It takes a whole school to educate a child Ontario School Board Coordinating Committee

Lunch Room & Breakfast Program Staff School Safety Monitors A whole school includes: Custodians Early Child Educators Office Staff Maintenance Staff Library Staff Education Assistants Lunch Room & Breakfast Program Staff Instructors Social Workers School Safety Monitors …and others Teachers Families

We must fund whole schools. The current funding formula is broken. It does not factor in all the people required for our community schools to provide the complete education our kids need. This flawed formula results in ongoing cuts to vital support staff and short-sighted school closures. With the current funding formula the quality of our children’s education is in continual decline.

What will it take for the provincial government to fix it? A logical argument based on evidence is not enough. The issues that get prioritized by the government are the issues that they believe will help them win the next election.

To win the funding changes we need We must: Build our power of influence (public support) Identify strategic points of leverage Maximize our pressure on the points of leverage

We have to and can fix this. Current reality: Despite the fact that individual students and parents develop strong relationships with school support staff, most of the general public thinks only about teachers when it comes to funding education. We have to and can fix this.

How do we change current reality? Tap into fond memories of people’s favourite support staff to shift the public’s current perception that education = teachers Piggyback on a message people accept as a common truth, “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” Use the emotional connections people have to individual support staff, to increase overall recognition of the importance of our education workers Pull our members out from behind the shadows of teachers when it comes to funding education

If we’re going to succeed we need to build allies. It can’t just be our CUPE leaders demanding government action We need our members talking about the need for whole school funding We need our parent councils talking about the need for whole school funding We need our school boards talking about the need for whole school funding

Where do we start and how do we get there? Recognize our strategic windows of opportunity (points of leverage) Clearly articulate our vision Strategically outreach to build support Increase public profile through events & media Lobby government with clear demands Take advantage of windows of opportunity to maximize public pressure on government

Strategic windows of opportunity Politics 101 The political party in power wants to stay in power They want to make people happy They know they can’t make everyone happy They make strategic calculations based on blocks of voters, issues that are deemed to be vote determinant and proximity to election day Big ticket funding commitments are made in the budget before the election Additional funding commitments can sometimes happen before or during the election if they feel it’s needed to help them win Other political parties base their election promises on what they believe can help them win

Strategic windows of opportunity (points of leverage) The current Liberal government is extremely unpopular and can’t afford to look bad on education There are two budget cycles before the next election which provide critical opportunities February 2017 February 2018 The next provincial election is tentatively set for June 14th, 2018

Clearly articulate our vision It takes a whole school to educate a child. Our government must fund whole schools. The current funding formula is broken. It does not factor in all the people required for our community schools to provide the complete education our kids need. This flawed formula results in ongoing cuts to vital support staff and short-sited school closures. With the current funding formula the quality of our children’s education is in continual decline. The government must fix the funding formula to properly account for the real needs of our children.

Strategically outreach to build support Start with our members. If we can’t convince them this is important we won’t be able to convince the government. Parent councils. Parents are the voters most affected by the flawed funding formula. School Board Trustees. They are the ones who continually have to find and implement more cuts and most would be happy not to do it. Education allies. We need to get them singing from the same song book. Broader public. When our message develops broader public support we have succeeded in building the power we need to have influence.

Increase public profile through events and media When it comes to influencing elected politicians not all media markets are created equally Be strategic in organizing events Take advantage of events organized by others Team up with allies

Lobby government with clear demands Success requires a multi-pronged approach Central: Premier Minister of Education Minister of Finance Local: School Board Trustees Local MPPs

Take advantage of windows of opportunity to maximize pressure on government School closures / local school issue Pre-budget hearing School Board meeting Budget watches Fall fairs / spring fairs, etc. Pre-election

Local Action Required Member appreciation events Build recognition for the importance of our members work Whole School presentations to parent councils Get parents to sign-on to our campaign for Whole School Funding Meet with School Board Trustees Get Trustees to sign-on to our campaign for Whole School Funding and pass resolutions calling on the provincial government to implement it Promote Whole School Funding at Community Events Attract kids with face paint and ‘Whole School’ balloons, talk to parents and collect petition signatures

Central Actions Required Campaign Coordination / Updates Pre-budget stakeholder consultation Endorsement from organizational allies Meet with Premier and Minister of Education Central Budget response Maximize opportunities as they arise P

It takes a whole school to educate a child. Our government must fund whole schools.