Media Release - Oct 16 2025
Date: October 16, 2025
From: Your Trustees
Contact: yourtrustees@gmail.com
Website: tinyurl.com/yourtrustees
Hashtag: #YourTrustees
Headline: Local Trustees Warn: Bill 33 Silences Community Voice in Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local School Board Trustees are sounding the alarm about Bill 33, legislation that could lead to elimination of elected school boards and remove the only local, democratic voice families have in Ontario’s public education system.
“Trustees are the people you elect to represent your community’s values in local schools,” said Trustee Lori-Ann Pizzolato. “Bill 33 would silence that voice and concentrate all decisions in Toronto. Parents and students would lose their only direct line to accountability.”
Despite claims that school boards are inefficient, recent audits show that most operational and HR issues are not trustee-related. Trustees serve as an essential check-and-balance between the provincial government and local schools, ensuring that decisions reflect the unique needs of each community.
This isn’t just about schools. We can see that the government is repeating a dangerous pattern: underfunding, creating a crisis, then blaming local services. Now, we are facing a crisis. If Bill 33 passes, local voices and accountability will be lost.
The government has appointed supervisors to some boards, paying them around $360,000 per year – money that comes directly out of the education budget. All while pointing the finger at the only people in your school board who are directly accountable to you.
“It looks like a classic example of redirecting public attention while pushing through potentially harmful legislation,” declared Trustee Marianne Larsen. “We are just trying to make sure the public has all the facts about what’s at stake.”
This is not about trustees trying to save their jobs. We have already been replaced by a government-appointed supervisor for this academic year. Our concerns come from a genuine place: we are speaking out because Bill 33 threatens the future of public education and harms families and students by removing your local voice and weakening accountability. We see what is coming through the lack of transparency, communication, and accountability from the appointed supervisor, including the decision not to stream the limited committee meetings the TVDSB is holding at this time.
The #YourTrustees campaign was launched to help Thames Valley community and other Ontarians understand what is really going on. The website: www.tinyurl.com/yourtrustees shares accurate updated information, an email form to protect local representation, and fact-checking from your trustees who care about keeping public education accountable to the people we were elected to serve.
“This isn’t about party politics or taking sides. It’s about democracy,” said Trustee Sherri Moore. “If they can silence locally elected trustees, who's next?”
The Trustees are encouraging the Thames Valley community to visit the website, share this information, and email their local MPPs before Queen’s Park reconvenes on October 20, when Bill 33 may return for debate.
Key Message:
“My Trustee is My Voice for Public Education.”
Together, we can ensure that your voice isn’t silenced.
For media inquiries or interviews, please contact:
or visit tinyurl.com/yourtrustees
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