Toolbox

Ready-to-use tools for advocacy: share on social media, email your MPP, or download printable materials. Focus your message on the Ministry of Education—the core levers (funding rules, staffing supports, and accountability requirements) are set provincially. Trustees can help raise local issues, but they are often constrained by Ministry decisions too.

Issue packs

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Key takeaways

Start with the meeting agenda and incident log—pair one real story with clear asks.
Copy the email template and personalize one bullet with your experience.
Use the one-pager as a leave-behind for meetings and follow-up.
Filter printables by organization (BBS, OECTA, CUPE, OSSTF) or topic to find PDFs to download.

Start here (parent advocate essentials)

The fastest way to be effective is to pair one real story with clear asks. These templates help you stay focused and get follow-up in writing.

Numbers in the email template below are cited on our Sources and Data & evidence pages.

Want an issue-specific email + the strongest stats and citations? Build an issue pack.

Meeting agenda + asks

Meeting agenda (10–15 minutes)

1) Introductions (30 seconds)
- I'm a parent/guardian in your riding. My child(ren) attend public school.

2) What I'm seeing (2 minutes)
- One concrete example (staffing shortage / violence / lack of supports).
- Impact on learning, safety, and family life.

3) The system-wide picture (1 minute)
- Underfunding and staffing/retention pressures are documented across Ontario.

4) What I'm asking you to do (3 minutes)
- Commit to increased, inflation- and enrolment-adjusted funding.
- Push for smaller classes and more front-line supports (EAs, CYWs, ECEs, SERTs).
- Ask the Minister for a plan with timelines, measurable targets, and public reporting.
- Ask for a funded plan to fix school buildings (repairs backlog) and reduce reliance on portables.

5) Close (30 seconds)
- Will you follow up in writing within 2 weeks with what actions you'll take?
- Thank you for your time.

Browse sources to cite

Incident / impact log

Keep a simple record. It helps you be precise, reduces “he-said/she-said,” and makes follow-up easier.

Simple incident / impact log (copy to Notes)

Date:
School:
Grade:

What happened (facts only):

Impact on student(s) / classroom / staff:

What supports were available (if any):

Who was notified (teacher, principal, superintendent, trustee; MPP/Minister's office if escalated):

What was the response / plan:

Next follow-up date:

Phone call script

Calls are quick and hard to ignore. Ask for a meeting and a written reply.

Phone call script (60–90 seconds)

Hi, my name is ____________. I live in ____________ and I'm a constituent in ____________.

I'm calling as a parent concerned about the state of our public schools—staffing shortages, lack of supports, and safety issues are affecting learning.

I'm asking the MPP to:
1) Push for funding that keeps pace with inflation and enrolment,
2) Fund more front-line supports (EAs, CYWs, ECEs, SERTs) and smaller classes,
3) Provide a clear public plan with timelines and measurable targets.

Can you tell me:
- What is the MPP doing on this issue right now?
- Can I book a meeting?
- Will you send me a written response within 2 weeks?

Thank you.

One-page leave-behind

Bring a single page to meetings. Keep it factual and avoid naming minors or staff.

One-page leave-behind (copy to a doc and print)

Parent advocate: public education in Ontario

What I'm seeing (1–2 sentences):
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Why it matters (1 sentence):
____________________________________________________________

My ask (choose 1–3):
□ Funding that keeps pace with inflation and enrolment
□ Smaller classes and more staffing
□ More front-line supports (EAs, CYWs, ECEs, SERTs)
□ A public plan with timelines, targets, and reporting
□ A safety plan with clear procedures and accountability
□ A funded plan to fix school buildings (repairs backlog) and reduce portables

What I'm asking you to do (be specific):
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Please respond in writing by: ____________

Sources (optional):
- https://supportontarioschools.ca/sources

National context

Canada lacks coordinated, comparable education data across provinces; the documents these gaps. People for Education’s tracks real-life impacts of policy and funding in schools across the country.

Tip: If you share publicly, protect privacy—avoid student names, staff names, and identifying details. Keep screenshots and incident notes for private follow-up.

Email your MPP

A template you can copy or open in your mail client. The most effective messages include one concrete example from your child's school, then clear asks and a request for a written reply.

Tailored to what you clicked: Underfunding and system strain. It includes extra context from The Crisis section—swap in one short, non-identifying example from your experience.

Tip: keep it specific but non-identifying (avoid student/staff names and don’t name a school). If you want help choosing what to include, use the “personalization helper” card below.

Subject

Support public education in Ontario — Underfunding and system strain

Body

Dear MPP,

I am a constituent and a parent writing about the state of Ontario’s public schools.

The evidence shows this is a province-wide, systemic problem:
• $6.5B school repair backlog and a $12.7B 10-year capital funding shortfall (FAO)
• $6.3B cumulative underfunding since 2018, and a projected long-term spending gap (CCPA / FAO)
• Staffing shortages and retention issues reported across Ontario (People for Education / OCT)
• Rising violence and safety concerns affecting students and education workers (OSSTF / Auditor General)

Additional context (The Crisis — Underfunding and system strain):
• Funding has not kept pace with inflation and enrolment growth; independent analysis shows a real gap (OSSTF).
• Real per-student funding (inflation-adjusted) is down since 2018–19, even as needs rise.

Personal example to add (1–3 sentences; no names):
• We’re seeing cutbacks or “do more with less” impacts (e.g., reduced supports, fewer options, delayed repairs). It’s affecting [learning/safety/support access] in practical, day-to-day ways.


In our schools, the level of need is rising while staff and supports are not—this is what parents and educators report every day.

My requests:
1) Funding that keeps pace with inflation and enrolment, with transparent public reporting.
2) Smaller classes and more front-line supports (EAs, CYWs, ECEs, SERTs) so students get what they need.
3) A funded, measurable plan to fix school buildings and reduce reliance on portables.

For sources and key numbers: https://supportontarioschools.ca/data and https://supportontarioschools.ca/sources

Thank you,

Open in mail client

Personalization helper (pick 1 and replace the brackets)

These are examples of phrasing based on common educator/parent concerns. Replace the brackets with your details and keep it short (1–3 sentences).

Coverage / staffing: “In the past [weeks/months], my child’s class has had [#] days with unfilled absences / split classes / rotating supplies. Learning time is being lost to basic coverage.”
Support gaps: “My child’s class has [need/support], but the support is not consistently available (e.g., EA time, specialist support, assessments). The plan exists on paper, but the capacity isn’t there.”
Safety & violence: “We’ve had repeated safety incidents (no names). The issue isn’t one bad day—it’s that supports and follow-through aren’t reliable. I’m asking the Ministry for funded supports and accountability.”
Classroom conditions: “The classroom is stretched thin: wide ranges of readiness, frequent disruptions, and limited time for small-group support. This isn’t captured by averages.”
Workload creep (what parents see): “Teachers are being asked to do more with less—constant communication, documentation, and extra initiatives—while supports are reduced. This is driving burnout and turnover.”
Assessment integrity (optional): “Teachers are reporting rising cheating / AI use and limited tools to verify learning. We need clear, practical policy support that protects integrity without punishing honest students.”

Want the evidence section-by-section? See The Crisis (staffing, special education, safety, funding, class size) and Data & evidence.

Printable materials

Download PDFs from Building Better Schools (ETFO), OECTA, CUPE, and OSSTF. Use at events, in your community, or when meeting your MPP or the Minister's office.