Those brave souls who follow the entangled mess that is the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) have had yet another interesting week.
It’s Groundhog Day as a new minister of education (Jill Dunlop) meets the bizarre, bureaucratic fortress that runs the largest school district in Canada. As Yogi Berra said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
For those not familiar with the monolith, here are a few fun facts about the TDSB. The 2024 operating budget of $3.5 billion is more than the budget of Prince Edward Island. The board enjoys the sagacious oversite of 22 trustees. Student enrollment has been declining for a generation; 2024 enrollment (approximately 233,000) is about 20% fewer students than the board served in 2006.
While student enrollment has declined, the systemic management issues that plague TDSB have only grown. The darn thing just doesn’t work.
This isn’t news. Ontario governments of all political stripes have burned a lot of consulting fees trying to get TDSB under adult supervision. Here is a partial list:
2002 – The board is put under provincial supervision after repeated failed attempts at balancing the budget.
2006 – An independent report (the Blackstone Report) on effective governance blasts the TSDB, particularly on value for money on construction/maintenance projects.
2007 – The province considers supervision as deficiencies identified by Blackstone are not addressed.
2014 – Yet another independent review, this one chaired by Margaret Wilson, finds the TDSB operates under a “climate of fear.”
2015 – An expert panel chaired by Barbara Hall recommends the province put the TDSB under supervision.
And so on.
So, it was no surprise this week when the bright lights at TDSB sent students (some as young as eight) from 15 schools to “observe” the Grassy Narrows River Run. Or at least that’s what parents were told the kids would be doing.
The Grassy Narrows First Nation has been a thorn in the side of governments for decades and for good reason. Mercury contamination dating back to 1970 from the Dryden Pulp and Paper mill has had a profound effect on the lives of the community.
Several agreements have been reached over the years to clean up the contamination and compensate for the impact, but the issue remains live. The River Run is an annual event that takes place 1,600 kilometres from Dryden to bring attention to Grassy Narrows.
“Observing” the River Run without participating in it would be difficult and it is no great surprise that young students became part of a protest that included pro-Palestinian supporters. No shock there, unless you are a parent surprised to find your child used as protest fodder.
When images of young students immersed in the protest showed up on social media, the TDSB said it would investigate.
Sure it will.
Premier Doug Ford isn’t impressed with the latest parent-unfriendly TDSB mess and he asked his new education minister to investigate. This might be the opportunity to do more than file yet another report on the incompetence and unaccountable nature of the TDSB.
With the greatest respect to the wise folks who will be investigating on behalf of minister Dunlop, the need to axe the TDSB has been well established.
It’s long past time for the province to disband the TSDB, create a structure to better support the critical link between principals and parent councils and, at long last, become the employer of teachers.
Real local input and better outcomes for kids and parents. Do it now.