I scream, you scream, schools funded by ice cream?

Should private funding be used to save a school from closing?

An Ontario ice cream maker is offering $2 million to save the only school in the small town of Markdale from closing. The proposed deal from Chapman’s Ice Cream—which has been approved by the Bluewater District School Board—would keep the school open for the next two years.

According to the proposal, Chapman’s Ice Cream and Parataxis Design & Development Corp. have offered to pay $2 million each to rebuild Beavercrest Community School. For the next two years, while a deal is being worked out, the Municipality of Grey Highlands has agreed to pay $50,000 annually to cover the extra costs of keeping the school open, while Chapman’s has agreed to cover any expenses beyond that.

In order to go ahead, the deal would have to be approved by the province, because it does not fit within current provincial regulations. The possible deal raises many questions…

One day—one voice. Stand up for Music!

Music Monday is on May 1.

Every year, on the first Monday of May, schools across the country participate in a simultaneous nationwide performance of an original song written by a Canadian artist. Organized by the Coalition for Music Education, the event is dedicated to raising awareness for music education.

This year’s Music Monday anthem, Sing It Together, celebrates the unifying power of music. The song is co-written by award-winning songwriters Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas, and is available in various languages and arrangements.

Learn more.

Increased funding for school boards announced

But no new rural strategy yet

On April 12, the province released the details of education funding for 2017/18. After lengthy negotiations with trustees’ associations, teachers’ federations and education workers’ unions, the province announced increases in salaries, funding for class size reductions, and a new Local Priorities Fund that may be used for staff such as special education teachers or educational assistants.

The province also announced that the government will launch a consultation on “new approaches to supporting education in rural and remote communities” in the spring.

Learn More

People for Education relies on you!

Preserving the independent voice for public education

People for Education started twenty years ago, and continues to combine a unique blend of evidence, engagement, and policy analysis to ensure that our publicly funded education system is the best it can possibly be. It takes vigilance, research, and a strong communications strategy to ensure that our system continues to evolve.

But doing this important work costs money.

Today, our budget is just under $1 million per year. With that funding, we provide independent, evidence-based reports on everything from streaming in high school, to music education; we speak to policy-makers and work with experts to ensure that Ontarians have the facts and evidence they need; and we hold consultations and host conferences.

By funding the research and evidence that form the backbone of all we do, you’re helping to ensure that our publicly funded schools create new generations with the must-have skills to innovate, adapt, imagine and continue to learn.

Please make a donation.
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