The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is condemning the provincial government’s growing number of school board takeovers, calling the moves an unjustified overreach and a threat to local democracy in public education.
In a statement released Friday, ETFO president David Mastin said the Ford government is increasingly replacing democratically elected trustees with provincially appointed supervisors – a shift the union says removes community accountability and centralizes decision-making power at Queen’s Park.
ETFO argues elected trustees play a critical role linking families and communities with publicly funded schools, and says government supervisors answer only to the premier and education minister.
The union also raised concern that the interventions could signal a broader plan to gain control over school board finances and real estate, warning against what it describes as treating public education like a profit-driven enterprise instead of a public service.
According to ETFO, boards currently under provincial supervision include the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Peel District School Board, Thames Valley District School Board, Near North District School Board, and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. The York Catholic District School Board has also been placed on notice.
The federation points to the earlier provincial supervision of the Peel board, which lasted three years, and says expected improvements did not materialize. Mastin said financial stability, student supports, and working and learning conditions did not significantly improve under that model.
ETFO further claims roughly $6.3 billion has been removed from Ontario public education funding since 2018, and says supervision orders distract from funding and staffing pressures facing schools.
The union is calling on the Ford government and Education Minister Paul Calandra to end the takeovers, restore trustee governance, and increase investment in the public education system.
ETFO represents about 84,000 education workers across Ontario.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
