Hello Everybody,
There is a strong possibility that IB Fees will be reversed in time for the 2020/21 school year! A final vote by TDSB trustees will take place next week, on Thursday, August 6th.
BUT, we need to keep the momentum going! This is our last chance to push for the elimination of IB fees. Please consider submitting a written deputation (deadline August 5th) or oral delegation request (deadline this Friday to apply for meeting which takes place on August 6th). This will be by phone, not in person.
The Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee is now on our side. It will just take a bit more to garner support from a few more trustees to push this through. Let’s do this together. Please share the message below with your networks.
Strong Possibility IB Fees will be Reversed: What You Can Do
A motion asking the TDSB to reverse its decision to charge fees for IB is making its way from the Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (FBEC) to the full meeting of the Board of Trustees. This is both a positive and a surprising development as it comes from the trustees on the FBEC itself, sponsored by trustees Zakir Patel and Robin Pilkey. To become a reality, the motion needs to be voted on and passed at the FBEC meeting on August 5th and pass again at the meeting of the whole Board on August 6th.
The trustees supporting this initiative have heard our voices. They’ve seen that despite a financial assistance program there has been a drop in enrolment. It has all added up to too much trouble for too little saving that would now come at the expense of Toronto communities hit hard by COVID-19. Although there seems to be strong support from Trustees for the motion, we can’t take this moment for granted. The FBEC meeting on August 5th is an opportunity for us to voice our support for our trustees as they make their final decision.
If the fees are reversed, the TDSB will begin contacting families as soon as possible in order to refund IB fees. The TDSB will also communicate with families who have decided not to continue in IB, to invite them to re-enrol in the program. Unfortunately, it may be too late to address the drop in grade 9 enrolment we are seeing for this fall.
If you haven’t already made an oral or written deputation on this issue, please consider doing this now. Written delegations can be made up to and after the meeting on August 5th. The deadline to submit an oral delegation request is this Friday, July 31st at 5:00 pm. The delegation request form, along with general information on the delegation procedure is available at https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Detail/docId/2007
The timing of the oral delegations is at the discretion of the Chair and the Committee. However, the delegations typically appear early on the agenda. If the meeting begins at 12:00 pm, oral delegations will be heard any time from 12:05-12:20 pm on August 5th. Oral delegates will be by phone and are not expected to attend in person.
Let’s keep the momentum going. The Finance Committee already supports a reversal of IB fees. Let's encourage all TDSB trustees to reverse their decision to charge fees for IB.
Whether you are a student, teacher, or family member, now is the time to consider an oral or written deputation on a decision that will impact the lives of many families across the TDSB and restore IB to its position as a rigorous, two-year program, equally available to all students who meet the academic qualifications across the TDSB, not just those who can afford it.
Email: noibfees@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noibfees/