What’s the Ford government’s long game with the school board takeovers?
Posted Feb 20, 2026 09:27:42 AM.
One by one, Ontario school boards are being taken under the control of the provincial government, as Education Minister Paul Calandra says is in an attempt to fix reported financial mismanagement.
Instead, the ministry has either appointed supervisors to oversee boards, or in some cases, Calandra himself will take direct control – a job he claims comes with no extra pay. However critics believe the move is a power-hungry one, and comes at the expense of students’ wellbeing, as well as local democracy.
Host Maria Kestane speaks to 680 NewsRadio Queen’s Park reporter, Richard Southern, and vice-president of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation, Colin Matthew, to break down what’s behind the takeovers, and what they believe the Ford government has up its sleeve.
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