Media interview with Annie Kidder, our Executive Director.

By providing clear, accessible information to the public, we hope to engage people to become actively involved in education issues in their own community.

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In the news:

→  March 5, 2010:  $25M to poorer schools has been money well spent, Globe and Mail and Report from TDSB.

→  March 4, 2010:  Teachers' own comments return to report cards, Globe and Mail

→  February 24, 2010: Model community school open 7 days a week. Toronto Star

→  February 18, 2010:  School Boards lobby for special education funding. Globe and Mail

→  February 16, 2010: People for Education hosted "Schools @ the Centre", A Community Conversation about the Future of Education in the Thunder Bay community. Watch video here.

→  February 15, 2010: Leona Dombrowsky, the province's new Minister of Education is the mother of four grown children and has been MPP since 1999. Read her first interview since taking office. Toronto Star 

→  February 15, 2010: Long promised education funding review is in jeopardy. Toronto Star 

→  February 8, 2010: First Lady takes on the issue of childhood obesity and hopes she won't make parents feel even more guilty. Toronto Star 

→  February 3, 2010: Morning workout at Etobicoke school helps kids focus. Toronto Star 

→  February 2, 2010:  People for Education's pre-budget presentation asks for the promised review of the funding formula and integration of services and funding for families and children (to save costs.) Read our press release.

→  January 28, 2010: Keewatin-Patricia District School Board trustees are sending a dear message to Queen's Park: We need more bodies. Canoe.ca

→  January 26, 2010: In Ottawa: Planned schools cuts will hit immigrant kids say parents. CBC.ca

→  January 18, 2010: We wave a sad goodbye to Kathleen Wynne, we'll miss you! Welcome to our new Minister of Education Leona Dombrowsky.

→  January 18, 2010: New and Revised Elementary Health and Phys Ed Curriculum released. Implementation is mandatory this fall and health organizations (like OPHEA) are excited!

→  January 13, 2010: Are we making progress on early learning? Click here to find out more. You may also watch this CTV with Annie Kidder.

→  January 12, 2010: Want to know which schools in Ontario will have full day early learning programs for 4 and 5 year olds next September? Click here for a list published by the province today.

→  January 11, 2010: It's a neighbourhood school, the old-fashioned kind. Most of the kids walk to it - but they almost closed it once. Toronto Star

→  January 6, 2010: Facts in Education researchers aim to correct significant factual errors about education that appear in the media. Toronto Sun

→  January 6, 2010: Ottawa trustees vote to tighten criteria for students to move from their neighbourhood school to another school. Ottawa Citizen

→  January 5, 2010: Canada gets an "A" in education in report released by the Conference Board of Canada, up from "B" last year. Toronto Star

No more fall report card for elementary students:

Ontario is dropping one report card. Parents will receive an informal progress report in the fall instead.

"Dropping the fall report card is a concern if it means parents aren't kept in the loop", says Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education. “The fall report is incredibly important. … If there are any issues, you can get a good early warning,” she said. “It depends on how detailed that early report is. You would want to know how they're doing in each subject in terms of whether or not they're keeping up with the class.”

→ Read/watch more about this on CTV.  → Read about it in the Globe and Mail Dec. 21, 2009

→ Local trustees laud scrapping fall report card  → Read what Minister Wynne has to say about it.

Closing Schools:

More school boards across the province are exploring the option of closing schools in the face of enrolment declines and budget pressures.

172 schools are slated or recommended to close in Ontario between 2009 and 2012, and a further 163 reviews are in progress.

→ Read our November 2009 School Closings Report.

→ Read the press release.  → Read the detailed inventory of schools closing in each board.

→ "Ontario needs a vision of schools that recognizes them as assets to the whole community and places where families can find a range of community and social services to meet their needs." CTV, Nov. 10th

→ "Ontario will see an unprecedented number of school closings unless the province updates its funding models to account for the ever-shrinking school-age population." Globe and Mail, Nov. 9th

Early Learning for 4 and 5 year olds:

The province is moving ahead with plans to implement all-day kindergarten. → Read more in the Star, Oct. 27/09

→ Read People for Education's press release Oct. 27/09

People for Education has worked with other groups to endorse Charles Pascal's recommendations on early learning: 
→ Read the declaration, Sept. 22/09  → Read the press release, Sept. 22/09

→ Read "Act on Full Day Learning" Toronto Star Editorial Aug 31/09

→ Read the full report: With Our Best Future in Mind - Charles Pascal

→ Click here for older news: Bill 177, School Information Finder Website and more...

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