, we hear stories from families
30:59that their children are escaping school property
31:02and being put in very dangerous situations.
31:05While these dramatic stories of exclusions
31:08and other safety concerns frequently make the news,
31:12what we don't hear about and what is not being discussed
31:16is the fact that many students with special education needs
31:19are just simply not being able to access curriculum
31:22due to the lack of supports.
31:25We need to make this point abundantly clear.
31:28When students with special education needs
31:31are not being properly supported in classrooms,
31:35this is not just a problem for those students.
31:42This is a problem for every other student in that classroom
31:45as well as the educators,
31:47and we need to start taking that seriously.
31:50Classroom evacuations, disruptions,
31:53and educators desperately trying to balance...
32:00desperately trying to balance the needs
32:03of every student in that classroom
32:05has become out of control.
32:08I'd like to address educators.
32:11We want you to know that we see you.
32:14We see you desperately being forced to do more and more
32:17with less and less.
32:19We see you facing violence, disrespect,
32:22and extreme stress daily,
32:25but yet you keep showing up for our kids,
32:28and it's so appreciated.
32:31We've said it before, and we're going to keep saying it.
32:35Your working conditions are our kids' learning conditions,
32:39and everybody needs to be taking that seriously,
32:42and we need to continue standing together
32:44to tell all of our stories.
32:47You have an important perspective just as much as we do,
32:51and I think that those two perspectives together
32:54should hopefully at some point
32:57sink in with this government, I would hope.
33:00I'd like to finish off today by talking about Landon Ferris.
33:05For those of you unfamiliar with Landon,
33:09he was an incredible 15-year-old from Trenton, Ontario,
33:14who died last year at school
33:17after being left alone in a classroom by himself
33:20for hours.
33:23Landon was a beautiful soul, full of light and joy.
33:27He also had a condition called Dravet Syndrome,
33:31a disorder characterized by prolonged seizures,
33:34which meant he should have never been left alone.
33:37This tragedy should never have happened.
33:41And you would think that Landon's story
33:45would have been a wake-up call for this government,
33:49a reason to ensure that not only proper supports are in place
33:52for our most vulnerable students,
33:54but that important policies and procedures
33:57are consistently mandated.
34:00But no, as usual, this government has continued to show us
34:04that people with disabilities are not a priority for them.
34:13As we forge ahead in what will most undoubtedly
34:16be further education cuts,
34:19that almost always hit special education the hardest,
34:22I would like everyone to remember Landon
34:25and demand better.
34:28Thank you so much, and keep up the fight, everyone.
34:31Thank you, Kate.
34:34Kate, you remind us that funding cuts
34:37hurt the most valuable first.
34:40Thank you so much.
34:43I would like to introduce Helen Victoris,
34:46who I work closely with and I admire deeply.
34:49Helen Victoris is vice president
34:52of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto.
34:55Welcome, Helen.
34:58It's the president.
35:01Oh, yeah, I'm the vice president.
35:04You're the president.
35:07This is really embarrassing.
35:10It is so good to see you,
35:13and you are definitely the stalwarts.
35:16I know all of you have been here for about the last hour,
35:19hour and a half, and I know that we are coming
35:22to the end of this amazing rally together,
35:25but it is the first among many.
35:28I want to start off.
35:31As Nigel said, I'm Helen Victoris,
35:34president, sometimes vice president
35:37We represent the almost 11,000 teachers
35:40that work in elementary schools across
35:43the Toronto District School Board.
35:46The majority of our members are also parents
35:49and grandparents, so the majority of our members
35:52know from all sides of the equation
35:55what it's like to be in a TDSP school right now,
35:58either from a teacher perspective or a parent perspective.
36:01Every time we have a meeting
36:04with our members, we start off with one question,
36:07which is, if you had ultimate power,
36:10if you were suddenly granted all power
36:13and could make the changes that you want to see
36:16in your school that would make things so much better
36:19immediately for you and your students,
36:22what would you do? And what they say,
36:25I'm going to read you their list,
36:28that every school would have a full-time guidance counsellor,
36:31nutritious meals,
36:34a dedicated kindergarten yard
36:37and more green space around their school,
36:40music programs in every building,
36:43up-to-date technology
36:46for every student,
36:49an ECE in every kindergarten classroom
36:52and an EA for every classroom,
36:55up-to-date curriculum resources,
36:59more special education supports,
37:02smaller class sizes,
37:05ESL programs,
37:08paper, they actually put on their list
37:11that they need paper,
37:14and school supplies,
37:17a teacher-librarian full-time for every school,
37:20full-time social workers, speech language,
37:23more special education resources,
37:27repairing the falling tiles and mold issues,
37:30good, relevant, up-to-date
37:33professional development,
37:36consistent caretaking,
37:39soap, soap in their bathrooms,
37:42more special education supports,
37:45you can start to see a theme,
37:48and the safety concerns being addressed.
37:51Is there anybody that's here right now
37:55that thinks that in a province as rich as Ontario,
37:58in a country as rich as Canada,
38:01you should have teachers that are actually saying
38:04these are the things they want
38:07as opposed to these are the things they already have?
38:10This is disgusting!
38:13We are one of the richest provinces
38:16in one of the richest countries in the world
38:19and we have teachers and education sector workers
38:22and parents saying they need more paper,
38:25they need more special education resources.
38:28It is shameful.
38:31The funding gap right now for the TDSB
38:34is $127 million compared to what
38:37TDSB received in the 2018-19 budget
38:40if funding had kept pace
38:43with enrollment and inflation.
38:46This government
38:49is putting students, teachers,
38:52education sector workers and every parent
38:55in the province last
38:58every single day.
39:01They are attempting to drive our public education system
39:04that we spent years, decades
39:07building up into the ground.
39:10What are they actually spending money on?
39:13I'll tell you,
39:16this is a class war situation.
39:19They spent just in the last year
39:22$612 million
39:25to get booze into stores
39:28ahead of a provincial election.
39:31The TDSB's deficit
39:34is $58 million.
39:37They spent $612 million
39:40on booze in stores.
39:43They spent $100 million
39:46in the last year
39:49on self-aggrandizing advertisements
39:52ahead of their provincial election.
39:55Three times what they spent a year ago.
39:58They spent
40:01$200 million
40:04on a snap election
40:07that changed nothing in this province
40:11that nobody wanted.
40:14That is almost $1 billion
40:17and we're here today on a $58 million deficit.
40:20People have said time and again
40:23that they have choices
40:26and they are making choices every day
40:29to put our students, our teachers,
40:32our education sector workers last.
40:35We will always put them first.
40:38We're standing here today strong.
40:41Unions, trustees, parents,
40:44community members to say
40:47we will not let you destroy the public education system
40:50that we've invested in and built up over decades.
40:53We will always wrap our arms
40:56around our public education system.
40:59We will join together strong
41:02and fight for the schools that our students deserve.
41:05Fund our schools now.
41:12Helen Victor is president
41:15of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto.
41:23Now I'd like to please welcome Jessica Roberts
41:26a parent advocate for inclusivity and equity
41:29in schools.
41:35I'm here today as a parent
41:38that has stayed around today
41:41to listen to everybody here that has a voice.
41:44This is my daughter Ruby
41:47and I'm here today to speak for her.
41:50I won't be able to do this without crying.
41:53I'm here today not only as a parent
41:56but as an advocate for children with exceptionalities.
41:59Children who are too often forgotten
42:02conservative government's cuts to education
42:05are already having devastating effects.
42:08At my daughter's school, Beverly School
42:11a specialized TDSB school for students
42:14with complex needs, we're losing a full time
42:17teaching position next year.
42:20Let me be clear, this is not just a staffing issue.
42:23This means fewer children will be invited
42:26to attend. It means larger class sizes
42:29and in a school where many students
42:32are non-mobile, relying on wheelchairs
42:35walkers and beds, this isn't just
42:38inconvenient, it's unsafe.
42:41Before Beverly
42:44my daughter was in a classroom that claimed
42:47to be inclusive, but her curriculum
42:50wasn't adapted. Her communication needs
42:53were ignored. Her potential
42:56went unseen. It was exclusion
42:59dressed as inclusion and it was
43:02joyless. When she arrived at Beverly
43:05everything changed.
43:08She was met by educators
43:11who truly understand how children like her
43:14learn. Through adapted materials, communication
43:17devices like AAC and even
43:20sign language. For the first time
43:23she felt seen. She felt
43:26heard. And most importantly
43:29she found joy in learning.
43:32She comes home every day excited.
43:35She wants to go to school. She's thriving
43:38and so is our whole family.
43:41Her confidence has grown. Her world
43:44has opened up. Her quality of life
43:47both in and outside the classroom has been
43:50transformed. That change
43:53it's priceless, but it's also incredibly
43:56fragile. Losing a teacher doesn't just
43:59mean fewer staff, it means dismantling the
44:02kind of classroom that makes that joy
44:05that growth possible. Teachers will be
44:08stretched thinner. Students with high needs will get
44:11less support. And the progress my daughter and so
44:14many others have made, that progress is at
44:17risk. Congregated schools like Beverly
44:20are not luxuries. They are
44:23lifelines. They are communities where every
44:26child is given the chance to thrive in a space
44:29built for them and not around
44:32them. We should be expanding schools like
44:35Beverly. Instead we're watching them
44:38shrink under cuts from a government that claims to
44:41care about kids while
44:44we're feeling the ones who need them the most.
44:47Every child deserves education that
44:50recognizes their humanity, nurtures
44:53their potential, and brings them joy.
44:56My daughter might be nonverbal, but
44:59this mama is not, and I will keep my voice
45:02until every child gets the education they
45:05deserve. Thank you.
45:08Thank you, Jessica.
45:14Thank you for bringing parents'
45:17truth to this fight. And now
45:20from CBC Top 20 and the heart
45:23of our public schools, please welcome
45:26housewife Bridget Fry.
45:32Now let's welcome Angelica Bell.
45:35Angelica is a passionate leader championing equity,
45:38financial literacy, and the educational advocacy
45:41of underserved communities. Currently serving as the
45:44twice elected student trustee
45:47for the Toronto District School Board, she advocates
45:50for over 235,000 students.
45:53Welcome, Angelica.
45:57I don't really need a script to be talking about education
46:00and the funding of our students and the children that are around us
46:03and the children that are running around with so much joy
46:06and passion and just living their life.
46:09The most important thing to mention and talk about
46:12is the concept of what a lot of our students are going to be going through
46:15in the next couple of months.
46:18And that is that we are going to be
46:21going through a pandemic.
46:25Imagine you enter a school environment
46:28and you have fewer teachers for the amount of students
46:31that are coming into your education system.
46:34You enter a school environment and some of the programs
46:37that you did last year and the years previously
46:40that were so important to your education are suddenly disappearing.
46:43Those students are able to navigate those environments
46:46and it greatly harms their ability to grow
46:49as student leaders and student voices of our future schools.
46:53The future engineers are in our schools.
46:56The future doctors, the future lawyers,
46:59we're all in our schools building up within our public education system.
47:02The product of public education are leaders,
47:05not followers.
47:08As students, we need your help.
47:11As parents, you send your students to public education
47:14hoping they come out as better people.
47:17You're hoping that they come from a place
47:21You're hoping that they're coming out and they're being able to be supported
47:24as what they want to do in the near future.
47:28Some people that sit in these buildings
47:31across the street from us or behind us
47:34think that education is expensive.
47:37The investment in your students and your future
47:40is expensive.
47:43But what's expensive is students not being educated
47:46to the greatest degree that our province
47:49our province that's filled with wealth and experience
47:52can be able to invest in the students around us.
47:55What I ask the province to understand
47:58is that education, investment in education is not expensive
48:01but it's vital. It's important.
48:09And that particular type of change
48:12that particular mindset the province needs to build upon and have
48:15is what will help us be able to fight against
48:18problems that come in the near future
48:21against our country and against our province.
48:24So instead of funding booze
48:30trying to fight against a terror war
48:33that's happening within our country
48:36we need to build up what we currently have
48:39and that's our youth, that's our students
48:42and that's the future of our country. Thank you.
48:48Angelica Bell
48:51from a public school
48:54this is a product of our public schools
48:57exactly why we need our public schools.
49:00Now please welcome Michelle Tashira
49:03President of the OSSTF Toronto Teachers
49:06Welcome.
49:14Thank you. Thank you everybody for sticking around
49:17I know that the crowd has thinned out
49:20but you know what hasn't thinned out?
49:23Our commitment to publicly funded education
49:26so thank you. We're in the homestretch I promise you.
49:29So gathering today is so important
49:32because we need to send a loud and strong message
49:35to the conservative government
49:38that we will no longer accept the chronic underfunding
49:41of education in this province.
49:44This is a battle that we have been facing
49:47since the Mike Harris years in the late 90s.
49:50I was a high school student during that time.
49:53In 1997 I walked in solidarity
49:56with my teachers who walked out for two weeks
49:59during the Bill 160 protest.
50:02I knew then as I know now
50:05that my teachers working conditions
50:08were my learning conditions.
50:11Education workers across the province put themselves
50:14on the line by walking out in protest
50:17not for their own self interest but because they knew
50:20that the future of publicly funded education
50:23depended on it.
50:26I saw my teachers fighting for me and today
50:29I continue that fight here with you.
50:32It is almost 30 years later and we find ourselves
50:35here again.
50:38Enough, it's time to make it stop.
50:44This is one of the most consequential moments
50:47in the history of education in this province.
50:50The Ford government is content to play political games
50:53with our schools and with our students.
50:56They are spending billions of dollars on building
50:59highways we don't need and luxury spas
51:02rather than on our schools.
51:05They have underfunded education by over $6 billion
51:08since they took office.
51:11There is a $17 billion school repair backlog.
51:17Schools are literally crumbling around our students
51:20and I don't know about you but I don't want to live
51:23in an Ontario that prioritizes roads
51:26and spas over our children.
51:30Minister Calandra has the gall
51:33to point his finger and blame trustees
51:36rather than pointing it where it belongs,
51:39squarely at himself.
51:42He has the gall to waste money on investigations
51:45into school boards that are no more than a ruse
51:48designed to distract from the fact
51:51that they are willfully and intentionally
51:54underfunding education in this province.
52:00Friends, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
52:03What the Conservatives are doing now
52:06is laying the groundwork for privatization
52:09and the erosion of local democracy
52:12and we cannot let them get away with it.
52:15Now is the time to roll up our sleeves
52:18and do that work that needs to be done.
52:21Are you ready to do that work?
52:24We are stronger when we do that work in solidarity.
52:28Together we can and we will create the change
52:31we want to see in Ontario.
52:37Thank you, Toronto teachers.
52:40I think we all should take some swimming lessons
52:43in Calandra's backyard maybe.
52:46We'll bring all the children there.
52:49Okay, so now from Mississauga, a student leader
52:52and trustee making real change,
52:55Raheem White.
52:58Good afternoon, everyone.
53:01My name is Raheem White.
53:04I'm a grade 11 student in Mississauga
53:07and a student trustee for the Dufferin Peel Catholic
53:10District School Board.
53:13Let me start with this.
53:16I'm originally from Jamaica,
53:19spent the majority of my schooling there.
53:22I owe it to the teachers and education workers
53:25who saw something in me, they nurtured me
53:28and they taught me what it meant to lead with care
53:31and it is because of them, it's because of you
53:34why I'm here today.
53:37As a student trustee, I have the honour of representing
53:40the 71,000 students of Dufferin Peel with my peers
53:43and it's disheartening to see what's happening.
53:46We're on our fourth education minister in a year
53:49and let me let you in on a secret.
53:52I'm in Toronto this weekend for an Ontario Student Trustees
53:55Association conference just down the street.
53:58This is my third in a year and the minister has been invited
54:01every single time and he fails, and she at the time,
54:04failed to show up.
54:07If you take note, the only classrooms they're interested
54:10in visiting is kindergarten.
54:13They're afraid of the high schoolers.
54:16My peers have come to me with a plethora of concerns.
54:19Student equity clubs have initiatives that they want to have.
54:22The bodies are there, the staff are willing to support
54:25but there is no money.
54:28Some of our books, if there are books, have been through it.
54:31Our bathrooms are in deplorable conditions
54:34and our boards can't fix it.
54:37Support staff are spread thin to the point
54:40where students have to book an appointment to see them
54:43every week.
54:46What happens when that student is in crisis and needs help now?
54:49There are supportive adults in our building
54:52and they are there and ready to support each and every student
54:55they want to serve, but they don't feel supported.
54:58To the Premier,
55:01you've already spent the people's credit card
55:04more than any other government before.
55:07His words, not mine.
55:10I urge him to keep spending.
55:13Do it with his eyes shut, because when it comes to the kids
55:16and the people who are there to support them,
55:19they're worth every damn penny.
55:25Thank you, Rahim.
55:28Again, our Ontario Public Schools, another product.
55:31That's why we need public schools funded properly.
55:34Glantrick, get your hands up, public education!
55:37I have the pleasure of introducing
55:40our final act of the day.
55:43Ken Wheatley has travelled the globe.
55:46He has played with Rafi.
55:49I don't know if some of you know Rafi.
55:52Singer, songwriter.
55:5540 years of education within schools of music.
55:58We are so glad to have him here.
56:01Don't forget to get your ice cream.
56:04There's a special code you have to give.
56:07Education is a right.
56:10Now all you have to do to get your ice cream
56:13is to say Education is a right at the ice cream truck on Grosvenor.
56:16Are we ready, Ken?
56:19Thank you so much.
56:22Thanks everybody for hanging in there.
56:25Hanging in there is really what it's about.
56:28I was at political events here in Queen's Park
56:31in the 70s, the 80s, the 90s,
56:34the aughts, the teens,
56:37and now the 2020s.
56:40We're in it for the long haul.
56:43You've heard lots of people talk about the importance of education.
56:46I don't need to tell you about that.
56:49What we do need to know is to come together
56:52to prioritize the values that we espouse
56:55as human beings.
56:58The values of education, of the environment,
57:01of caring about each other.
57:04That's what government is.
57:07Government is just a way for us to decide collectively
57:10what our priorities are.
57:13One of my priorities is to get people singing together,
57:16clapping your hands like this.
57:23Call your MPP.
57:26Get away from our schools.
57:29We love you. Have a great day. Solidarity forever.
57:32One love.