NEW from @TinaYazdani
The TDSB is cutting 15 specialized kindergarten classes for students with complex needs, citing declining enrolment — after increasing class-size caps despite vocal opposition from educators and parents.
https://t.co/b3xdxojXsP
The Auditor General released a report today exposing that special education in our schools is terribly underfunded, with school boards to spending an extra $346.7 million above their allocation.
Families are facing long waits, educators are overwhelmed, and too many students are not getting the support they need to succeed.
Minister Calandra, blaming everyone else without looking in the mirror will not fix the real problems in Ontario’s education system.
NEW: CityNews has cut ties with Queen’s Park reporter Tina Yazdani, @policornerca has learned, while at least two of her stories about the Ford government have quietly vanished from the web without explanation.
https://t.co/K2C5iDtPmx
This #tdsb school's entire homeroom staff has now been disciplined or fired. Where the hell is the #ett? #onted
https://t.co/n0ActHvz13 https://t.co/vcsYKR9CKb
@AnthonyPerruzza@TomRakocevic@fordnation
No recycling picked on Verobeach Blvd since Wednesday Jan 7! Want a sure fire way to lose votes and ensure voters actively organize against you… continue doing nothing against @CircMaterials
Dear Thames Valley DSB educators and parents:
Non-compliance finding #4 from the #TVDSB financial audit explained:
COVID STIPEND:
The Director of Education, Superintendents and Executive Officers received a 10% stipend during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years as compensation for the increased scope of their work due to the COVID-19 pandemic (p. 20).
These stipends ranged between $15,526 to $23,950 annually, per executive, for a period of 20 months, which totalled $475,006 (p. 20 and p. 142).
The Board of Trustees approved a 10% stipend on the annual base salary for the Director of Education to compensate for the additional workload that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic during a December 14, 2021 Board meeting (p. 20).
(Lori-Ann Pizzolato was the Chair of the Board at the time.)
The Director of Education approved the same 10% stipend for Superintendents and Executive Officers two days later on December 16, 2021. The stipend was in place for 20 months and ended on August 31, 2022 (p. 20).
These stipends represent a new "other element" compensation, which is prohibited under O. Reg. 406/18, which came into force on August 13, 2018 (p. 20).
Additionally, TVDSB did not submit an exemption request to the Treasury Board for approval of this new other element of compensation (p. 20).
[It would have been Chair Pizzolato's job to submit the exemption request based on past practice. For example, on April 8, 2021, the Chair of the Board (Bill McKinnon?) authored a letter to the Treasury Board and the Ministry expressing concerns for TVDSB’s ability to attract and retain executive talent given the executive compensation freeze and the salary compression resulting from collective bargaining increases in Principal, Manager and Teacher salaries (p. 15)].
However, TVDSB did receive an external legal opinion from Hicks Morley on October 25, 2021. This external legal opinion concluded that the additional stipend was a payment for performance of additional duties not within the scope of the designated executive’s position (p. 20).
The auditors determined, however, that the stipends represent a new "other element" compensation, which is prohibited under O. Reg. 406/18 (p. 20).
(Note: Teacher, secretaries, custodians etc. had to complete additional duties not within the scope of their position during COVID-19 as well. To my knowledge, they did not receive an additional stipend. The stipend went to the director and senior management only.)
#onted #onpoli #cdned #tdsb #ldnont #cdned
@PaulCalandra@lornecoe@SteveClarkPC@douglasdowney #tvdsb #brantford @Teachers__Unite@ETFOpresident@ETFOeducators@osstf @Bp4_Canada @chris4_reform@kwoodck@krushowy @CBCQueensPark @spaikin@SOSTDSB @TDSBDirector @Educhatter@DrPeiTO@calphonso @trusteecripps @ONeducation@OPCouncil@Ont_Ombudsman@ShannonBDouglas@NeethanShan@BKennedyStar@TrusteeDennis@MacLeanWard2@NunziataPatrick@AlexisDawsonTO@MatiasdeD@shelleylaskin@VoteWilliamsTO@DrPeiTO@frajwani@MalikaGhousCA@LibanHassan@Zakir4TDSB@MannaWongTDSB@YaliniR_Ward21@Anu_Sris @bethmaicanada @Kathleen_Wynne@MaritStiles@jackhauen@snehduggal@HeatheratLFP@RetaIsmailCTV@NeedlesOnNews@stubbs980
If a teacher puts their hands on a student to prevent violence, they risk facing discipline or even worse. When a student punches a teacher, the student faces literally no discipline. This is one of the reasons public education is in such chaos. #onted#cdned#edchat
Teacher almost lost pregnancy after repeated punches, others sleep with ‘visions of violence’. Broken legs, broken wrists, concussions! Tell me again why anyone would want to become an educator in today's schools? #onted#cdned#edchat https://t.co/DKYJWArBWa