Andrew Massey

Trustees, the Board, and the Province

The province has used Bill 33 & Bill 101 to sideline trustees, but it's still a public office! I will use the office to hold decision-makers accountable and call for real change. At the board level, this means advocating for equity and calling out bad policy. In the community, this means rallying and organizing opposition! I'm a technical writer. I translate complex details into clear, plain-language documentation. I want to do this for Ward 5 families via weekly web updates, regular office hours, monthly townhalls, and quarterly reports.

Bullying in Schools

Trustees must address systemic discrimination with better policy. TDSB data show that Black and Middle Eastern students are punished with suspension far more than their peers. Good policy grows community and belonging. Students behave better when they feel seen, heard, and welcome. Punishment only pushes them away. I support implementing restorative practices (repairing the damage caused) through purposeful workshops, timely supports, positive incentives, and collective responsibility. We must help our kids look out for one another.

Class Sizes and Staffing

Fund the schools! Smaller classes and more staff. This is not a "two-sides" issue! My priorities are to increase frontline positions, have dedicated admins for each school, and to oppose all cuts. The recent ~900 staffing cuts and $6.4 million in dropped funding for special needs education must be reversed. Public education isn't a company, it's a service! Funding and staffing cuts make no sense and offer zero taxpayer value. Smaller class sizes and proper staffing means better outcomes and happier kids. Anything less is unacceptable.

Special Programs and Program Access

The equity vs. merit argument is based on fear and artificial scarcity from withheld provincial funding. We can do better. I would prioritize adopting a Proportional Allocation model that divides specialized program seats to proportionally mirror applicant pools and the broader student population. Something like Chicago’s CPS Tier System. The TDSB already has enough ethno-racial, demographic, and socioeconomic risk data to do this. Equitable, data-driven opportunities for the most deserving kids from every background is already possible.