To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

WHEREAS since 2018, the Conservative government has taken $6.35 billion out of our education system, leading to larger class sizes, teacher shortages, and growing concerns about mental health and school violence;

WHEREAS democratically elected school boards are essential in allowing communities to directly shape how their schools operate and give parents a voice in their children's education;

WHEREAS Franco-Ontarians and Indigenous Peoples have constitutional rights to represent and advocate for their communities, and school board takeovers threaten their Charter-protected rights;

WHEREAS giving the Minister of Education unchecked power to take over a school board without oversight or guardrails undermines local democracy, transparency, and accountability;

WHEREAS parents and communities should have a say in decisions regarding local schools and decision makers should know their community and be accountable to it through democratic elections;

We the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows: That the Legislative Assembly of Ontario calls on the government to fund our public education system properly, respect local democracy, and stop playing political games with the wellbeing of our children.