TDSB OK’s cutting jobs as enrolment tapers off

Toronto public schools will have 102 fewer teachers, lose 45 early childhood educators and eliminate 46 lunchroom supervisor positions this fall as enrolment is expected to continue to drop.

At a special meeting of Toronto District School Board trustees on Wednesday, the cuts were passed after a few questions about how the losses could affect special education — they are not expected to — and concerns about the dearth of guidance counsellors in light of a report issued Monday that said they are “missing completely” from Ontario elementary schools.

Trustee Pam Gough asked board staff what the ratio of students to counsellors is, noting they handle much more than just high school course choices for Grade 8 students.

At 700-to-1, “my message to the (education ministry) is that is simply not good enough for our students.”

Trustee Sheila Cary-Meagher later noted the board itself added 10 elementary guidance counsellors above what it is funded for, and without that the ratio would be 919-to-1.

The report on guidance, from People for Education, noted counsellors are expected to help out with mental health and other key initiatives for elementary students, yet are responsible for 1,000 students each, based on ministry funding.

Among the job cuts approved by Toronto trustees on Wednesday were 64 high school teacher positions and 38 elementary teacher positions — the majority coming from full-day kindergarten. Because of retirements and leaves, no teachers are expected to be laid off, and the board will still hire teachers, albeit fewer.

The situation is not as clear for early childhood educators, who work alongside teachers in full-day kindergarten classrooms, and who are for the most part new hires and nowhere near retirement age.