Category: Uncategorized
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The Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026: Same Issues, Different Job Title
The Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026 names trustees as the governance failure and then keeps them as the hiring authority for the CEO. A close read of the Media Briefing, the six-part governance package, and what the Act does not do.
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Following the Money: Executive Compensation and Board Spending Under Scrutiny
Ontario’s publicly funded school boards face real financial pressures. Declining enrolment, rising costs, and growing demands on front-line staff are widely acknowledged. But the conversation about funding is incomplete without examining how boards are spending the money they already have — particularly at the senior leadership level. The Hold Schools Accountable Parent Network (HSA) has…
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Violence in Ontario Schools: What the Evidence Shows and What Parents Need to Know
Violence in Ontario’s publicly funded schools has risen by 77% since 2018–19, according to data obtained by Global News through Freedom of Information requests to the Ministry of Education.[1] In the 2023–24 school year — the most recent year available — 4,424 violent incidents were reported, up from 2,499 in 2018–19.[1] And as investigators from…
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The 2026 Ontario Budget and K–12 Education: What Parents and Communities Need to Know
An analysis of the education-related provisions in Ontario’s 2026 Budget, “A Plan to Protect Ontario,” released March 26, 2026. The 2026 Ontario Budget arrives at a moment of considerable fiscal pressure, with the province projecting a $12.3 billion deficit in 2025–26 and $13.8 billion in 2026–27 (Table 3.1, p. 174). While the budget frames its education…
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The Cover-Up Culture: How Boards Control the Narrative on School Safety
When a serious incident occurs at a school — an assault, a threat, a pattern of violence — parents expect transparency. They expect to be told what happened, what is being done about it, and what safeguards are in place to protect their children. The evidence, however, suggests that many Ontario school boards operate very…
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The Audit Results Are In: Ontario School Boards Are Failing on Code of Conduct Compliance
Policy/Program Memorandum 128 (PPM 128) is not a suggestion. It is a Ministry of Education mandate governing student behaviour and school safety — the provincial baseline that every publicly funded school board in Ontario is required to meet.[1] And yet, an audit conducted by School Board Research reveals that the majority of boards are falling…
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The Impact of Board-Level Policy on Classroom Inclusion
Does Inclusive Leadership Stop at the School Door? Inclusive leadership in education is often framed as something that happens inside schools—inside classrooms, inside professional learning communities, inside carefully bounded institutional spaces. It is assumed to be exercised primarily by teachers and principals through instructional strategies, student supports, and in-class interventions. This work matters. But when…