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

I was a child who attended a TDSB gifted program, and it really did save my educational life. Beforehand, I was a bored, frustrated, and bullied student. Afterwards, I thrived and enjoyed learning. It made all the difference to me.

Hope no education level to divide children's friendship ♡

The gifted program made a huge difference in the lives of my children. Removing or reforming the program would be detrimental not only to the kids in the program but also to the teachers and other students dealing with bored and acting out children in their classrooms. I believe the results will be more expensive, less effective and a waste of my tax dollars.

I was a gifted student at North Kipling in the TDSB and I benefited a lot by having a class room of people like me. Our class was very diverse and I would not want to see programs like this go away. By integrating students into the regular classrooms, those with special needs will not receive the attention they need as teachers will not be prepared to handle students of different groups and needs.

These programs had made all the difference in the world for both my children. Please save these programs. Different children grow and learn differently. Options are essential!!!

I'm a student that is currently part of the AP program and I was formerly part of the gifted program. The gifted program has really helped me extend my abilities to their fullest potential. The specialized programs really do impact many talented and bright students and it would be a shame to get rid of.

I strongly urge TDSB to keep the "congregated" gifted program. I strongly object the cancellation of the "congregated"gifted program or "reform" it to the regular classroom. This will have very negative consequence for both gifted and no-gifted kids. Please stop it.

I greatly benefited from the gifted program at the TDSB. Please don’t close it, the peer group kids can find there can make a huge difference in their ability to make positive choices.

I believe de-streaming is a mistake. It is throwing out the baby with the bath water. Rather than taking the easy way out of attaining equity by giving everyone the same program, they board should do the right thing and examine how students are streamed and do their best to ensure that it is done in a fair and equitable way.

I sincerely hope that the TDSB will base its decisions on more comprehensive, evidence-based work than this flawed report. There are no doubt changes that can and should be made to improve equal access to high quality education, but a one-size fits all approach hurts everyone.

Full time gifted classes are essential for some gifted students. They do not learn necessary study skills in regular classrooms, where the material is too easy for them. Professor of Computer Science, University of Toronto

Reforming or modifying the existing congregated gifted program will have far reaching negative consequences on our kids who have thrived socially, educationally and emotionally in a focused classroom of their like-minded peers. De-streaming to a regular program with so called support is doomed to fail. There will never be enough support to address the diverse learning needs of the gifted kids.

Do not cancel!

Please stop this. This is a backward progress. We should be developing more specialized programs.

‘One size fits all’ as a solution to equity issues is just a very bad idea. If we want to remain competitive as a nation on the world scale we should enhance high-school education in mathematics and sciences. Eliminating existing specialization programs to make a low common denominator is a huge step backwards. Continuing on this path, in a few years, Canada will cease to qualify as a G7 nation. Professor of ECE, FRSC University of Toronto

I greatly benefited from the Gifted Program at Woburn CI in scarborough. I ended up attending Engineering Sciences at U of T and subsequently MIT for grad school. I am a professor at U of T in Electrical Engineering. I have been proud of the gifted program all my life and Feel strongly about it.

I am the mother of a gifted student. The gifted program is a necessity for the future of these kids and our country.

The EETF recommendations are not based on education research, and in fact ignores a large amount of research that proves the advantage of focused education programs that cater to the diverse learning needs of students, rather than a one-approach-for-all. It will be a great step backwards to close gifted programs, or 'reform' them into regular classrooms.

Canada is one of the most developed countries in the world, but unlike the majority of them 2/3 of its primary sector is in the sale of natural resources. Educating children, raising them to lead the country away from oil and lumber sales to research&development is what is going to take to bring Canada up to the world standard. The liberal government advertises itself by being an avid supporter and promoter of green energy and preserving the environment. Well, I think it should stand behind its representations. The way to support the environment is to move Canadian economy into the R&R sector instead of cutting trees and pumping oil in a more environment friendly way. If we don't invest in the children now than in 10-20 years we are still going to be in exactly same place. We can't afford cancelling specialty and gifted programs.

One learning methodology for all students would be one giant leap backwards. We should be moving in the opposite direction if we want students to thrive.