A provincial memo obtained by CBC Toronto lays out the Ford government's plans to cut thousands of full-time teaching positions in Ontario beginning this fall. In the 2019-2020 school year, the memo says, there will be 1,558 fewer full-time teachers in Ontario. By the 2022-2023 school year, that number will be 3,475 — about three per cent of Ontario's current teacher workforce. The total savings for removing those full-time positions would be $851 million. The memo, which was sent by the Ministry of Education to school board administrators, also clarifies that the positions will be shed through attrition — meaning teachers that quit or retire and are not replaced — as well as changing student enrolment numbers and bumped-up class sizes. Class sizes going up Concerns about teacher job losses have been swirling since March, when the province revealed its education plan, which includes increases to class sizes for intermediate and high school students. The average class size requirement for Grades 9 to 12 will be adjusted to 28, up from the current average of 22. Because those averages are determined by individual school boards, educators have warned that some classes — especially important prerequisites — could balloon to the high 30s. Hiring increased, enrolment declined In a statement issued on Friday, Minister of Education Lisa Thompson said there are "real challenges facing our province's education system" and the government "wants to work co-operatively with union partners" to address them. But Thompson said government will not be distracted by what she calls union tactics designed to preserve their control over the education budget. "The fact is that, Ontario's teachers' unions have been handed control of the education system for the past 15 years," Thompson said in the statement. "Over the last decade and a half, Ontario has added 13,000 more teachers and more than 9,700 early childhood education (ECE) workers, resulting in an increase in teacher hiring by more than 11 per cent while enrolment declined by almost one per cent." Ontario has a much lower student-to-teacher ratio than most of the country, Thompson said, adding that year over year, teachers' salaries and benefits have increased while students continue to fall behind in important subjects like math. According to Thompson, despite what unions say, their priority has not been student success and as a result our province's math scores are dropping and our students find themselves falling further and further behind. Education Minister Lisa Thompson Thompson says government will not be distracted by what she calls union tactics designed to preserve their control over the education budget. (CBC) The Toronto District School Board had predicted that larger classes would result in about 1,000 fewer teachers in its schools. On Friday, TDSB trustee Robin Pilkey told CBC Toronto by email that the memo doesn't provide any new information, and that "the number of positions we anticipate being eliminated has not changed." The TDSB's enrolment is expected to climb by about 1,500 students in the next three years, according to a board report release in January, from its 2018-2019 level of 242,423 to 243,988 by the 2021-2022 school year. Thompson said the current plan is to ensure that no teachers will be laid off. "We will ensure we remain focused on our students and bring their marks up so all students have a better chance to get a job when they enter the workforce. It is not too late for all parties to start working together to solve the real challenges facing our students," she said. Word of the memo comes just one day after students across Ontario staged a province-wide protest over the planned changes to the education system, and a day before another planned rally set to be held at the legislature at Queen's Park.<doc-sep>More than 100,000 students participated in a province-wide walkout on April 4, and on April 6, around 10,000 teachers, students and parents showed up to protest at Queen’s Park. They were all rallying against Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Lisa Thompson’s proposed cuts to education—especially an increase in class sizes and a decrease in the number of teachers. What exactly is happening? We break it down for you. What exactly are the proposed changes? In a plan called “Education that Works for You” that was unveiled on March 15, the Ontario government outlined three major goals—modernizing classrooms, modernizing learning and modernizing health and physical education. As per the plan, “modernizing classrooms” means improving broadband internet access, requiring high school students to take a minimum of four online courses (up to now, online courses were typically optional) and making “sustainable” cuts to Grants for Student Needs, which covers costs for things like classroom supplies and Indigenous language programs. (But, the government notes, “key programs will not be changed, specifically to special education and student transportation funding.”) It also means increasing class sizes—under the plan, average class size for grades four through eight will rise from 23.84 to 24.5, while average class size for grades nine through 12 will jump from 22 to 28. As for “modernizing learning,” the Ford government hopes to introduce a new four-year math plan that will increase online resources and require new teachers to pass a math knowledge test to become Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) certified—seemingly regardless of their subject expertise. (Thompson has referred to the math curriculum put in place by the previous Liberal government as “failed.”) Note that under section 176/10 of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, teachers already must prove their qualifications in a general or technological subject before teaching it—for example, through a degree, certificate, or work experience. The government will also promote STEM and skilled trades, offer what it says is a new focus on financial literacy in the grade 10 career studies course, and finally finish updates to the high school Indigenous curriculum that began as a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission—backtracking on last summer’s controversy when the Ontario Tories put the Indigenous curriculum’s development “on pause.” For health and physical education, the Ford government also backtracked on its summer 2018 decision to revert schools to the 1998 curriculum, including sex ed curriculum, after much backlash. (The 1998 curriculum didn’t cover consent, online communication, or LGBTQ2+ identities.) The final version looks more similar to the 2015 curriculum, and covers consent, online safety and gender identity and expression. That said, certain topics will now be covered in grade 8, not grade 6. It also introduces education on mental health and concussions beginning in grade one, what family and healthy relationships look like in grade two and new information on vaping and opioid risks in grade six. Yeah, this is a weird bit from today's Question Period. pic.twitter.com/9O3e2Y3urg — John Michael McGrath (@jm_mcgrath) April 10, 2019 How many teachers will lose their jobs? That’s unclear. On April 4, the Toronto Star reported on a ministry memo discussing plans to save $851 million by phasing out 3,475 teaching positions over the next five years. The government has said that it is not planning to lay people off, instead, it will not be rehiring for roles after staff members retire. However, even if teachers are not directly laid off, they may have their jobs declared “surplus.” That means their current position would no longer exist and they would be shuffled elsewhere in the system. Despite the province’s promises, education cuts as well as changes to the autism funding have led to layoffs including nearly 200 secondary school teachers in the Peel District School Board (PDSB), 54 elementary teachers with the Upper Grand District School Board in Guelph, 35 teaching positions with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, 111 teachers with the Lambton-Kent District School Board, with more projected. Elsewhere, more teachers have been declared surplus or redundant, including 369 teachers in PDSB, 121 high school teachers (half of their teachers) in the Near North School Board, 96 teaching positions with the Greater Essex County District School Board, 42 high school teachers in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, 80 consultants, special assignment teachers, and specialists with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. Additionally, Global News reported on a memo revealing that about 1,000 high school teachers in Toronto have had their positions declared surplus as a precaution for potential budget cuts. Others are also in job limbo as school boards wait for more details from the government about whether there will be funding for their positions or not. What do the proposed changes mean for students? Fewer teachers obviously means larger class sizes and fewer classes across the province. Already, students in Mississauga are seeing fewer course options and their electives cut. As well, teachers’ unions argue that to compensate for certain classes that are smaller by necessity—for example, technology classes that have limited equipment, or arts classes with lower enrolments—other courses will have to increase in size to maintain the required average. (In other words, to keep smaller specialized classes, schools would have to have larger general classes.) Diane Dewing, the president of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, is worried about how school boards will justify certain classes going forward. “We fear that arts classes, which often have small numbers of students, will disappear because there simply won’t be the funding to have that teacher.” She also raises concerns about how smaller schools such as francophone schools and those in rural and northern areas might be disproportionately affected by budget cuts. Larger school districts are already anticipating big changes—for example, the Toronto District School Board has projected a budget shortfall of $67.8 million for the upcoming school year. Larger class sizes mean students will receive less support and one-on-one time from teachers. There are also concerns about the mandatory high school online courses (the new plan doesn’t specify what kind of courses those will be, only that students must take four), as researchers have pointed out that administrators are often tempted to fill those classes with more students because they aren’t limited by space. And unions argue that overloading teachers with too many students—whether it’s in classrooms or via e-learning—will decrease the quality of education. “There has just been an increase in an inclusive approach to education—more kids with different needs in classrooms than there used to be—all of that calls for an increase in supports and instead the government is going in the opposite direction,” says Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF). Both Ford and Thompson have shared a Toronto Sun column pointing to certain studies that say class size has little effect on students; research on the relationship between achievement and class size is widely considered to be inconclusive. Did the Ford government consult with anyone about these changes? Thompson launched Ontario’s largest public consultation on education in August of 2018, consisting of an online survey and telephone town halls, and by the time it wrapped last December, a total of 72,000 parents, teachers, students, employers and organizations had weighed in. Sounds extensive, right? Not so fast. Bischof says the consultations did not address the most significant policy changes, such as cutting teachers or making students take online courses. “It was just political pandering,” he says. How are students and teachers responding? Frustrated stakeholders have made their views on the province’s educational plans known, including during the aforementioned walkout and Queen’s Park protest (the latter of which involved teachers who bussed in from across the province). How is the government responding to pushback? Ford called the students “a bunch of pawns” and Thompson released a statement that essentially claimed that the walkout may have been organized by the teachers’ unions. “Instead of focusing on political stunts, I encourage the unions to work cooperatively with us on the real challenges facing Ontario’s education system such as the fact that too many of our kids are failing math—graduating without the skills necessary to successfully enter the workforce,” she said.<doc-sep>TORONTO -- Ontario's largest school board has to account for a $28.7 million shortfall next year because of the province's changes to education funding, according to a document presented to the Toronto District School Board's budget committee. The Progressive Conservative government announced cuts to education funding last month, including by increasing the average class size for Grades 4 to 8 from 23.84 to 24.5 -- a move the board says will cost it nearly $10 million next year. Boards have yet to see the specific breakdown of the cuts, TDSB chairwoman Robin Pilkey said. For their 2019-2020 projected financial position, the board is working with information from the government's announcement last month. "We don't have the final numbers. This is what we know now. We hope that it doesn't get worse," Pilkey said Wednesday. "We are going to have to make some big decisions." The board has yet to decide what it will cut to balance the books, but regardless of what they tweak, Pilkey said that students will feel the effects. "We have a large budget, but much of it is about staffing and collective agreements," she said, noting that the board's total budget is typically north of $3 billion. Thousands of teaching positions are expected to be lost while the changes -- including a bump to the average high school class size -- are phased in, though Education Minister Lisa Thompson has said there will be no "involuntary job losses." The TDSB said it would need to fire 216 elementary teachers to accommodate the new budget, but that it can't because its collective agreement with the teachers' union mandates an average elementary class size of 23.24. The price tag on that is expected to be $9.6 million per year, according to the board. "This class size is essentially a funding cut," Pilkey said. "They essentially just said, 'Okay, we'll only fund you to 24.5,' but we have to staff to 23, so we have to make up the difference." The board will also lose $9.9 million it expected to get for the Cost Adjustment Allocation, which is used to fund "education worker benchmarks," according to the document. The province has said the boards already receive enough money in grants to cover those expenses, but the TDSB disputes that. The Toronto board said it will also lose another $7.9 million because of the province's move to reduce funding for designated early childhood educators. And 800 TDSB secondary teachers -- who don't have the same mandated average class size in their collective agreement as the elementary teachers -- will lose their jobs over the next four years because of the province's move to bump the average high school class from 22 to 28 students, the board said. Pilkey noted that there are still some unknowns about the province's changes, which are expected to become clearer in the coming weeks. She said changes to the grant for student needs have not yet been announced. Likewise, the Facilities Operating and Renewal grant is being adjusted to increased class size in secondary schools. The province has faced sharp criticism for its changes to education funding, with school boards in Toronto, Peel region and eastern Ontario writing to Thompson to tell her that the bump means they can offer fewer elective courses, such as in the arts and skilled trades. On Saturday, crowds covered the lawn in front of Queen's Park to protest the government's move to increase class sizes, have students take more online courses and overhaul the autism program. Thompson has said the government won't be distracted by what she called "union tactics" such as protests. A spokeswoman for Thompson said the province will work with both unions and school boards as the new funding model is implemented. "Our plan, Education That Works For You, will be implemented responsibly through a measured approach that prioritizes student achievement and will ensure not a single teacher loses their job," Kayla Iafelice said.<doc-sep>
Educators, parents, and politicians in Ontario are reacting to reports the provincial government plans to cut thousands of full-time teaching positions over the next four years. According to a memo sent by Ontario’s Ministry of Education to school board directors on Wednesday, 3,475 teaching positions will be phased out for an estimated saving of $851 million. In the notice, the government outlines how many staff positions will be lost each year through attrition, such as when teachers retire, find a new job, or move. In the 2019 to 2020 school year, the memo states that an estimated 1,558 jobs will be lost. The following year, there will be 619 more job losses. In the 2021 to 2022 school year, another 738 positions will be cut. Finally, in the 2022 to 2023 school year, the memo says another estimated 560 positions will disappear. The news comes a day after students from more than 700 high schools across Ontario walked out of class to protest the Doug Ford government’s planned changes to education, including increasing class sizes, mandating online classes, and overhauling autism programs. Harvey Bischof, the president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), said he suspects the cuts to teaching jobs will actually be higher than the estimates laid out in the memo. He told CTV News Channel the number could be as high as 10,000, but they won’t know for certain until the government releases documentation with a breakdown of the figures. “The government’s talking about the loss of thousands of teaching positions in the province and that means significant increases in class sizes. That means much less ability to give students the individual attention that my members want to. It means that students will have far fewer options in terms of the courses they select,” Bischof said. Ontario NDP education critic Marit Stiles, too, said she’s skeptical about the accuracy of the estimates in the memo. “I think that those numbers are, I would say conservative, from what we’re hearing from boards. Boards have not moved away from their estimates of what the impact of these cuts are going to mean,” she said during a press conference on Friday. Bischof called the estimated job losses a “massive reduction” for the education system. “I’ve been in education for 29 years,” he said. “This is by far the most devastating single blow that a government has directed at the education system.” On Friday, Education Minister Lisa Thompson said in a statement that Ontario currently has a much lower student-to-teacher ratio than most of the country. She said teacher hiring has increased by more than 11 per cent in the past 15 years while enrollment has declined by almost one per cent. “Year over year teachers’ salaries and benefits have increased while students continue to fall behind in important subjects like math,” she said. Thompson said their attrition-based approach will restore “balance and sustainability” by not filling a total of 3,475 teacher vacancies after educators quit or retire. “Most importantly, our plan ensures that no teachers will be laid off,” the statement read. In response to the announcement, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) said it projects it will have approximately 216 fewer elementary teachers and approximately 800 fewer high school teachers. The school board said the staffing reductions will cause “significant and far-reaching” challenges, particularly for high schools. The TDSB said fewer teachers will mean fewer course offerings for students, challenges with growing class sizes, negative impacts on students, and difficulty meeting class sizes agreed on in collective agreements. “In short, a reduction of 800 teachers represents an order of magnitude that is unprecedented,” the TDSB said on its website. The Ontario Families for Public Education, a popular Facebook group consisting of “concerned parents,” also expressed unease about the news. “As parents, our primary concern is that we will have 10,000 fewer educators in the building. That is devastating,” the group wrote on Thursday. Despite Thompson’s earlier claim that there will be “no involuntarily job losses,” Bischof said that won’t make a difference for affected students. “The concern there still is larger class sizes, fewer courses for students to select from, and so the impact on the student, whether a teacher has been laid off or retires, the impact on the student is the same,” he said. Bischof said some Ontario classes could balloon up to as many as 40 students with fewer educators on the payroll.