NOW IS THE TIME TO ELIMINATE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL BOARDS ALTOGETHER

SCHOOL BOARDS IN ONTARIO ARE OUT OF CONTROL and it is long-past time to eliminate them altogether. In their latest round of orchestrated sanctimony, education workers are grandstanding in an effort to force the Ontario government to withdraw Bill 33, Ontario’s Supporting Children and Students Act. The bill would give the government the authority to remove School Board trustees and replace them with provincially-appointed supervisors if it is deemed to be in the public interest. This has been brought about due to wild spending sprees and other occurrences that have formed the basis – at least for some boards – of extreme radicalization of what should otherwise be the proper administration of our children’s education. David Mastin, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, was found to cry crocodile tears during a news conference at Queen’s Park recently when he had the audacity to suggest, “This is dangerously close to authoritarian control… We are seeing a dismantling of democracy in real time.” In spite of the big union boss and his useless rhetoric, many parents in Ontario would surely feel a sense of relief just knowing their children won’t be under the control of trustees who repeatedly engage in public displays of extremely bad judgment. Of course, it doesn’t end there. Educators are also stomping their feet and waving their hands over the potential placement of police resource officers within Ontario’s schools. This is nothing new, and is seen by many as a positive step toward improvements in safety. Joining her colleague on the soapbox of righteous indignation was NDP education critic Chandra Pasma, who called Bill 33 “a direct attack on the rights of students, parents, teachers and education workers to have a say in our local schools.” Citing what she suggests is a lack of resources for teachers, she went on to say, “We are seeing a rising violence problem… and a shortage of workers as good people are (being) driven out of the system every day due to the working conditions,” Perhaps she didn’t get the memo from the Teachers’ Federation who oppose police resource officers in schools. Talk about mixed messages. What wasn’t mixed in terms of the real agenda that exists among so many educators in Ontario was Ms Pasma’s admission that the need for authority among trustees far surpasses any other issue, as she went on to say, “Instead of fixing these problems, the government is focused on a partisan power grab.” Really? Not to be outdone on this theatrical stage, David Mastin chimed in by adding, “This is not just a bureaucratic shift, it’s a direct attack on democracy that will silence marginalized voices, harm students and strip the community of their right to shape public education.” Well, the only entity that would likely be stripped of the ability to “shape public education” are the radical Marxists who show more concern over race and gender politics than basic education like reading, writing, and arithmetic. Bill 33 provides a means of addressing financial mismanagement among school boards, which would include the ability to install provincial supervisors and setting out expense requirements. The bill would also impact post-secondary institutions by regulating fees mandating merit-based admission at post-secondary institutions, as well as children’s aid societies. “Parents deserve confidence that school boards are making decisions in the best interests of their children’s education,” said Education Minister Paul Calandra in a release announcing the bill earlier this spring. The bill is expected to pass this autumn, but as one might expect, Mastin and other critics say they want the bill withdrawn. “Our hope is that the bill will be withdrawn immediately,” Mastin explained. “There is no part of the bill we as teachers are comfortable with.” That’s a shame, Dave. Good luck with that narrative. There are so many examples of controversies among school boards in Ontario that it would take another three columns for me to discuss them all, but we’ll look at just a few. The most controversial policies established by the Durham District School Board (DDSB) in recent years have centered on human rights, equity, and inclusion, particularly related to gender identity, race, and the content of school libraries, igniting public debate and prompting protests from parents. DDSB policies regarding gender identity have consistently fueled controversy as well, notably concerning transgender students and gender-affirming practices. This includes concerns from some parents and community groups, such as the DDSB Concerned Parents, about gender education and practices like a student's ability to change their pronouns without explicit parental consent. The DDSB's broader human rights and equity policies have drawn criticism from some community members who argue they are ideologically driven. The 2022 Human Rights Policy proved contentious, with critics arguing that its definitions and framing were influenced by ‘critical race theory’ which fosters an ‘anti-white’ bias. The policy's description of so-called ‘white supremacy’ as a societal structure rather than being limited to extremist groups was particularly debated. A 2025 Juno News report highlighted concerns raised by the DDSB Concerned Parents regarding the board's equity spending. Critics questioned the effectiveness of equity programs, and the board refused to commission an independent audit to review the spending. Other controversial DDSB policies include the renaming of schools. Following a push from the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, the DDSB developed a policy for renaming schools that bear the names of historical figures with so-called "problematic" pasts. This included the decision to review schools named after figures like Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. This was brought about by extremists in their attempt to bring the societal norms of the 19th Century into modern times - for judgement by those who appear to harbor a profound resentment of the very founding of Canada. Finally, a quick look at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) shows an equal resentment based on race. In 2024, the TDSB temporarily pulled a teaching guide titled Facilitating Critical Conversations after criticism from the Ontario Ministry of Education. The document referred to Canada's education system as a "colonial structure that centres upon whiteness and Eurocentricity" and claimed it "must be actively decolonized". Seriously. Critics argued the guide was divisive, while the board maintained it was committed to what they now call “equity”. As I stated at the outset, school boards in Ontario are out of control, and it’s time to eliminate them altogether.