Peter Tabuns @petertabuns.bsky.social

Why is a teachers’ union talking about housing? Because when families cannot afford stable housing, children bring that precarity into their classrooms, affecting their ability to learn. When educators cannot afford to live where they teach, they are pushed farther away from their school communities. And when governments make major decisions about housing, public land, and our neighbourhoods, those decisions directly affect our schools. Every day, our 10,000 members see something that can no longer be ignored: the housing crisis has become an education issue. We cannot talk about quality public education without talking about quality, affordable housing. Nor can we overlook how a child’s ability to learn is impacted if their basic needs, including access to nutritious food, are not met. That is why the Elementary Teachers of Toronto is calling for educators to have a meaningful voice in Toronto’s decisions about housing, student well-being, and public lands, particularly where public schools are involved. Read our open letter to Toronto’s mayoral candidates at ett.ca/mayoral/