‘Very disappointed’: Some families upset as TDSB approves change to admission policy at specialized schools

The Toronto public school board’s vote in favor of overhauling the admissions process at specialized programs and schools — replacing ability-based assessments with an interest-based application — has “disappointed” some parents and students.

At a board meeting late Wednesday, trustees at the Toronto District School Board voted 17-3 to change the admissions process, affecting some of the city’s most coveted programs focusing on areas such as the arts, athletics, science and math.

Director of education Colleen Russell-Rawlins told the board that she wants students to have “a fair chance of acceptance into their program of choice, regardless of their identity, experience, ability, postal code or family income.”

“Public education is for everyone,” she said. “It is our responsibility to remove barriers that prevent students from access to education and provide them the pathways to pursue their dreams and realize their full potential.”

Typically applicants are assessed on their ability through auditions, formal portfolios, entrance exams or report cards. Under the new policy, applications will be based on a student’s interest and they will need to demonstrate an active interest or passion in an area. If demand for a program exceeds available space, a random selection process will be used, with priority given to those from under-served communities.

The TDSB has about 40 specialty programs and schools; 16 accepted every applicant because there was sufficient space.

In recent weeks, news of the proposed change upset some parents and students, who worry an interest-based model will increase the number of applicants and if admission is left to a lottery process it could exclude students who are talented and capable.

Toronto mother Jia Li, who has a son in Grade 2 and another in Grade 4, is “very disappointed” with the board’s decision. She’d like there to be baseline criteria for admission based on skill or capability, saying it’s unclear what a demonstrated interest or passion would look like.

One of her concerns is that a student struggling academically would have the same shot at getting into a specialized STEM program as another with straight A’s, so long as both demonstrate interest and passion. If the former gets in through a lottery process, as opposed to the latter, she worries that student may struggle with the enriched curriculum and drop out of the program.

Li recognizes the new policy will likely benefit kids who haven’t had the opportunity to access such programs, but worries it will “destroy” those “wonderful programs that the TDSB has been developing for a long time.”

“We might just relocate to another school board or look for a private school as an option,” said Li, whose older boy seems interested in pursuing a STEM program in high school.

The TDSB says it will monitor the quality of experience and outcomes at these programs.

Darius Reece, a Grade 10 drama major at the Claude Watson Secondary Arts Program at Earl Haig Secondary School, is “upset and disappointed” with the new policy. That’s in part because arts students can no longer pick a major in Grade 9; rather, they’ll take general arts courses and choose a major in later grades. The new policy won’t affect him — it affects those applying for September 2023 — but Reece says “it doesn’t make sense to take something away instead of just building more.”

He also supports the audition process, saying it allows teachers to look for potential, ambition and drive. He auditioned for Claude Watson with very little theater experience, yet was able to convey his passion for acting, which he doubts he could have gotten across in the form of a letter expressing interest.

At the meeting, Trustee James Li introduced an amendment to the policy making it clear students must demonstrate “active interest or passion” to be eligible. TDSB staff explained that could be in the form of a letter detailing how one’s passion for math or science has shaped their learning, or samples of past artwork. They also said the programs will remain immersive and focused and students will know what the expectations are before applying.

The amendment passed, along with one introduced by board chair Alexander Brown, which requires an interim report after the second year of implementation. It would include information such as how many additional spaces have been established in specialized programs, accessibility to special interest programs in regular schools, along with student demographics and geographical information. This will help the TDSB monitor the success of this policy.

The board is also working to grow and support local high schools so students can access high-quality programming and not feel the need to go elsewhere — but this review will take years to fully implement.

Trustees Dan MacLean, Patrick Nunziata and Alexandra Lulka voted against the new policy.

MacLean said he believes the random selection process “dramatically diminishes the excellence currently being created at schools like the Etobicoke School of the Arts.” That school, he said, usually receives 300 to 325 applications for about 225 to 240 openings. He worries random selection could result in really talented students not making the cut.

“I fully support the equity work,” said MacLean. “Until we add system spaces to address student demand, I can’t support the random admission process.”

Similarly, Nunziata said he agrees “wholeheartedly with the equity work that needs to be done,” but that the new policy “sends a wrong message to all the students who work hard in their craft.”

Meanwhile, trustee Christopher Mammoliti fully supports the policy change because “our responsibility in public education, is to break down barriers … To provide a path of opportunity is the difference between success and failure in a lot of people’s lives.”

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