TDSB votes to cut 430 educational assistants

In an unusual move, the Toronto District School Board has voted to lay off 430educational assistants but allow them to stay on as they study for other positions.

The TDSB is faced with a budget shortfall of $109 million. Axing the teaching assistantswho were not funded by the provincewill save $21 million.

But rather than throwing the assistants out, the board and the union have come up with a novel plan to allow the assistants to stay on the jobwith a salarywhile they train to become early childhood educators over the next two years.

Trustee Howard Goodman was one of the supporters of the deal.

"The [provincial] minister [of education] has approved a deal that's been put together by Humber College, CUPE 4400 and our staff, that will allow our current EAs to become ECEsearly childhood educators over the next two years," he said.

Laid-off workers who decide to go back to school will study part-time at night, during March breakand during the summer. They will also work in full-day kindergarten classes.

Goodman says training will begin as soon as the school year ends.

"In the end they'll end up with a much more secure and better paid position."

The board says it expects to hire hundreds of early childhood educators as part of the province's full-day kindergarten program.

Giselle Burton, spokesperson for CUPE 4400, says this is the best solution to a bad situation.

"Obviously it's a good idea at any time, and we wanted to make sure these people who have been long-serving employees of this board have an opportunity," Burton said.

Workers who chose not to go back to school will be offered a severance package.

The board voted earlier this month to cut 200 high school teaching positions, along with 17 vice-principals and 134 secretaries.

Those cuts will save a further $28 million.

The final budget vote will happen in June.