Do you have questions about the state of education in Ontario?
They may have answers.
A local committee has formed in Simcoe County to address questions from parents and residents about changes to education and with the Ontario budget slated to drop on Thursday, the committee has planned a town hall panel discussion on April 15 at 7 p.m. to talk about some of those concerns.
“We’ll have more questions and answers after Thursday. People want to know what’s happening in their children’s education. That’s why we decided to put this together,” says Pekka Reinio, one of the event organizers.
Taking place at Innisfil ideaLab and Library, the panel discussion will include speakers such as Jen Hare, a family studies teacher at Simcoe County District School Board (speaking on secondary), Brandon Rhéal Amyot, of the Lakehead University Student Union in Orillia (post-secondary), Kelly Martin, Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 330 president (support staff) and Reinio, teacher (elementary).
Although Reinio has run under the NDP banner in the previous provincial election, he says the panel is intended to be non-partisan.
“This isn’t an NDP event. We invited the Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin to sit on the panel because we want to have informed discussion and have all sides of the debate present,” says Reinio, adding that Khanjin has not yet RSVP’d.
Reinio says the committee started planning the event back in February and hopes both parents and community members will come take part.
“There are so many changes happening in education, and people might not be aware of all of the implications and the impact of all of these changes,” he says. “Our goal is to get parents out, and community members.”
The Simcoe County Education Town Hall will be moderated by Tara Filteau. Following the panel discussion with be a question-and-answer period.
The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, click here.
