Latest news with #JoeOrtona
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
English school boards threaten to sue Quebec over budget cuts in education network
English Montreal School Board Chair Joe Ortona holds up a copy of the ruling as he comments on the Quebec Court of Appeal ruling in favour of Bill 21, Quebec's religious symbols law, in Montreal, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) English school boards are threatening to sue the Quebec government over 'astronomical' cuts to the education network that they argue are unconstitutional. The controversial cuts were announced at the end of the school year when the Ministry of Education said it would have to slash spending by more than half a billion dollars by fall 2025. English school boards and French-language service centres were asked to cut $510.8 million from the 2025-2026 fiscal year, and an additional $56.9 million from the private schools – for a total of $567.7 million. The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) intends to file the lawsuit in the coming weeks. President Joe Ortona said one of the main sticking points is the government's directive that bars the school boards from dipping into surplus money accumulated over the years to use as needed. He said QESBA has made it clear that the government can't micromanage how English school boards spend their money and doing so would be in breach of the Court of Appeal judgment on Bill 40 earlier this year. 'It's been radio silence on their part, so they either don't understand it or don't care,' Ortona told CTV News. 'The government puts us in a position where we have no choice but to file a lawsuit because they think that they can run the education system in the English sector like it's a service centre, and we are not service centres. We fought for the right to keep school boards and fought for the right to have local management and control. As long as the government doesn't get that, it's unfortunate, but court challenges are going to keep mounting.' Following mounting pressure from opposition parties and unions about the cuts, Education Minister Bernard Drainville said that the province would invest 'up to' $540 million for the school network and that all funds 'must be used to finance direct services to students, not for anything else.' The announcement on July 16 did not mention whether or not the requested budget cuts still stand. The funding is conditional on many unreachable targets, Ortona said, including caps on hiring, despite school boards having already made hiring decisions for the next school year 'in conformity with the collective agreements that the government themselves negotiated with the union.' 'So the government's turning around and saying, 'You can't hire the jobs that you guaranteed to hire. And by the way, if the unions grieve and sue the school boards, you're left on your own to deal with that as well,'' he said. Minister Drainville's office did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. Ortona could not say how many school boards are planning to join the proposed lawsuit as they are in the middle of reviewing how the budget cuts will affect them.
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec's English school boards to mount legal fight over budget cuts
By English school boards in Quebec plan to challenge the province's new education funding rules in court, calling them unconstitutional and unworkable. The cuts, which were initially announced in June, could force boards to cancel programs, reduce special education services, or even close schools, said Joe Ortona, president of the Quebec English School Boards Association. Ortona said at the centre of the dispute is Quebec's move to block boards from accessing their accumulated budget surpluses. The funds were saved for future needs and belong to the boards, not the province. 'That money belongs to us,' he said. While the province hasn't said it will take the money back, the uncertainty has left boards cautious. 'We've learned to expect anything from this government.' The new funding rules also introduce what Ortona called 'unrealistic and arbitrary' conditions. For example, one limit he described was how many staff boards can hire. This comes despite the period for staffing already being finalized in May under union agreements. 'Many boards can't meet the staffing cap without breaking union contracts,' he added. Ortona also warned the rules could force cuts to support staff and student services. Areas already under pressure, such as speech therapy, psychological services, and tutoring, could face deeper reductions. A legal challenge is being prepared and is expected to be filed before the school year begins. He said some boards have already signed on, while others are reviewing their finances before joining. 'We've been working with our lawyers since these cuts were announced,' Ortona said. 'We're trying to protect our right to deliver the services students need.' He did not provide further details about the legal action, saying it would be premature to comment.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
School officials question Quebec's new cellphone ban and civility code
Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville responds to the Opposition during question period at the legislature in Quebec City, Oct. 22, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot) The Quebec Ministry of Education has released its draft regulation outlining a complete ban on cellphones in schools, along with new civility rules for the province. In May, the government announced it would expand its cellphone ban by prohibiting students in elementary and high school from using their devices anywhere on school property. In addition to the ban, Education Minister Bernard Drainville also said students would have to follow a civility code and address teachers formally as 'sir and madame.' However, some education officials say that enforcement will be difficult amid budget cuts and believe the government should be focusing on more urgent matters. Joe Ortona, president of the Quebec English School Boards Association, questioned whether enforcement would lead to staff 'shortfalls.' 'With all due respect to the minister, his priority shouldn't be on ensuring that these rules get enforced. It should be on ensuring that we have adequate staff,' Ortona argued in a recent interview. 'Rome is burning, and the minister is coming out with rules about proper etiquette and formal ways to address people and a cell phone ban while we're dealing with hundreds of millions of dollars of cuts and what exactly that's going to entail.' According to the draft regulation, there are a few exceptions to the ban, including health reasons, special needs and for pedagogical use. Moreover, each school will have to decide what disciplinary measures to implement for students who contravene the new rules. Katherine Korakakis, the president of the English Parents' Committee Association of Quebec, said that the harmful effects of cellphones do need to be mitigated, but raised doubts about whether the ban is the right measure. 'From parents, what we've heard and what we've always advocated is taking away the cell phones without teaching children about the effects of sound cell phones becomes a punitive measure and doesn't do anything to address the crisis,' Korakakis explained. 'So now you're putting something in place that is not enforceable. There are not enough teachers on hand. There are not enough staff members on hand.' The ban was recommended by a committee of legislature members tasked with studying the impact of screen time and social media on youth. In an interim report published in April, the committee found that mobile devices were everywhere on school grounds, and it heard from specialists who said extending the ban could reduce students' screen time and encourage other activities, such as socializing. Korakakis added that parents have expressed concern about not being able to reach their children. 'We raised this with the ministry and explained that, for the English-speaking community, there are real concerns — like not being able to reach your child, especially for students with special needs who take public transit. The ministry told us that as long as phones are kept in lockers, it's not a problem. But they were already in lockers to begin with,' she said. The new rules come into effect in the fall. With files from The Canadian Press
CTV News
18-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec school officials alarmed by $570M budget cut
Education officials in the province were left reeling by the $570-million budget cut announced last week by the CAQ government. This comes on top of a $200 million cut announced in December. Joe Ortona, the president of the Quebec English School Board Association, called the decision 'shameful' and said the impact on services would be devastating. 'Nobody knows where to cut, because all of these services are essential. In the end, some are going to have to make choices between serving breakfast meals and having tutors for kids who are failing classes,' Ortona told CTV News. 'I don't think anybody here is in a good situation, even in the French sector, they're not speaking out publicly, but privately, they're saying this is impossible. In some boards, they're being asked to cut almost $100 million — it is absolutely impossible what this government is asking to do without affecting services to kids.' Education Minister Bernard Drainville is asking English school boards and French-language service centres to cut $510.8 million from the 2025-2026 fiscal year, and an additional $56.9 million from the private schools – for a total of $567.7 million. Judith Kelley, Chair of the Council of Commissioners at the Lester B. Pearson School Board, said schools are scrambling because budget allocations have already been approved. She said her school board is looking at a $32 million cut from its $400 million budget, but there is no flexibility on things like staff pay. 'We have to start looking at difficult decisions,' she said. 'The minister will say 'You won't need to cut in classrooms, you won't need to do anything that will affect students,' but yes students will be affected.' For example, special education, sports, and arts programs may be affected. 'I just don't think we can do what we're being asked to do,' said Kelley. During a scrum on Wednesday, Drainville argued that since 2018, the education budget has grown by seven per cent each year. He added that while this year's increase is just five per cent, the overall budget is still rising by $1 billion. 'What I told the service centres [and school board] is that they need to manage their existing funds more effectively: to be more efficient, to respect the budget without cutting services for students or at the very least to keep it to a minimum,' Drainville explained, adding that a seven per cent increase is unsustainable. 'I acknowledge that it will take a lot of work. I am asking for everyone to make an effort. There will be difficult decision to be made. But after a 58 per cent increase of the education budget, I think the time has come to consolidate and make better use of the funding that has been allocated.' Ortona rejected Drainville's claim that school boards and service centres simply need to manage their funding better, pointing to the SAAQclic and Northvolt scandals as examples of government mismanagement. 'Essentially, they're asking children to sacrifice their education and their future and their success for the mistakes of this government, I just think that that's indecent on their part. They should be ashamed that that's where they're resorting to,' Ortona said. 'They have adopted an education model now that absolutely allows them to get away with doing these kinds of things, because nobody in the French system is able to speak out. They have no elected officials that represent them. Everybody is accountable to and answers to the Ministry of Education and the government of Quebec.' When asked about the salary increases in collective agreements signed over the last few months, Ortona said he expected teaching and support staff positions to be cut. 'The government is washing their hands of it. All they're saying is, 'Well, if you face grievances because you've abolished positions that you've promised to the unions, that's your responsibility, and you're going to have to deal with that.' Again, a complete mismanagement of education,' he said. The president said that boards and associations would be working through the summer, crushing numbers and trying to make everything fit. In recent days, several service centres have also decried the new round of budget cuts.
CBC
18-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
School boards, staff slam Quebec for 'devastating' $570M budget shortfall
The Quebec government is under criticism for what school administrators are calling devastating cuts to the province's education system, which amount to $570 million less in funding for the upcoming school year. Teachers, parents and school principals are worried these budgetary restrictions could impact students' success and services offered to them. Joe Ortona, the president of the Quebec English School Boards Association, argues that this will make it impossible for school boards and service centres to stay true to their mission of educating students effectively. "We are completely shocked and devastated," Ortona said in an interview. "There is no way to be able to cut what the government is asking to cut. It is outright impossible. This will have an immensely detrimental impact on student success, without question." Ortona predicted that extracurricular activities, tutoring, arts programs and music programs will be on the "chopping block" across Quebec. He also added that these restrictions could mean fewer teachers, larger classrooms, more students falling behind and school closures if boards and service centres can't afford to keep them open. "The government is simply putting their mismanagement now on the backs of children's futures," he said. Jean-David Meunier, principal at François-Bourrin high school in Quebec City, said he had to re-read the letter he received from the Ministry of Education four times to make sure he hadn't made a mistake. "Every thousand dollars is important," Meunier told Radio-Canada. "We know we're in a difficult budgetary situation. But honestly, I didn't see that scenario coming." For his school of 575 students, he is being asked to work with several hundred thousand dollars less next year compared to the year that just ended. "It's going to be hard not to cut back on student services, because we're already being rigorous," said Meunier. "There's no fat." Drainville says school boards need to be more 'efficient' Bernard Drainville, Quebec's education minister, defended the government's position. Since 2018, the budget for schools has increased by seven per cent annually, he said, whereas this year the budget will increase by five per cent. "We will have to be more efficient with the money that's being spent, but at some point, school boards and [school service centres] need to respect the budget that they're given," Drainville told reporters on Wednesday, adding that over the past six years, the budget for education has increased by 58 per cent. Katherine Korakakis, president of the English Parents' Committee Association, said the budget shortfall will have an especially big impact on the most "vulnerable" students. She said some parents can afford for extra resources and tutors for their children, while for others, this isn't the case, making things "very stressful." Korakakis pointed out that parents already worry about student success and motivation. "How much more is this going to impede students staying in school?" she said.
