STOP the TDSB EETF: NO to De-streaming; NO to Cancelling Specialty Programs; NO to Cancelling Optional Attendance; NO to "reforming" Gifted Programs

In a global economy, education is vital to enable Canada to compete. We have to provide our children with the best possible education and we need to support students with targeted programs that enable students with different educational needs to maximise their potential. The world is currently moving into a major change similar in scale and impact to the Industrial Revolution. This change involves, artificial intelegence, automation, and digitization. The impact to society will be huge. If Canada is to remain competative, we must educate our students to be able to succeed in. this new world. Dumbing down the education system to a "one size fits all" will simply not work. We will produce mediocre sutudents that will struggle to survive in the new technical economy. We will not be able to compete with China and Europe who's education systems will produce better educated people who will innovate and drive and sustain their economise. How can we justify being so short sighted with our education system and with our childrens' futures when faced with these global challenges?

Equity does not mean treating everyone in the exact same way. People naturally differ in terms of ability, talent, interests, learning styles, etc. Throwing all kids in the same program will only have the effect of hurting everyone. Kids who need extra help academically will fall further behind and will be more likely to drop out of school. Kids in the average range will have their self-esteem eroded when they compare themselves to their gifted classmates. Gifted kids will not have the opportunity to maximize their potential in a program that stretches and challenges them. Gifted kids in lower-income families will be especially affected as they will not have the ability to buy a private education. Our kids are Canada's future. If we do not put in specialized programs to train the next generation's leaders in science, engineering, technology, medicine, etc., then Canada will fall behind in the world. Please save the gifted program and the other specialty programs! Thank-you.

The gifted program should not be closed. TDSB as a responsibility to provide the best learning experience for all children. My son has entered the gifted program this year in Grade 4. His enthusiasm for learning has radically improved as he, and the others in the class, are being taught at their level allowing them all to flourish. In his regular school he told us he felt unchallenged and bored. His gifted program participation has reinvigorated his desire to learn and challenge himself. Removing the giften program will be a severe detriment to his learning experience as well as all others who are in the gifted program. He also feels like he belongs at his gifted program class so has also become much more confident as an individual. All this in just three months. To think that he might not be able to continue in the program in future years is both saddening and baffling to me. TDSB should keep this valuable education resource available for all eligible children.

The TDSB gifted program currently contains students who would not otherwise be afforded a private school education. Cancelling this program would reduce 'equity' rather than improve it. We should be investing in our brightest students - their future output will more than pay for this program.

We have to embrace the diversity of each and every individual. Everyone learns differently. Taking away these programs to help enhance alternative thinking amongst our younger generation is a tragedy and may hinder society's development itself.

It’s not fair to force everyone to learn the same way and at the same pace.

Kids (and adults) are not all the same. There should be a public schooling system that recognizes that some kids need special attention and learn faster than others. These kids will become the future leaders that Canada and the World needs to nurture.

please do not change gifted programs!!!! These kids will make Canada proud

A lound and clear *NO*! These recommendations are bad on so many levels, I don't even know where to start! Providing equal opportunitites for our children to learn, develop, and suceed is NOT the same as sticking them into the same learning environment! In fact, it is the exact opposite! We want to address as much as we can, the differences in children's learning styles, give them the opportunity to interact with children who learn in similar ways, and help them learn from each other! A sound NO to this incredibly untimely and uneducated proposal.

No!

There is not enough space here to explain the myriad ways this is a *BAD* proposal and should be rejected without a moment's hesitation. Please stop trying to turn our kids into cookie-cutter molds that are given no chance to excel, learn, and reach their full potential. Soundly *NO*.

Program allows students to explore their interests at a level not common to their age group but with like minded peers. They find life long friends and learn to work in teams with peers that respond to their questions with insightful answers.

How can it be possible to give everybody equal opportunity in the same room? (Unless this opportunity is rather low!)

The TDSB gifted program in its current form promotes excellence and a healthy pursuit of personal development. I have been very strongly impressed by recent graduates of the program (from very diverse backgrounds) that I have met at U of T, and by how much they felt it had benefited them. Please don’t cause unnecessary harm to public education.

Many of our brightest students emerge from these TDSB gifted programs. Please continue to support excellence!

The current TDSB gifted programme is one of the bright spots of the Canadian educational system. It counts among its alumni a large number of Canadians from diverse backgrounds who have made major contributions to life in Toronto and around the world. This system has evolved over decades and has demonstrated major successes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Support! All kids should receive equal chance of study, in forms that make each of them shine.

The TDSB is in the process of eliminating special education under the guise of “equal opportunity” as articulated by the Enhancing Equity Task Force. All parents of school aged children in Toronto should be concerned. This upcoming change, will affect all students in Toronto. Those children with a variety of special education needs (who are now in separate classrooms) won’t get the help they need. Or, the teachers will be so busy helping the kids who need special ed the rest of the class of the attention they need.

While we can all get behind reforms to help marginalized students, the EETF is on the wrong track. Many of its recommendations have little to do with helping marginalized students and much to do with sweeping changes that would affect all students. Any sweeping changes should be assessed from a much broader range of perspectives than the EETF was mandated to consider.

As a teacher involved in Gifted programs for many years, I am deeply saddened to learn that the largest school board in Canada is not committed to educating our youngest and most talented citizens, enabling them to assume leadership roles on a global stage. Gifted programming must be showcased, and Ontario could become the gold standard internationally in methodologies for success. An unfortunate byproduct of destroying special education is that many parents whose children need the programs will take their children out of public schools and send them to private schools, thereby weakening the public system for all. Please do not allow this to happen!