VIEWPOINT
ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME WE FIX OUR SCHOOLS? By Krista Wylie
O
ur schools are where our children learn, play, grow, and build years’ worth of memories. They are the hubs of our communities and the work environment for teachers, support staff, and many others. It is unacceptable when they are not safe, healthy, well-maintained spaces. My son, his classmates, and their teacher wore winter coats at school for more than a week because their classroom was only 12 degrees Celsius. Every spring and fall, Fix Our Schools hears about hot classrooms where temperatures soar beyond 35 degrees. Lead in drinking water, asbestos, mold, and rodents. These are just a few examples of unacceptable conditions in many of Ontario’s publicly funded schools. As teachers, I am sure you are well aware of many other issues in your schools. You also know the impact these conditions can have on student learning and on your working environment.
26 CATHOLIC TEACHER | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
The Fix Our Schools campaign Founded in spring 2014 by a handful of west-end Toronto parents, Fix Our Schools evolved quickly to become an Ontario-wide campaign focused on ensuring that: • Every publicly funded school in Ontario is a safe, well- maintained, healthy building that provides an environment conducive to learning and working. • The $16.3-billion of disrepair across all 72 Ontario school boards is eliminated, which depends upon adequate and stable provincial funding. • Publicly funded schools are considered and funded as critical public infrastructure. The Fix Our Schools campaign has always been non-partisan, parent-led, and solution-oriented, as we have worked to build a
