Tag Archives: Fix Our Schools

Doug Ford’s Government is Back at Queen’s Park

October 29, 2019

After the longest recess in a quarter-century, Ontario’s MPPs returned to Queen’s Park this week. According to the Globe and Mail,  Premier Ford has promised a new, less confrontational approach to governing the province. As per the Toronto Star, the first legislation of the new session focused on allowing bars and restaurants beyond security checkpoints in some airports to serve alcohol 24 hours a day.

Fix Our Schools continues to be a non-partisan, Ontario-wide, parent-led campaign calling for safe, healthy, well-maintained publicly funded schools. To achieve this goal, we ask Doug Ford’s government to please increase provincial funding for school repairs, renewal, operational maintenance and new school builds. We also ask for the province to provide predictable funding to school boards. Adequacy and stability of provincial funding is an absolute necessity for school boards to be efficient and effective in dealing with repair backlogs in their buildings.

Additionally, we ask that Doug Ford’s government please update and release disrepair and Facility Conditions Index information for Ontario’s schools in the same format that was previously released in October 2017. The public deserves transparency into this data. Only by tracking the impact of provincial funding on school conditions, will we be able to objectively measure the adequacy of this provincial funding and determine the way forward.

 

MPP Kramp: $115.9-million of Disrepair in Hastings-Lennox-Addington Schools

October 24, 2019

Dear MPP Kramp,

Did you know there is $115.9-million of disrepair in the publicly funded schools in your riding of Hastings-Lennox-Addington?

We wanted to share the following details of disrepair in each school in your riding in the hope that this detailed information would underscore the importance of developing standards of good repair for Ontario schools and also the importance of providing the adequate, stable provincial funding to school boards required for them to meet those new standards and eliminate the $15.9-billion repair backlog that plagues Ontario’s schools:

Total disrepair in each publicly funded school in Hastings-Lennox-Addington:

Holy Name of Mary Catholic School  $                    1,672,985
J J O’Neill Catholic School  $                    1,443,307
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School  $                    1,166,100
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School  $                    1,441,497
St Carthagh Catholic School  $                    1,505,003
St Mary Catholic School, Read  $                        974,863
St Patrick Catholic School, Erinsville  $                        387,672
Bayside Public School  $                    2,931,076
Bayside Secondary School  $                  18,332,196
Birds Creek Public School  $                    3,602,489
Centre Hastings Secondary School  $                    6,984,076
Deseronto Public School  $                        966,837
Foxboro Public School  $                        904,031
Hermon Public School  $                    3,224,900
Madoc Public School  $                    2,261,433
Madoc Township Public School  $                    2,862,753
Maynooth Public School  $                    2,430,385
North Hastings High School  $                  18,489,028
Susanna Moodie Elementary School  $                    2,373,132
Tyendinaga Public School  $                    1,785,384
York River Public School  $                    3,389,549

School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health.

We commend you for personally signing the Fix Our Schools Pledge leading up to the June 2018 provincial election and ask that you and your government please prioritize schools as critical infrastructure. Please take the steps necessary to ensure that the disrepair in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools is eliminated and that schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working. Please also note that the disrepair data we are relying upon is now two years old and must be updated and shared publicly.

We look forward to hearing back from you with details on your plan to Fix Ontario’s Schools and with details on when your government will update and release FCI/Disrepair data for all publicly funded schools in Ontario.

PLEASE NOTE: Fix Our Schools is relying on the most recent disrepair data provided by the Ministry of Education in Fall 2017 and has mapped postal codes provided by the Ministry for each school to riding postal code information from a third party. Therefore, it is possible that there may be small errors in the data provided here and we would be grateful if community members would contact us with any errors. 

Liberal Minority will lead Canada

October 22, 2019

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have a minority government. Pundits have varying opinions on how effective a minority government can be, as outlined in the Toronto Star piece entitled, “Minority Report: the good, bad, and ugly of hung parliaments”, published on October 18, 2019. Our fingers are crossed that, given the urgency of issues facing Canada and the planet, that this parliament will put aside its differences and any ego

At Fix Our Schools, we continue to prioritize school conditions as a key issue, given the important role that school infrastructure, including school infrastructure on First Nations reserves, plays in the lives and education of our young people. We also believe that improving Canada’s school infrastructure is a part of the solution towards addressing our climate change crisis with countless aging school buildings across the country representing huge opportunities for green renewal.

From coast to coast, school infrastructure in Canada desperately needs investment and renewal:

  1. From Manitoba, First Nation students sickened, forced from school due to ‘mould crisis’

2) From British Columbia, Shuswap school to reopen after mysterious smell causes seven-week shutdown

3) From Prince Edward Island, Status quo is not acceptable at Eliot River Elementary, says parent group pushing for improvements at school

Portables: Just One Reason Why Ontario Needs a Standard of Good Repair for Schools

October 17, 2019

Leading up to the last provincial election in June 2018, Fix Our Schools advocated for a Standard of Good Repair to be developed, implemented and funded by this provincial government. We were successful in obtaining the commitment of 58 elected MPPs to this concept and we continue to advocate for this idea to be realized.  You see, important aspects of our children’s learning environments are not reflected in the $15.9-billion of disrepair that has been assessed as required in Ontario’s schools. The following aspects are excluded:

  • Quality of drinking water due to old lead pipes
  • Quality of air due to asbestos in old school buildings and dampness/mold
  • Classroom temperatures, which are often too hot to learn in the spring and fall; and too cold to learn in the winter months
  • Conditions of portables, which are intended to be temporary facilities but often end up being on-site at a school for many, many years

 

We strongly believe the conditions of school portables ought to be assessed, and frequently hear from parents, students, and teachers about portables that are in a horrible state of disrepair.

 

If your child learns in a portable; or you teach in a portable, we’d love to hear from you about the learning/working conditions.  

 

Fix Our Schools Campaign: Key Successes

October 15, 2019

The Fix Our Schools campaign is comprised of parents, students, grandparents, teachers, principals, caretakers and citizens who believe that every publicly funded school in Ontario ought to be a safe, healthy, well-maintained building that provides an environment conducive to learning and working. We believe schools must be funded as a key component of our society’s infrastructure and that the $15.9-billion of disrepair in Ontario’s schools must be addressed immediately.

Our provincial government is responsible for providing all funding for education and schools. This provincial funding for school repairs was grossly inadequate for almost 20 years, in many years only ONE-TENTH of what industry standards suggest as the bare minimum school boards required to conduct routine repairs and maintenance. This gross and chronic provincial underfunding meant that Mike Harris’ PC government bequeathed $5.6-billion of school disrepair to the Liberal government in 2003 and that the Liberals allowed school disrepair to triple over 15 years to a shocking $15.9-billion as of October 2017. Furthermore, no provincial standard of good repair exists for Ontario schools to clearly outline the acceptable, measurable conditions for the critical public infrastructure we call schools.

Since launching in October 2014, we have built a large network of support across the province that has allowed us to achieve many successes – all of which have benefitted Ontario’s students, teachers, and education workers:

We believe that there is strength in numbers and power in our parent-led, non-partisan activism.  We encourage you to continue to engage with Fix Our Schools to help further our ongoing efforts to ensure that all Ontario’s publicly funded schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings.

  • Subscribe to our e-newsletters: fixourschools.ca
  • Engage with us on social media:
    • Facebook: Fix Our Schools
    • Twitter: @Fix_Our_Schools
  • Contact your local MPP, the Premier and the Education Minister to let them know you expect all publicly funded schools in Ontario to be safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working
  • Email photos of school disrepair to us @ info@fixourschools.ca to post anonymously. A picture is truly worth a thousand words! Please also send photos of Ontario’s school buildings that have recently been improved or built in your community! We’d love to see how the increased provincial funding for school repairs is benefitting your community.

MPP Anand: $92-M of Disrepair in Mississauga-Malton Schools

October 10, 2019

Dear MPP Anand,

Did you know there is $92-million of disrepair in the publicly funded schools in your riding of Mississauga-Malton?

In 2018 MPP Anand signed the Fix Our Schools Pledge to create a Standard of Good Repair for Ontario schools

We wanted to share the following details of disrepair in each school in your riding in the hope that this detailed information would underscore the importance of developing standards of good repair for Ontario schools and also the importance of providing the adequate, stable provincial funding to school boards required for them to meet those new standards and eliminate the $15.9-billion repair backlog that plagues Ontario’s schools:

 

 

Total disrepair in each publicly funded school in Mississauga-Malton:

Ascension of Our Lord  $                 340,000
Holy Cross Sep S  $             3,974,538
San Lorenzo Ruiz  $                 735,150
St. Gertrude Sep S  $             1,477,872
St. Gregory  $             1,284,738
St. Jude Sep S  $             2,375,708
St. Raphael Sep S  $             1,438,969
St. Raymond  $                 844,662
St. Valentine Elementary School  $                 862,914
St. Veronica Elementary School  $                 995,000
Barondale P.S.  $             4,299,346
Brandon Gate PS  $             3,637,543
Bristol Road Middle School  $             3,972,918
Britannia P.S.  $                 763,542
Champlain Trail PS  $             1,775,960
Cooksville Creek P.S.  $             1,431,738
Corliss PS  $             3,033,266
Darcel Avenue Sr PS  $             5,417,805
Derry West Village P.S.  $             1,278,958
Dunrankin Drive PS  $             4,684,051
Lancaster PS  $             3,848,023
Lincoln M. Alexander SS  $           19,557,793
Marvin Heights PS  $             4,299,653
Morning Star Middle School  $           11,932,954
Nahani Way PS  $             2,780,794
Ridgewood PS  $             4,232,512
Whitehorn PS  $                 757,052

School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health.

We commend you for personally signing the Fix Our Schools Pledge leading up to the June 2018 provincial election and ask that you and your government please prioritize schools as critical infrastructure. Please take the steps necessary to ensure that the disrepair in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools is eliminated and that schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working. Please also note that the disrepair data we are relying upon is now two years old and must be updated and shared publicly.

We look forward to hearing back from you with details on your plan to Fix Ontario’s Schools and with details on when your government will update and release FCI/Disrepair data for all publicly funded schools in Ontario.

PLEASE NOTE: Fix Our Schools is relying on the most recent disrepair data provided by the Ministry of Education in Fall 2017 and has mapped postal codes provided by the Ministry for each school to riding postal code information from a third party. Therefore, it is possible that there may be small errors in the data provided here and we would be grateful if community members would contact us with any errors. 

 

The Many Ways Education Workers Ensure Our Children’s Schools are Safe, Healthy and Well-maintained

October 8, 2019

Education workers include caretakers, office staff, education assistants and lunchroom supervisors – all of whom play important roles in ensuring our children’s schools are safe, healthy, and well-maintained:

  • They clean washrooms, door handles, water fountains, lunchrooms, desks, floors, stairs
  • They conduct much of the operational maintenance in schools
  • They conduct safe water checks for our children’s drinking water
  • They run safe arrival programs
  • They provide supervision and support for students with special needs
  • They provide educational support in full-day kindergarten classrooms
  • They supervise our children during lunch

Just to name a few of the important things education workers do in our children’s schools. Next time you see an education worker, please say thank  you! 

What Are Your Priority Issues for the Federal Election?

October 1, 2019

An issues-based election is always more productive than one filled with personal attacks on party leaders – don’t you agree?

So, if we want to see our priority issues discussed during the next few weeks leading up to the federal election on October 21st, we need to demand that these issues be discussed.

At Fix Our Schools, we continue to prioritize school conditions as an issue in this federal election and the important role that school infrastructure plays in the lives and education of our young people. With this in mind, we will be asking the following questions:

What are your priority issues for this federal election?

  • Childcare?
  • Climate change/Environment?
  • Economy?
  • Gun control?
  • Healthcare?
  • Housing?
  • Immigration?
  • Indigenous reconciliation?
  • Jobs?
  • What else do you prioritize as a key issue for this federal election?

If you’re interested in following the platforms of each of the six main parties, you may find this CBC site helpful. And finally, here are some easy opportunities for you to ensure your priority issues get discussed:

  • Ask your local candidates when they knock on your door campaigning
  • Send your local candidates an email or give their office a call, asking them their position/proposed solution for your priority issues
  • Attend a local candidates debate and ask about your priority issues in that forum
  • Contact media by sending a letter to the editor – either your local newspaper or a national news outlet
  • Talk with your network about your priority issues and find out theirs!

OPSBA Federal Election Resource Guide

September 26, 2019

The Ontario School Board Association (OPSBA) has distributed a thoughtful resource guide for school boards and trustees to use during the federal election to ensure that candidates hear about the importance of public education.

Fix Our Schools was thrilled to see the following specific topics addressed and we encourage all citizens to ask their local federal candidates some of the following questions to ensure they understand that publicly funded education is a key Canadian value!

Indigenous Education 

OPSBA notes that “schools in Indigenous communities are seriously underfunded and are starved for the kinds of resources that are common in the provincial publicly funded school system. An effective school is housed in a building that is safe, sound and welcoming.”

Questions for Candidates related to Indigenous Education:

  • How would you and your party work collaboratively with Indigenous peoples in Canada toward the full and effective implementation of the Calls to Action of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?
  • How will you and your political party work to secure federal funding commitments that will ensure equitable funding and equity of opportunity for education in Indigenous communities?
  • How will you and your political party work with Indigenous leaders, as well as provincial Ministries of Education, to ensure that Indigenous children have every opportunity to attain an education comparable to children in the rest of Canada?

Technology & E-Learning

OPSBA notes that “the use of technology for learning and teaching can be highly valuable for all students, especially in remote locations, provided they have access to modern, high-speed internet infrastructure. “

Questions for Candidates related to Technology & E-Learning:

  • Will your government continue to increase broadband development and implementation to ensure there is equity of access for all school boards across the country?
  • How will you invest in technology that enriches the classroom experience for students and teachers?
  • Will you support federal funding that allows school boards to ensure that technology in schools is current and relevant for various student pathways?

Capital-Related Issues

OPSBA notes that “many schools have needs that are serious and urgent, impacting the ability to meet current program requirements, including funding to adapt or change classrooms that are no longer relevant or being used. In addition, many school boards are dealing with unique circumstances and, as a result, they are being challenged with capital and renewal costs for their aging schools.”

OPSBA also notes that “serious concerns have recently been expressed regarding capital projects being put on hold or facing delayed final approvals.” and emphasizes that, “where the evidence is clear, schools need to be built to accommodate future population and program growth as well as the elements of a school building beyond classrooms that foster student achievement and well-being.”

Finally, OPSBA highlights that “the federal government recently announced details for the Climate Action Incentive Fund (CAIF) and available funding for schools.”

Questions for Candidates for Capital-Related Issues :

  • How can the federal government include dedicated funding that can be directed to school boards for their capital needs?
  • How can the government promote similar funding sources/opportunities for school boards

When will Minister Lecce Release Updated School Disrepair Information?

September 24, 2019

It has been almost two years since our provincial government updated and released Facilities Condition Index (FCI) data and disrepair data for all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools in October 2017. At that time, there was $15.9-billion of disrepair in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools.

As per the Ministry of Education website:

  1. “Making sure that Ontario’s school buildings are in a good state of repair is essential for supporting student achievement and well-being.“
  2. “The Government of Ontario is committed to increasing the transparency of its historic investments in school infrastructure so that Ontarians can see the importance of this funding and the results it yields over time. That is why the Ministry of Education is ensuring that the most recent results from its School Condition Assessment Program are readily available to the public. Through this program, independent, third-party facility inspectors conduct assessments to obtain data on the current condition of all open and operating schools across the province. The Facility Condition Index (FCI) is derived from the information that is collected through this process.“
  3. “The government believes it is important that Ontarians can access such critical information about their local schools. As the government commits significant investments toward school repair and renewal, Ontarians have the right to a transparent resource for determining the necessity of such investments, and also for monitoring the results of these investments.“

Fix Our Schools wholeheartedly agrees with the Ministry of Education on these three points and, therefore, urges Education Minister Lecce to update disrepair data for schools annually and publicly release this data as soon as possible. We must understand whether current levels of provincial funding to address school disrepair is, in fact, serving to reduce the $15.9-billion of disrepair in Ontario’s schools – and if these current levels of provincial funding are reducing the disrepair quickly enough to ensure that all Ontario students attend schools that are safe, healthy and well-maintained.

In this spirit, we ask Minister Lecce to please release updated school disrepair data, in the same format as was released in October, 2017, as soon as possible.