Beginning in June 2025, Ontario’s Minister of Education put eight school boards (750,000 students) under the control of provincial supervisors, sidelining elected trustees. Since this takeover, sweeping legislative changes have been implemented and denounced by teachers, parents and students alike. The North Star spoke with education workers across Toronto to discuss the impacts of these changes.

Education workers across Ontario entered summer 2026 in a state of anxiety and uncertainty. The final months of the school year, between culminating exams and graduation ceremonies, brought news of significant job cuts. Among them were nearly 800 employees of the province’s largest school board, the Toronto District School Board, including teachers, teaching assistants, custodians, mental health professionals, IT technicians, and administrative and secretarial staff.