When summer hit and school let out, the city changed. The morning rush slowed down, the roads emptied, and Toronto let out a long sigh. That’s the power schools have—pacing the city’s daily rhythm without us even noticing.
But just as schools shut down, something else closed too—the Toronto public school board. And it wasn’t our choice.
As parents, we thought we had a say through our trustees. Remember them? Yeah, we voted for them, and for a while, the provincial government acted like it mattered. Not anymore. Doug Ford stepped in, took over the TDSB, and ripped up our votes like they were junk mail.
The minister of education is pointing his finger at the board. “They’re a mess! Wasting money on nonsense!” he says. But what doesn’t he say? His government shortchanged schools for years, letting buildings crumble, and forcing teachers and staff to stretch every penny like elastic bands.
But fear not, Minister Calandra is going to do something about it. Enter Rohit Gupta. The new boss of our schools. Not your typical firebrand—he’s calm, polished, and corporate.
According to the government—and his own company—Gupta’s an expert at “public-private partnerships.” Translation? He knows how to turn public goods into private profits. He helped launch Canada’s first P3 agency at the federal level, was an advisor to Stephen Harper, and he even advised Metrolinx—the same folks behind Toronto’s never-ending Eglinton LRT construction nightmare.
This is the hero Ford picked to “rescue” public education.
Looking back, maybe we should’ve seen it coming. The bake sales to buy school supplies. The portables in schools across the province. The silence when we asked for proper funding. That wasn’t neglect — it was a plan.
Groups like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation have been whispering into the government’s ear for a long time: “It’s time to shake things up. Think big. Think school choice.”
If you’ve ever decoded political spin, you know what that really means—charter schools and private operators. And maybe tuition fees down the road if we let it happen.
So here we are. Our schools are on life support, and the man holding the clipboard?
He’s no doctor. And he’s no hero.
Thank you for you critical commentary on the take over of the TDSB and three other boards. We have been worried about our public schools and their underfunding for years. And now it seems Ford has been taking his cues from our southern neighbour using Trumpian tactics, by taking over the board of trustees, which has been publicly elected. We don’t agree with all of them but that is the democratic process. As such Ford is undermining democracy. And continuing to underfund public education including our universities.