TDSB votes to change admission policy for specialty schools

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Toronto District School Board trustees have approved a policy to change the admission criteria to specialized schools amid criticism from some families that doing so would weaken the programs.

The new admission process means students no longer need to audition, present portfolios or write entrance exams to be admitted to one of the TDSB’s nearly 40 specialized schools and programs, which include the arts, athletics, sciences and math.

Instead, each type of specialized program would have a standard admission process, which could include demonstrating “an active interest or passion,” according to the new policy that was passed by trustees Wednesday night. Students meeting the requirements would be randomly selected if demand exceeds available spaces.

Before the vote, Colleen Russell-Rawlins, the TDSB’s director of education, told trustees that she could not lead a system where students don’t have access to programs because of their identity, experiences, postal code or family income.

“We must remember that public education is for everyone. It is our responsibility to remove barriers that prevent students from access to education, and provide them the pathways to pursue their dreams and realize their full potential,” she said.

The changes to specialized schools have sparked division among families, and brought issues of accessibility and merit to the forefront.

Some parents argue the new policy will negate the hard work students need to earn a spot, and, ultimately, water down the programs. Others say that enriched programs in public schools need to be accessible to all students, not just the privileged, and admission should not require a résumé or expensive extracurricular lessons.

Ms. Russell-Rawlins said she had received “countless emails” on the policy change that framed the dialogue as one pitting access against quality, equity against excellence. She said the changes to admission are “one hurdle for students we are eliminating.”

“As director, I can confidently say that there is no shortage of motivated, passionate and talented students in the TDSB who deserve great local programs or an opportunity to attend a central student interest program,” she said.

The board said that it would look at how to provide priority access to students in underserved communities.

The TDSB is also reviewing all of its secondary schools to include local programs so students don’t necessarily have to leave their neighbourhoods to access enriched programs.

The board’s specialized schools have come under scrutiny in recent years.

In 2017, the board considered dismantling the schools in order to distribute resources more equitably across the system, especially to those in marginalized communities.

That proposal was shelved after parents protested. The board pledged to examine its policies to ensure that all students could access these enriched programs, and that it was not exacerbating inequity.

A research report in 2017, as well as TDSB data, show that specialized schools don’t mirror the broader student population, and students in these programs are more likely to come from affluent homes.

Recent data from the TDSB show that 63 per cent of students in the elite athlete program identify as white compared to 29 per cent of all high-school students. In the board’s arts program, 55 per cent identify as white compared to 29 per cent of the secondary student population.

The board’s data show that in its leadership program, 66 per cent of students identify as South Asian, compared to 23 per cent of all high-school students.

Some specialized schools, including Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, have already changed their admission criteria to make them more accessible.

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