Toronto District School Board
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| Toronto District School Board | |
 |
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| Board office location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Board identifier | B66052 |
| Number of schools | 451 elementary schools 102 secondary schools 5 adult education schools[1] |
| 2006-2007 budget (CAD $ millions) |
$2,336 (a deficit of $84 million) [1] |
| Number of students | 188,304 elementary students 87,273 high school students 14,000 adult students[2] |
| Chair of the Board | Sheila Ward[3] |
| Director of Education | Gerry Connelly[4] |
| Elected Trustees | Ward 1: John Hastings Ward 2: John Campbell Ward 3: Bruce Davis Ward 4: Stephnie Payne Ward 5: James Pasternak Ward 6: Chris Tonks Ward 7: Irene Atkinson Ward 8: Howard Goodman Ward 9: Maria Rodrigues Ward 10: Chris Bolton Ward 11: Josh Matlow Ward 12: Mari Rutka Ward 13: Gerri Gershon Ward 14: Sheila Ward Ward 15: Cathy Dandy Ward 16: Sheila Cary-Meagher Ward 17: Michael Coteau Ward 18: Gary Crawford Ward 19: Scott Harrison Ward 20: Soo Wong Ward 21: Shaun Chen Ward 22: Nadia Bello Student Trustees: Nick Kennedy and Ted Kuhn[5] |
| http://www.tdsb.on.ca/ | |
Toronto District School Board, also known as TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The minority francophone (Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest) and Catholic (Toronto Catholic District School Board) communities of Toronto also have their own publicly funded school boards and schools that operate in the same area, but which are independent of the TDSB.
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[edit] History
The board was created in 1998 following the merger of the school boards for the former municipalities of York, East York, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, as well as the Metropolitan Toronto Public School Board.
The head office moved from the old Toronto Public Board of Education office at 155 College Street to the 5050 Yonge Street location, by Mel Lastman Square (previously, the offices of the North York Board of Education).
[edit] Organization
Gerry Connelly is the Director of Education. There are 558 schools in the TDSB. Of these, 451 offer elementary education, 102 offer secondary level education, and there are five adult day schools. The TDSB has 16 alternative elementary schools as well as 20 alternative secondary schools. It is the largest school board in Canada[6] and the 4th largest in North America. TDSB has approximately 31,000 permanent and 8,000 temporary staff, which includes 10,000 elementary school teachers and 5,800 at the secondary level.[2]
[edit] Controversies
In 2007, a highly publicized sex scandal within the Toronto District School Board took place. Paola Queen, a female 35-year-old high school family studies teacher from Nelson A. Boylen Collegiate Institute was charged with sex exploitation following allegations that she had been romantically involved with a 15-year-old male student. Ms. Queen became pregnant by the 15 year old student and is expecting the baby in July 2007 [2]
In 2006 questions were raised by some TDSB Principals about why is it much cheaper to purchase equipment for the schools from most stores that it is through the companies that they are required by the board to make purchases from as the board has signed exclusive contracts and agreements with. Dell Computers are one of the companies that have a contract with the TDSB to supply all computer hardware for the boards 500 schools. Two identical computers were compared that are both offered from Dell, purchased through the TDSB agreement from a price-list created on January 25, 2006 costs the school $1365.48 (before taxes) while the exact same machine was offered for sale on Dell computers website to the general public for $1357.00 (before taxes). While it is only a marginal price difference of about $8.50 each in favour of the supplier for one computer but multiplied by the volume of business from the TDSB this is costing the already cash strapped schools huge. Last year alone Jarvis Collegiate Institute purchased 60 computers, multiply this by 500 schools and it’s costing the board over $250,000.00 above and beyond the regular retail price per year. The Principal of Jarvis Collegiate, Mr. Gold said “We are a board of 500 schools, What I’d want to be explained to me better is, Why aren’t we capturing tremendous savings with that purchasing power?” opposed to overpaying for the required equipment.[3]
On November 14, 2005, the Ontario Human Rights Commission reached a settlement with the Toronto District School Board following a Commission-initiated complaint against the Board in July 2005. On July 7, 2005 the Ontario Human Rights Commission initiated a complaint against the Toronto District School Board in the public interest and on behalf of racialized students and students with disabilities alleging that the application of the Safe Schools Act and the Toronto District School Board’s policies on discipline are having a disproportionate impact on racial minority students and students with disabilities. The complaint alleges that the TDSB had failed to meet its duty to accommodate racialized students and students with disabilities in the application of discipline, including providing adequate alternative education services for racial minority students and students with disabilities who are suspended or expelled and that the above amounts to a failure on the part of the TDSB to provide equal access to education services and that this constitutes discrimination and contravenes sections 1, 11 and 9 of the Ontario Human Rights Code. The TDSB accepts and acknowledges a widespread perception that the application of Ontario’s school disciplinary legislation, regulations and policies can have a discriminatory effect on students from racialized communities and students with disabilities and further exacerbate their already disadvantaged position in society.[4][5]
In 2005, controversy erupted when the Toronto District School Board proposed for “Black-only schools”. The issue was further fuelled by the appointed of Lloyd McKell a black, 29-year board veteran to the board’s newly minted executive officer in charge of equity. The media headlines read “Black-only schools proposed” The radio airwaves heated up, it hit TV, there were screams of racism, and before he knew it, McKell’s new job had turned into a runaway rodeo horse with him fighting hard to hang on. Similar controversy had taken place in the North York Board of Education in the 1980’s when the board attempted to turn Georges Vanier Secondary School into a black-only school. [6]
In 2005, the Canada Family Action Coalition were planning a class action lawsuit against the Toronto District School Board for teaching false information to students about the health risks of sexual behaviours of homosexuality and the misuse of taxpayers money to fund homosexual related programs. They claimed the board had a budget of $2.2 billion in 2005, which were $217 million more than the 2004 budget even though student enrolment dropped by approximately 20,000 students. A portion of this extra money was used to promote homosexuality and according to an internal staff newsletter from a Toronto Junior Middle School, the trustees used taxpayer’s dollars to pay for a bus for the 2005 Gay Pride Parade for staff and students.[7] In a questionnaire given to students, the Toronto District School Board was also asking students as young as 14 years old if they are bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, transsexual, transgender or two-spirited (an aboriginal term). [8]
In 2004, the Toronto District School Board was criticized for signing an exclusive contract with Coca-Cola to sell canned soft drinks in Toronto Schools. Many students and parents argued that they would prefer to see only healthy beverages, such as juice and water, sold in the vending machines opposed to only pop. William Wong, a then 18 year old student at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School and one of only two student trustees of the board was critical of this decision and questioned “Who are the board to decide what students should drink? At what age should students have a choice?” Based upon the Freedom of Information Act many students and parents argued that the board must make the details of this contract accessible to the general public. The result was that the school board finally made the controversial Coke agreement available for viewing by students and parents by special appointment only with the superintendent’s office. Under the contract, the board receives 30% of the payment per can sold which amounts to approximately $400,000.00 per year from sales of Coke in schools. [9]
In 2002, the Ontario Provincial government stripped all power and authority from the school board trustees due to alleged mismanagement. Paul Christie was appointed by the province to serve as supervisor of the Toronto District School Board, with authority for all financial and administrative functions of the Board. This allowed Christie to supersede the authority of elected school trustees. The provincial government argued that the appointment was necessary, as the TDSB had not submitted a budget to the Ontario Minister of Education as legally required. Representatives of the TDSB claimed that they could not find the necessary operating expenses for the year, given provincial regulations which prohibited deficit spending. Christie balanced the TDSB's budget through a dramatic spending reduction of $90 million. Under his watch, the TDSB eliminated many secretarial positions, phased out school-community advisors, reduced the number of vice-principals, cut outdoor education and adult education, and re-evaluated the position of social workers in the system. Christie's staff reports were not made public, and some critics argued that there were no adequate checks or balances on his authority[7]. In 2007, again due to alleged mismanagement by the trustees, the board will try to submit a budget with a deficit of $84 million. [10]
In December of 2001 a $70 million class-action lawsuit was filed against the Toronto District School Board on behalf of the parents of special needs students who were sent home during the boards support workers strike in April 2001. The suit claimed that 27,000 special needs students were discriminated against on the basis of their disabilities because they were sent home during the month long strike while the schools stayed open for their able-bodied counterparts. The claims were based on the fact that they weren’t permitted to go to school and missed a month of school while everyone else was able to go. The suit also claimed that the Toronto District School Board should stop treating special needs students as lesser students. The four-week strike, led by 13,000 support workers ended in early May 2001[8].
In 2001, Toronto School Board Trustee Sam Basra was convicted of Immigration Act charges and was forced under the Education Act to resign his seat. He pleaded guilty in August of 2001 to selling fake offers of employment to potential immigrants for US$1,500.00 each. This came to light after being tipped by a former employee, police raided Basra's paralegal firm and found 250 false letters of employment. In March 2001 Arjan Singh launched a $15 million lawsuit agaisnt Basra alleging that while doing paralegal work, Basra forged documents to make him think his rights case was active more than a year after it was closed. After much infighting among the trustees and display of lack of leadership from then Chair of the Board Donna Cansfield to make an appointment to fill the vacant trustee seat left by Basra, a by-election was called for April 2002 costing the board and its taxpayers a whopping $160,000.00. Stan Nemiroff who was endorsed by the communist newspaper, People’s Voice defeated former Mayor of Etobicoke Bruce Sinclair in the by-election to become the new Ward 1 trustee representing Etobicoke North.[11][12][13][14]
Also in 2001, the former School board chair Gail Nyberg came under fire for a secret $360,000.00 “golden handshake” she approved for outgoing director of education Marguerite Jackson.[15][16]
[edit] Vehicles
TDSB has a varierty of vans and small trucks inherited by the former school boards. Older trucks have been retired, but some retain their old colours (namely Board of Education of North York). As for school buses, they are now contracted out to private operators. The Scarborough Board of Education, North York Board of Education and Toronto Board of Education had their own fleets.
[edit] Garages and Offices
- Eglinton between Kennedy and Midland – Scarborough Board of Education garage (re-developed)
- Scarborough Civic Centre – Scarborough Board of Education
- 2 Civic Centre Court – Etobicoke Board of Education
- City of York Municipal Offices – York Board of Education
- East York Municipal Offices – East York Board of Education
- Headquarters – North York Board of Education
[edit] Fleet
[edit] Support Vehicles
- Ford E-series vans
- Chevrolet Impala security patrol cars
- Chevrolet 2500 vans
- Dodge Sprinter vans
- Ford F450 trucks
[edit] Buses
- International school bus
- Ford school bus
- Wayne school bus
- Bluebird Corporation Transit school bus
[edit] Contractors
- Cardinal Transportation – minivan and accessible services West
- Laidlaw – 72 passenger buses and vans with Toronto Catholic District School Board
- McKulskey Transportation Services with Toronto Catholic District School Board
- Stock Transportation Ltd – East, North (with Toronto Catholic District School Board) and West
[edit] References
- ^ Facts and Figures. Toronto District School Board. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
- ^ a b Connelly, Gerry (2006). The 2004-05 Financial Results (PDF). Director's Annual Report,2004-05. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
- ^ Chair. Toronto District School Board. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
- ^ Director. Toronto District School Board. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
- ^ Trustees. Toronto District School Board. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
- ^ Connelly, Gerry (2006). A Message from the Director (PDF). Director's Annual Report,2004-05. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
- ^ Trish Worron, "Education democracy an illusion", Toronto Star, 12 July 2003, F6.
- ^ Nicholas Keung and Kristin Rushowy, "Toronto School Board sued for bias", Toronto Star, 8 December 2001, E3.
[edit] See also
- Toronto Catholic District School Board, the English-language Catholic school board that also operates in Toronto
- Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest, the French-language school board that also operates in Toronto
- Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud, the French-language Catholic school board in Toronto
- High Schools in Toronto (also includes Toronto-area schools that are not part of the TDSB)
- Schools in the TDSB
