Metro Morning interview on Tuesday, April 14th with Jill Dempsey, on the new changes by the Province to education.
Hit the link here to listen to the interview.
After three consecutive years in the red, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has posted a $31-million surplus for 2025 — more than three times larger than the $7-million surplus it had projected for the year, newly released financial statements show.
But despite the province appointing a supervisor to manage the TDSB, due in part to what education minister Paul Calandra described as years of “mismanagement,” the final surplus was not the result of lower spending.
During the year, the board spent nearly $100 million more than had been planned overall, including millions more spent than had been budgeted on instructional, administrative and school operational and maintenance costs. However, spending in 2025 was about $210 million less than in 2024.
These extra expenses in 2025, however, were accommodated largely by higher-than-anticipated funding from the provincial government. While the board had projected it would receive about $3.2 billion in core educational funding, it actually received about $3.4 billion.
The results come about six months after the province’s new supervisor, Rohit Gupta, took on the role.
TorontoToday contacted the Ministry of Education for comment on the board’s financial performance in 2025, but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Despite Toronto’s population boom over the past decade, the number of students enroled in the city’s public school system has declined since 2019. Now, parents want the school board to try harder to figure out why — and be transparent about what it learns.
Matias De Dovitiis, a Toronto District School Board trustee who has previously run for the NDP, said it was hypocritical of Calandra to publish trustee expenses and not make his own available to scrutiny.
“I would like us to move on, but for the sake of transparency, it would be great (if he released his expenses),” he said.
“If he wants to set a moral standard, that’s amazing. But all of our expenses have to be publicly shared on our websites. If anyone ever wanted to look at my expenses, they could. They should be able to do the same for the minister.”
TDSB trustee Matias de Dovitiis said he believes Gupta’s approach to his two most recent decisions is a preview of the norm if the government decides to do away with trustees altogether.
The province’s decision to appoint a supervisor took decision-making power away from the elected board of trustees. In recent days, Education Minister Paul Calandra said the government is considering making that set up permanent by eliminating trustees, and will reach a decision by the end of the year.
De Dovitiis argued it would be a step in the wrong direction.
“There should still be committee meetings. There should still be a process for communities to participate,” he said. “I don’t have to agree with 100 per cent of the decision a board makes, but there’s a process that at least gives recourse and space for explanation.”
“This is a terribly undemocratic move that lacks transparency and accountability,” he said.
The joy of learning and the joy of play is the same today as it ever was, even if our schools change over time. The same can be said for accountability. The digital age has changed how we talk to each other, but accountability is still needed. We need accountability in our institutions, in our schools and our communities and in our personal lives. The TDSB and TCDSB in Toronto have been suspended by the Ministry of Education and a supervisor has been given control of each respective Board. 
Former Ontario Premier Hon. Kathleen Wynne, education and disability rights lawyer David Baker, and TDSB Trustee Matias de Dovitiis talk with Katrina about how parents can preserve and assert their power - especially during a provincial takeover.
By Bibi Safraw
My name is Bibi Safraw Hanif, and I am the Co-Chair of the Firgrove Public School Council as well as a representative for the French as a Second Language Community Advisory Committee (FSLCAC).
By Matias de Dovitiis in the Downsview Advocate
The roll out of the Canada Dental Care Plan is now complete and all age groups can now apply. This program, the biggest change to our public health care system in a generation, will allow up to 9 million Canadians to apply. That is one quarter of all Canadians. So far, the program has been a great success. Anecdotally, I have met hundreds of people that have applied and received service.
The program, like many of the good achievements from the last Liberal government, came through with pressure from the NDP. So far 4 million people have applied and over 2 million people have received care due to the program. If you have not applied, it is easy and you can complete an application in under 5 minutes.
Here is what you need to qualify, apply and the link:
* you do not have access to private dental care
* you and your spouse/common law filed your tax return for 2024
* your adjusted family net income is less than $90,000
* you are a Canadian resident for tax purposes
Apply here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan.html
See the full article here: https://www.downsviewadvocate.ca/news/canada-dental-care-plan
Se
BY: Matias de Dovitiis in the Downsview Advocate
I do not want to be part of the U.S. I do not want Canada to become the 51st state. And I share that sentiment with the overwhelming majority of Canadians. There is no room for equivocation here—no middle ground.
Fighting tariffs isn’t just about trade; it’s about preserving our way of life. Canada is different. Yes, we watch the same sports and buy the same brands, but time and again, we have chosen our own path. While many Americans oppose the direction their country is taking, the reality remains: our nations are distinct, even as we maintain a long-standing friendship.
https://www.downsviewadvocate.ca/news/donaldtrump?rq=matias
BY: Matias de Dovitiis in the Downsview Advocate
The new Canada Dental Care Plan is the biggest change to our public health care system in a generation. So far, the program has been a great success. The program came about in a deal between the NDP and the Liberal government and over 2 million people have now registered across the country, with close to half a million people already receiving dental care. Importantly, many dental care providers have signed up to the program in the area and you can start to receive care in a very short time.
La lucha por la educación: desafíos y oportunidades para los latinoamericanos en Canadá E351.
En este nuevo episodio de "Contando Historias y Reflexiones" con Giuseppe Marconi nos acompaña Matias de Dovitiis, quien comparte su experiencia como inmigrante uruguayo en Canadá, reflexionando sobre su adaptación cultural, los desafíos de la diversidad en Toronto y su papel como concejal educativo.
Destaca la importancia del liderazgo y la construcción de comunidad, así como la necesidad de abordar las disparidades educativas entre las generaciones de inmigrantes latinos. También se discute la función y el rol del concejal educativo, así como los derechos de los padres.
Matías enfatiza la importancia de dejar un legado positivo en la educación de las futuras generaciones.
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