SAVE OUR SCHOOL (S.O.S.)

The Student School is an alternative secondary school in the TDSB which provides support for students who struggle in mainstream school environments for a variety of reasons such as mental health, addictions, bullying, learning challenges or needing a more supportive environment.

WE ARE AT RISK OF HAVING OUR TEACHERS CUT WHICH WOULD PUT OUR ENTIRE SCHOOL IN JEOPARDY!!!

Please take a moment to show your support by signing and sharing this petition. Your much needed support is appreciated. Thank you.

More information about our school and struggle:

We are students at an Alternative Secondary School, fittingly called The Student School (T.S.S.) in High Park. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been at risk of losing teachers due to decreased enrollment, which would cause our programs and staff to struggle in providing the services needed, and would likely result in some departments being shut down entirely.

T.S.S. functions as a safe haven for high school students whose previous educational institutions have failed in supporting them. We students experience a variety of conditions and circumstances including: mental health struggles like Depression and Anxiety, substance abuse and addiction, bullying, unaccommodated learning disabilities, homelessness, and chronic illnesses just to name a few, while some of us simply needed a different environment to the one regularly provided. Despite our different troubles, our commonality is the fact that this school was here for us when we needed it most. Some of us were prepared to drop out of school (or worse) before we transferred here. T.S.S. provides smaller classroom sizes and increased student autonomy, but still supplies 11 and 12U/M courses in the Social Sciences, Histories, English, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, etc. At a mainstream high school, losing a teacher, though difficult, would most likely be manageable, as others could fill in, here it would cause an entire department to shut down. If we lost our Math and Science teacher, students needing those credits for graduation requirements, or wishing to pursue higher education in those fields, would have to go elsewhere. All of our Art classes could be at risk. Our remaining teachers would be burdened with an increased workload, not to mention the emotional impact of losing beloved and trusted educators who also serve as guidance advisors for their students. It would be devastating.

This petition is to show the TDSB that our school, as well as every Alternative School, cannot lose any more staff. We require a certain number of teachers just for basic survival and we’ve already reached that minimum. The Student School has many alumni who after years of graduating are trying to help, getting involved with current attendees to make a plea with the board. This is incredible, but there are only so many of us. For everyone else, it would mean the world just to sign this petition, to show your support for our school and others like us, and to tell the board that our teachers, our school, must stay.