For the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Bill 101 reduces the number of trustees from 22 to 12. TDSB is the largest school board in Canada serving more than 230,000 students, this means larger ward boundaries and representation spread wider. The new TDSB Ward 7 combines University‑Rosedale, Toronto Centre, and Toronto-St. Paul’s - three densely populated and diverse ridings.
Bill 101 eliminates mandatory school climate surveys, an important tool boards use to understand student safety, belonging, bullying, and mental health. School climate surveys give students a safe, anonymous way to share how they truly experience school. This data helps schools spot issues early, address inequities, and design supports that reflect real student needs. Data that has historically revealed disparities affecting racialized students, 2SLGBTQ+ students, and students with special education needs and disabilities. For the TDSB, these surveys are an important tool for strengthening well‑being, guiding school improvement plans, and ensuring student voice directly shapes safer, more inclusive learning environments.
More Power Centralized at Queen’s Park. Decisions about repairs, capital projects, instructional materials, and even public communications shift from local school boards to the Education Minister’s Office. This reduces the TDSB’s ability to respond to local needs.
Bill 101 introduces new liability protections for provincially appointed officials. Provincially appointed supervisors, investigators, and officials receive immunity from personal liability. New CEO and Chief Education Officer roles created by Bill 101 are also covered by these protections when acting under ministerial direction.
A System Underfunded. Nearly two‑thirds of Ontario’s 72 school boards are in deficit or barely breaking even - a clear sign of a system under strain, not isolated mismanagement. Ontario’s $6.35 Billion education funding gap is real, but so is our ability to push for the renewed investment that will give every student the opportunities they deserve.
Bill 101 narrows the responsibilities of trustees and moves toward a top‑down corporate CEO governance model. Trustees are the only democratically elected officials in the education system; limiting their role limits community oversight.
When the Education Minister suggests trustees have “lost focus,” it overlooks the reality: trustees spend our time addressing chronic underfunding, large class sizes, staffing shortages, aging buildings, rising student needs, and inconsistent provincial directives. These are not distractions, they are the core issues affecting student achievement and well‑being.
Local governance is not a barrier to student success. It is the safeguard that ensures decisions reflect real communities.
I’m committed to public service and serving our communities. I show up, I listen, I advocate, and I remain accountable to the people I serve. Ontario’s students deserve a system that allows them to reach their full potential - not one that centralizes control at Queen’s Park and sidelines communities.
CALL TO ACTION: Your voice matters.
May 13, 2026 is the deadline to submit comments on “Bill 101, Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026” through the Ontario Regulatory Registry
Toronto Education Advocacy Network (TEAN) is a parent-led network advocating for a well funded, equitable, inclusive, public education system for all in Ontario. See advocacy information and templates > HERE
CALL TO ACTION: Call and Email Premier Doug Ford at 416-325-1941, [email protected] & Education Minister Paul Calandra at 416-325-2600, [email protected] to DEMAND they:
- Fund Our Schools!
- Fund education to match inflation
- Fully fund special education and student supports
- Repeal Bill 33
- Repeal Bill 101
Thank you for standing with our schools and our communities. Together, we can build a future rooted in care, inclusion, and hope.
Sincerely,
Deborah Williams
elected Trustee, TDSB Ward 10 University-Rosedale and Toronto Centre (*June 27, 2025 TDSB under supervision of the Ministry of Education)
During the TDSB supervision period, Deborah Williams can be reached at [email protected]
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