Parents worry as teacher cuts, labour strife loom
Parents of Ottawa high school students are bracing for the loss of hundreds of teaching positions and the possibility of job action.
Last week, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) joined boards across the province in confirming that hundreds of teaching jobs could disappear over the next few years, in the wake of education changes announced in the Progressive Conservative government's April budget.
"Parents are right now upset about [the] changes," said Carmen Parsons, who chairs the parent council at Sir Robert Borden High School and has two children studying there.
"They're not happy," she said. "And I don't think everybody knows exactly how to express that, or to advocate for what we want."
'Detrimental impact'
The PCs laid out significant changes to Ontario's education system in their first-ever budget, including bigger class sizes for Grades 4 to 12, new elementary math and sex-ed curricula, and a province-wide ban on cellphones in classrooms.
Its controversial plan to eliminate nearly 3,500 teaching positions in Ontario — described in a memo obtained by CBC News earlier this month — would eventually save $290 million a year from the education budget, the government says.
At an OCDSB meeting last week, staff warned that the changes could mean the loss of 250 to 300 full-time equivalent teaching positions locally at the high school level within four years.
Nathalie Schiebel has three children in high school and is on the parent council at Woodroffe High School.
"We don't want to panic, but when you hear that number, about 300 positions, that is a big number. And it's hard to see how that's not going to have a detrimental impact," said Schiebel.
"I really don't see how you can take that many positions out of the system and have it continue to function as well as it is right now. And even right now, there's room for improvement."
Board wants parents as allies
OCDSB chair Lynn Scott said the board has not hit the panic button yet.
Scott said she hopes that if the board offers timely information about the impact of the changes, the province will realize what's at stake.
She said the province will get the message if parents advocate for their children, similar to the recent protests over changes to autism funding in Ontario.
"If it means that we need to take away supports that are really benefiting students, that's not good for kids," said Scott.
The fear of looming job action, Scott said, is also making the school community nervous.
"When there's uncertainty out there [and] everybody's on edge, people don't do as well at their jobs. That's not good for kids either," said Scott.
"So let's roll up our sleeves and figure out the best ways to make this work."
Students speak up
But recent comments by Premier Doug Ford, calling members of the teachers' union "thugs," has ratcheted up the threat of difficult negotiations for the next collective agreement.
The current agreement ends in August.
Schiebel said parents have a lot to balance, and while the added uncertainty is starting to wear them down, it's not stopping the students from speaking up.
She was impressed with her teenage daughter's decision to participate in a walkout earlier this month over the changes.
"She's a smart kid, and they're all pretty smart kids, and they can figure it out," Schiebel said.
"They have a pretty clear picture of what's going to change for them, and they're the ones that are going to be impacted."
