toronto student choice policy

from: melissa tkachyk (wspa)
subject: we won the first round!! motion for a student choice policy passed committee

Hi everyone,

We did it! Trustee Josh Matlow's motion for a Student Choice Policy on animal dissection was passed through committee today. The next step is passing this motion through the full board and we need your support to do this!

Ministry of Education guidelines currently allow students to opt out of dissection however there is nothing that says students need to be informed of this choice. Josh Matlow's motion takes it a critical step further by ensuring that students are fully aware of their rights and options.

Formalizing the current guidelines as a board policy will make it more meaningful to students. If approved, teachers will be required to advise students of their options and, if requested, provide an alternative learning tool, without hassle or jeopardizing their grade.

The following Members of the TDSB Program and School Services Committee
voted in favor of passing this motion:

Trustee Sheine Mankovsky (sheine.mankovsky@tdsb.on.ca)
Trustee StanNemiroff (Stan.Nemiroff@tdsb.on.ca)
Trustee Chris Bolton (chris.bolton@tdsb.on.ca)

A thank you is also in order for Committee Vice Chair, Trustee Mari Rutka
(mari.rutka@tdsb.on.ca) for steering a great meeting.

The motion will now go to the full board on April 13th. If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, please try to come out to this meeting at 5050 Yonge Street (on the west side, north of Sheppard Avenue, North York Centre Subway Station). The meeting starts at 4:00 pm and may go on for several hours. Please call Trustee Matlow's office (416-397-3094) on
Monday April 11th to find out where on the agenda this motion is, so we can determine an approximate time. It is very important that we show a strong presence at this meeting. Spread the word!!

Regardless of where you live, please send letters in support of this
motion to:

All Toronto District School Board Trustees c/o David Tomczak :
david.tomczak@tdsb.on.ca

and the..

Minister of Education, Gerrard Kennedy who reportedly scoffed at the need for a student choice policy and was quoted in the Toronto Star saying "This is not one of the issues that should be taking the time of politicians":

The Honourable Gerard Kennedy,
Minister of Education,
Mowat Block,
900 Bay Street,
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1L2
Tel : 416-325-2600, Fax : 416-325-2608
email: gkennedy.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Please send a copy of your letter(s) to Trustee Josh Matlow for his
records (josh@joshmatlow.ca)

Thanks to all of you who have written letters already. A great deal of thanks goes out to PETA. Many of the letters that were submitted to the Committee's Members tonight came from PETA's street team. You guys rock!!!

As well, thank you to all of the students, parents and teachers from
Toronto, across Canada and the U.S. for lending your support.

For more information about the Student Choice Policy, please visit:
http://www.joshmatlow.ca/issues/studentchoicepolicy.htm and
www.frogsarecool.com

Melissa