Caretaking cuts mean some TDSB classrooms will be shut, with some educators having to teach ‘a la cart’

Thestar.com
July 16, 2019
Isabel Teotonio

Deep cuts to Toronto’s school board budget because of funding changes by the Ford government will result in some classrooms being shuttered, leaving some educators worried they’ll have to teach “a la cart” -- wheeling their teaching supplies from class to class by trolley.

Students returning to class in the fall will find some classrooms locked because of budget cuts made in mid-June by the Toronto District School Board, which include slashing 52 caretakers. Because there will be fewer staff, classrooms that aren’t used for core programming are facing closure.

During the last week of school, the TDSB sent notices to its schools with a suggested number of classrooms to close, based on enrolment and student need. That prompted some principals to ask teachers to clear out materials from their classrooms.

“Parents are irate and teachers are irate,” said Joy Lachica, president of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, the local of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. Lachica said she’s heard from members that classrooms dedicated to French, visual arts, drama, music and social sciences were being affected.

“This is a very unexpected message to parents about what the layout of learning in classrooms is going to be,” Lachica told the Star.

One middle school French teacher, who was initially impacted -- but has since been spared -- spoke with the Star on condition of anonymity because she feared repercussions.

“It was horrendous,” she said, adding she was told to “decamp” her classroom and move her resources -- books, posters, laptops, dictionaries -- into “an office that’s the size of a bathroom.” Her materials are now sitting on carts. She was told that in September she would no longer have a dedicated classroom that students attend for French lessons; instead, she would have to wheel around her materials from class to class.

“We call it ‘a la cart,’” she said, playing off the French term a la carte. She said such a change will ultimately hurt students.

While the teacher had been told to pack up her possessions in late June, she got word Monday morning that her classroom will remain open. But she worries about the impact classroom closures will have on other kids, saying lessons will be “watered down” and “time will be lost.”

“And, you lose the comfort of being in (a dedicated classroom) and being able to have the walls, which have visuals and lessons on them, as your second teacher.”

At her school, three classrooms had been slated for closure, she said, adding, “There has never been a case where if a class was available we couldn’t use it.”

Board spokesperson Ryan Bird said the TDSB suggested a number of classrooms to close, but is open to feedback from principals. He also said specific subjects are not being targeted. Rather, classroom closures would be based on a school’s population and needs.

An appeal process over the summer gives principals an opportunity to make their case as to why classrooms should remain open. Bird said the board is committed to working with schools to determine exactly how many classrooms will be shut and at which locations. He said impacted classrooms will have lighting reduced and temperatures lowered to save energy, adding no new locks will be put on doors.

Bird was unable to give a ballpark figure for the number of classrooms facing closure, but both elementary and secondary schools will be affected. A final list should be available by late August or early September.

Despite the closures, he noted, “Every teacher will have a classroom space available to them and their students.”

“I don’t think the students will notice that much of a difference,” he said, adding the board is working to ensure the impact is minimal.

But what that looks like is still unclear. The closures at some schools may require teachers -- for instance, a French teacher -- to wheel around their materials on a cart. But, he added that’s already the case in some schools.

“Each school is going to be different, depending on enrolment and courses offered,” he said. “There are a number of different factors that will weigh into what it will look like. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, given the unique needs of each school and its students.”

The TDSB, the country’s largest school board, with 582 schools that serves 246,000 students, has an annual operating budget of about $3.4 billion. For the 2019-20 school year, it faced a budget shortfall of $67.8 million -- in part because the province cut $42.1 million in funding.

By law, the board must pass a balanced budget; otherwise it risks having the province step in. On June 19, trustees approved a budget requiring $67.8 million in reductions to program delivery and staffing levels. Among the jobs slashed are senior staff at central administration, student support services and facilities staff, including caretakers.

After notices went out to schools, teachers expressed outrage on social media, saying classroom closures at their schools ranged anywhere between three and nine rooms. One likened having to cart around supplies from room to room to having a program on wheels.

“It’s put everyone in a very difficult position,” Lachica told the Star. “The scourge of the education cuts has occurred in a way that’s hurtful to parents, and it’s a challenge for principals and kids.”

The middle school teacher who spoke with the Star said she hopes innovative solutions are found. One idea she’s heard is cleaning classrooms every second day, so that none need to be shut down due to the loss of caretaking staff. She’s always been willing to do her part in keeping her class clean, she says.

“I’m always sweeping my classroom, because there’s 180 kids who come in and out of my classroom (in a day). It’s a mini Grand Central Station.”

Ultimately, she said, keeping classrooms open benefits students.

“I don’t think parents know the cuts that are coming and how that will reduce the quality of education.”