Our campaign is composed of the members of community groups and organizations representing students, parents, ethno-racial community groups, educators and education workers. We have worked together over many years and since 1997 we have called ourselves Campaign for Public Education.

CPE was formed during city amalgamation to defend public education. Together we led the Toronto fight against the Harris / Eves education funding cutbacks. With school trustees, we were successful in launching the "Need to Succeed" campaign across the city. This campaign played a critical role in electing a new provincial government and many energetic new trustees.   

However, the crisis in education funding has not been addressed.   School programs, school buildings, school staffing and school equipment all continue to face massive challenges. The impact on Toronto’s communities is immense. Children, young people, parents, adult learners, new Canadians and seniors see the impact daily. The programs and services that over many years have provided essential support for adult upgrading are still severely disabled.

We at the Campaign for Public Education continue our struggle to rebuild public education in Toronto. We recognize that not so long ago the city-wide network of community-based schools were the centre of healthy communities.  Public education requires our urgent attention after years of de-funding followed by inadequate and piecemeal solutions.  To date the Liberal Government has not addressed the education funding formula.

The Campaign includes such organizations as:

    * Chinese Canadian National Council-Toronto
    * CultureLink Settlement Services
    * Muslim Educational Network Training & Outreach Services
    * Toronto Federation of Chinese Parents
    * Parent Community Network
    * Organization of Parents of Black Children
    * Somali Parent Liaison Coalition
    * Tamil Parents Association
    * Toronto Parents Network
    * Urban Alliance on Race Relations
    * Canadian Adult & Community Education Alliance
    * CUPE 4400
    * Elementary Teachers Toronto
    * Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation-District 12
    * City Councillors
    * School board trustees

We have been watching with concern the rapid changes to the city’s public education system and the conscious reorientation of public education in Ontario to direct employment training and skill development for the corporate sector, rather than to broad-based education.

The Campaign notes the urgent need for forging a strong working relationship between our school boards and City Council.

As the provincial Liberals move through their second year in office, organizations working under the umbrella of the Campaign are alarmed that we are still living under the Mike Harris education funding formula. Without urgently-needed funds for city schools, programs, buildings and equipment Toronto’s communities – including children, youth, adult learners and seniors – will continue to be seriously impacted.