Dear {MPP NAME},

It has come to my attention that a big part of Outdoor Education at the TDSB is slated to get cut in the next budget.

As a parent in your constituency, I feel we need to fight for this resource that offers our children a connection to our City, and to our environment overall. From what is in the TDSB Budget proposal, the Outdoor Education budget is only $8 million (out of $3 billion). If the Board closes anything, it is gone - those resources will never return.

There must be a way to keep Outdoor Education out of the cuts! Please, work with the Minister of Education to save this unique opportunity for Toronto's children, many of whom will not get a chance to experience nature and their city through such a unique lens.

Please check out these resources why Outdoor Education should be a priority for children:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5451936/
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1053825916676190
• https://www.coeo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Pathways_29_3.pdf
• https://www.bachelorsdegreeonline.com/blog/2012/11-proven-benefits-of-outdoor-learning/
• See what students do at the Toronto Urban Studies Centre

And finally, please ask the Minister of Education to:

1. commit to listening to the results of the Ministry consultation on secondary school class size and as a result, reverse the decision to reduce the Teacher Qualifications and Experience Grant as this funding is directly tied to the Ministry's increase to secondary school class size averages resulting in fewer teachers for 2019-20, reducing the Board's shortfall by $13.2 million;
2. compensate boards, including the TDSB, whose collective agreements require a smaller average class size in Grades 4-8 than the average class size level being funding by the Ministry of Education, reducing the Boards shortfall by $9.6 million;
3. reverse the new provincial surcharge on International students reducing the Board's shortfall by $2.9 million; and
4. continue to allow the TDSB and other publicly-funded school boards in Ontario the ability to both use reserves and run a 1% deficit to balance over two years

Thank you,
{YOUR NAME}