The Campaign to elect Irwin Elman in Don Valley West in our next Provincial election June 2, 2022 will hold a series of Town Halls on issues of importance to Don Valley West residents. The purpose of the Town Halls is fourfold; to use the election campaign as a platform to amplify the voices of those not usually heard in an election particularly the voice of lived experience, to identify the gap that exists between the promise of government and the experience of people, to identify steps that might bridge that gap immediately and will be felt in the lives of people, to mobilize to create change.
After each Town Hall we will create a list of questions that stem from what we heard from all involved – attendees and panelists. We will distribute those questions to the NDP and ask that the list be distributed to all NDP candidates who in turn we hope will pose those questions to all candidates in their respective ridings.
The Education Town Hall was attended by over 100 people from all walks of life. Many students were with us. It was a powerful and emotional discussion.
“I used to think that school was to lead society in becoming what it could be. But I learned that school was merely a model of what society is” Chrystal, a student with a disability
1. There is a gap between the promise of our school system and the lived experience of our children.
What will you do to reduce the gap? How will you know what you did made a difference?
2. The manner in which schools interact with parents of children with “special education needs” is highly weighted to consider the needs of the school and system rather than the child and caregiver;
– IPRC meetings are brief and held during a parent/caregiver work hours
– Student participation in meetings about their education is not always supported
-Parents are not often given the time and support they need to be heard
– Concepts, educational strategies of educators are presented to students and parents in a language and manner that is the domain of so called “experts” marginalizing the students and parents ….
What will you do to change the IPRC process to benefit children and caregivers? How will you know what you made a difference?
3. Students continue to report that they experience racism, homophobia, ableism in their schools and that little seems to be done about the problem leaving them feel isolated, angry and often alone.
What will you do to increase inclusion through safety and belonging for all children in our schools? How will you know what you did made any difference?
4. Black students tell us they don’t see themselves reflected in the teachers and professional staff in their schools
What will you do to address this problem? How will you know what you did made any difference
5. Principals, Teachers, Professional staff in our education system are frustrated that at times there is but one Educational Assistant, Child and Youth Care Worker to serve sometimes over 1000 students, Social Workers ( if a Board has one) who serve thousands of students and families, children who wait years for an educational assessment, teachers with no support who have dozens of children with individual education plans (IEP) in their classroom. It is an impossible situation
What will you do to increase the professional support available to children in our schools? How will you know what you did made any difference?
6. Students clearly state that they want to be respected and heard. They want to be supported in developing and using their voice.
What will you do to address this problem? How will you know what you did made any difference?
