How to Write a Letter That Could Help Save TDSB Alt Schools

saveouraltschools
May 3, 2021
1 min read

Updated: May 13, 2021

The fate of our alternative secondary schools rests with Toronto District School Board trustees who, right now, want to cut our teaching budgets by 25%, leaving a very few teachers to instruct and mentor our students — right as they're all struggling with the pandemic!

A short, clear letter to TDSB trustees can help demonstrate the important role alternative secondary schools play in our communities.

What Should You Include in Your Letter?

Here are a few quick suggestions to help you get going:

Describe how your child or children have benefitted from alternative schools.
Tell them you are very concerned by the loss of teachers at alternative schools, especially when enrollment is not expected to decrease.
Remind them the teacher allocation was supposed to remain constant from two years ago, based on projected enrollment.
Ask them why this is happening to secondary alternative schools when the primary alternative schools’ funding was stabilized and teachers were not cut?
Point out that primary alternative school students will have nowhere to go if secondary alternative schools are forced to close because of teacher shortages.
Let them know that losing even one teacher will mean programming cuts and less support for students just as the pandemic ends.
Ask them not to cut funding for teachers.
Ask them to respond to you.