Parents, educators protest GECDSB program cuts

Educators and parents gathered outside the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) office on Tuesday evening protesting program cuts.

More than 100 people loudly demanded the GECDSB Board of Trustees walk back a decision, which included cuts to the Reaching Individual Success and Excellence (RISE), and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

Mario Spagnuolo, the president of the Greater Essex County Teacher Local for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) said parents are left in uncertainty ahead of the next academic year.

“This board is decimating the RISE program, which is a program that is designed to help students with disabilities, learning disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities,” Spagnuolo told CTV News Windsor.

The cuts come amidst a $6.4-million shortfall for the current fiscal year.

According to the board, RISE provides supports and programming designed specifically for students with a designated exceptionality.

The IB program is a globally recognized education system that challenges students with a rigorous curriculum emphasizing critical thinking, research and intercultural understanding.

On Nov. 5, trustees approved a multi-year financial recovery plan to comply with provincial requirements for a balanced budget.

“Our position was trustees should have voted against the plan, and they should have allowed the ministry to come in and let the ministry be the bad guys,” Spagnuolo explained. “Let the ministry tell parents that your child's not going to get special education supports. Let the ministry come in and make the cuts so that people know directly who to point to.”

The rally began hours before the trustees met to appoint a new chairperson. As members began showing up, chants of “shame” rang out from those rallying.

Spanguolo said he feels parents have lost faith in the trustees due to a lack of transparency and communication.

“It's symbolic that they're electing a chair, and that we're watching that we are not going to just stand back, you know, gripe about the decision that was made, and then go back to our classrooms and continue teaching,” he said.

While parents admitted they are losing hope either of the programs will continue, Spagnuolo said they plan to continue advocacy efforts until trustees reverse their decision.

CTV News Reached out to the GECDSB for comment, but did not receive a response by publication.