‘Better Call Paul’: Disability Advocates Reject Ford’s Move to Control School Boards | PressProgress

Disability advocates in Ontario have been drawing attention to a potential for fewer supports for disabled students, after the Ford government took control of five school boards by removing their elected trustees this past summer.

School board trustees are elected representatives meant to advocate on behalf of the public in a school board.

Disability advocates expressed concern about losing access to a publicly accountable representative during a press conference Monday.

“Trustees routinely held public ward meetings where you could raise your concerns or you could call the trustee directly,” said David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Alliance [AODA]. “There were certainly problems with the existing system that could benefit from reform, but heck, mend it, don’t end it.”

He added that this system has been abolished in the five school boards, and in place of a trustee, they’ve been given an email address to write to a provincially-appointed supervisor.