A parent, who had been in her daughter’s school volunteering, noticed a black tar-like substance strewn about underneath the air vents in a classroom. Concerned that children were breathing in these mysterious particles and that a daycare also operates in this school, she contacted the Toronto Star. This contact resulted in the the May 14, 2018 Toronto Star article by Victoria Gibson, entitled, “A black mystery substance is coming out of vents at this Toronto public school”.
As parents, we want the best for our children and often make housing decisions based on school catchment so our children can attend a “good school”. It is sometimes difficult to reconcile all the great things that go on inside Ontario’s school buildings with the fact that so many of these schools offer completely substandard learning environments for our children. As parents, we need to speak up about disrepair in our children’s schools, whether that means contacting the media, contacting Fix Our Schools with photos and stories, or contacting all your local MPP Candidates. After all, the first step in solving a problem is admitting we have a problem.