April 18th Weekly Update

View this email in your browser

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Email

Instagram

YouTube

Dear Constituents, 
Our government is committed to delivering a world-class education system that helps prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. This issue of the Weekly Update contains exciting information about how our government is working to improve Ontario’s education system, and how we are making improvements to Ontario’s provincial park reservation system.

We are ensuring that Ontario schools work for students and parents by:

  • Introducing legislation which would, if passed, ensure that Ontario’s education system focuses on the life-long skills that matter most: reading, writing, and math
  • Investing more than $180 million in targeted supports to help students obtain the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the workforce
Additionally, we are improving the system for reserving visits to 57 of our province’s beautiful provincial parks by:
  • Expanding the use of the advance-day reservation service for select provincial parks, which will reduce overcrowding and provide visitors with greater certainty when planning visits

<!–


–>

Province Improving Accountability and Transparency in Ontario Schools

On Monday, the Ontario government introduced The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, which would, if passed, ensure the province’s public education system focuses on what matters most: important life-long skills, like reading, writing and math. The act would also ensure accountability and transparency for parents and families.

If passed, The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act would help students and families by:

  • Improving accountability and transparency by allowing the Minister of Education to set priorities in important areas on student achievement, like reading and math, and requiring school boards to update parents on progress
  • Requiring school boards to publicly post a multi-year Board Improvement Plan that reflects the minister’s priorities for student achievement, creating authority to deploy personnel to support school boards when needed, along with greater oversight over provincially funded tax dollars
  • Ensuring new teachers and educators have the skills they need to effectively teach students in math, reading and literacy
  • Directing school boards to increase engagement and reporting to parents on student achievement and ensuring parents have easy access to the information they need to meaningfully engage with their children’s education and success
  • Building schools faster and implementing measures to utilize current school spaces, ensuring Ontario is getting more classrooms into communities who need them
  • Strengthening the requirement for school boards to have a code of conduct for boards of trustees, creating a neutral dispute resolution process and authority to standardize and mandate training requirements for school board leadership
  • Building on our progress to establish a leading system of student safety and educator oversight, furthering measures to expedite disciplinary decisions for educators convicted of a criminal offense
  • Expanding eligibility for therapy counselling for student victims of sexual abuse through the Ontario College of Teachers
  • Providing for more consistent approaches to student learning and well-being, including on student mental health
  • Improving processes at the Ontario College of Teachers and College of Early Childhood Educators to enable them to operate more efficiently, including more consistent disciplinary processes.

Nearly 2,000 front-line educators will be hired, supported by overall education funding at the highest levels in Ontario history. This includes $693 million more in base Grants for Student Needs (GSN) funding compared to the year prior, or a 2.7 per cent increase. With a focus on supporting students across the province, and building off the approximately 8,000 additional staff hired since 2018, the government will fund:

  • Nearly 1,000 specialized math and literacy educators to boost skills
  • Over 940 educators to support students from grades 7 to 10 with a seamless transition into high school and in de-streamed courses.

In addition, Ontario’s students are supported with the highest level of per-student base funding in provincial history at $13,125. This record-setting investment will support school boards and educators as they prepare Ontario’s students with the skills they need to succeed in life. To prepare and support students in the de-streaming of Grade 9, Ontario is investing in nearly 1,000 educators.

“Our mission is simple: drive continuous improvement to Ontario’s education system so that we graduate the brightest, most ambitious, skilled and entrepreneurial students in the country,” said Minister Lecce. “We are sending a signal across the province: we must – and we will – do better to ensure your children get a quality education that leads them to a good-paying job, home ownership and a life of opportunity.”

You can find more information about the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act by clicking this link to the Ontario News website.

<!–


–>

Ontario Launches Plan to Boost Math, Writing, and Reading Skills

The Ontario government is investing more than $180 million in targeted supports in the classroom and at home to help students build the math and reading skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the workforce. This investment will support nearly 1000 more educators to help students develop these important skills.

“We are getting back to the basics, because that’s what matters most when it comes to students’ skills with reading, writing and math,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “I am proud to unveil Ontario’s plan to boost literacy and math skills, designed to deliver better schools, jobs and outcomes for students. This plan will up our game and send a signal across the province: we will do better to improve the skills that actually matter to the success of your child, from the classroom to the workforce. Ontario’s plan will help ensure students graduate with a competitive advantage that will lead them to a good-paying job, a home and a life of opportunity.”

Ontario is investing more than $71 million in 2023-24 in a new math plan, supported by the recently introduced modernized math curriculum that mandates financial literacy and coding in every grade.

The province’s plan to boost math skills will:

  • Support more than 300 educators to improve student learning in math
  • Double the number of school math coaches in classrooms to provide direct support to teachers and students
  • Introduce one math lead per board to spearhead math curriculum implementation, standardize training, and provide additional supports for math coaches in the classrooms
  • Expand access to digital math tools that students and parents can access anytime
  • Continue live teacher-led virtual tutoring services focused on math
  • Enhance skills of new teachers through dedicated training and covering costs of additional math qualification courses to enhance math fluency and competency.

To further support students facing challenges with math, the government is deploying Math Action Teams to school boards or schools to raise standards, training and student outcomes. Teams will work with school boards to identify and recommend targeted, evidence-based responses to improve math achievement for Ontario students.

You can find more information about this investment by clicking this link to the Ontario News website. 

<!–


–>

Ontario Making it Easier and More Convenient to Visit Provincial Parks

The Ontario government is expanding the advance day-use reservation service, available at select provincial parks. This year, 20 additional parks will adopt the service, bringing the total to 57 parks across the province. This expansion will help reduce overcrowding and provide visitors with greater certainty when planning park visits on busy days like weekends and holidays.

“Ontario’s provincial parks are some of the most beautiful and well-loved places in our province, which is why we are always looking for ways to improve and modernize the Ontario Parks experience,” said David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “By expanding the advance daily vehicle permit service, we are responding to feedback from visitors who want a fast and convenient way to visit our parks so they can focus on what really matters – enjoying their visit to the fullest.”

Visitors can book a daily vehicle permit online up to five days in advance, reducing time spent registering when they arrive so they can spend more time enjoying the park.

Starting this spring, the advance daily vehicle permit service is expanding to the following provincial parks:

  • Wasaga Beach, Awenda, Rondeau and MacGregor Point – now available
  • Sauble Falls – as of April 21, 2023
  • Frontenac and Inverhuron – as of April 28, 2023
  • Bronte Creek, Fitzroy, Murphys Point, Oastler Lake, Petroglyphs, Port Burwell, Rideau River and Rock Point – as of May 12, 2023
  • Chutes, Esker Lakes, Ivanhoe Lake, Neys and White Lake – as of May 19, 2023

“Building on the success of the last two years, we are pleased to announce the expansion of the advance day-use registration service to even more parks, including Wasaga Beach Provincial Park,” said John Yakabuski, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “To help meet growing customer demand, this easy-to-use online service gives visitors peace of mind by allowing them to reserve their spot in advance to ensure they can access the park they want to visit.”

Ontario Parks encourages visitors to secure an advanced daily vehicle permit where available, especially during busy periods like weekends and holidays, to help guarantee access to participating provincial parks. Visitors can purchase their advance daily vehicle permit online at reservations.ontarioparks.com. Walk-up permits will continue to be sold, subject to availability.

<!–


–>

My constituency office is open Monday to Friday from 10AM to 4PM.
If you have any questions or concerns we’re readily available to assist you. 
You can also reach us by phone at (416) 781-2395
or by email at robin.martin@pc.ola.org.

 

Warmest Wishes, 
Robin Martin, MPP
Eglinton-Lawrence

For the most up-to-date COVID-19 information from the Government of Ontario visit ontario.ca/coronavirus

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Email

YouTube

Instagram

Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved.
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|*

Our mailing address is:
*|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|*

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Authorized by the CFO for the Eglinton-Lawrence PC Association