To Dr. Chris Spence, as well as the head staff and trustees of the TDSB:
We, the students and alumni of the TOPS program at Marc Garneau Collegiate institute, wish to express to you our disappointment in how you have handled the important issues surrounding the development and preservation of TOPS. We completely reject your decision to leave TOPS at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute and implement other satellite locations as being an acceptable solution to these issues and demand that it be changed immediately.
We do not object to leaving an enriched, TOPS-structured program at Marc Garneau. What angers us instead is being denied the chance to move to a larger, new site as we choose. Teachers and students should have the freedom to leave. We are the reason you exist, not your prisoners. Also, the move must take place in 2012 in order for our teachers to be able to help.
Your decision is one that we will fight with all that we have.
TOPS is a wonderful program. You know this. Some have called it a jewel (this ‘some’ including many of you). Yet your decision guarantees its demise. Your decision denies so many other capable, eager students in Toronto from participating in the same enriching experiences that we have – it denies them the same chance to grow; the same opportunity to benefit. There is one real TOPS no matter how many others you pretend to open. To pretend is to ensure a few years from now you have nothing, as all will have realized what you offer is not our TOPS.
Your decision instead – effectively – holds 250 students hostage in a terribly overcrowded school. Garneau benefits too much from TOPS to let it move, you say? Rubbish. The overcrowding issue is probably actually affecting our peers in the mainstream program more than it affects us and the students at Marc Garneau are completely self-sufficient and successful students.
You know what you need to do. We have written letters and our parents have written letters. We have even requested meetings (how wonderful it could have been if they’d actually happened). We will continue to do whatever it takes.
So allow us to move. Allow us to grow.
Many of you claim that the TDSB exists for our benefit – for the students. Right now, you are letting us down.
Please change that.
Updates
July 10, 2011
The board remains quiet while we wait for any sign that they understand the impact this has on our community. Watching this movement grow reminds me how many people feel trapped by these arbitrary decisions, and I refuse to let them ignore us any longer.
July 10, 2011
Seeing this kind of energy grow gives me so much hope that we can protect the future of this program. It is clear that the people in charge cannot ignore the community that built this place into a jewel.
6 Comments
TDSB always making the worst decisions possible. TOPS made that school what it is!
We were promised a new site and now everyone is backpedaling. Typical.
TOPS teachers are the best. Why would you want to break up such a good community???
My kid worked so hard to get into this program. Stop playing games with their education
Let us move. The students and staff deserve better than this mess.
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To Dr. Chris Spence, as well as the head staff and trustees of the TDSB:
We, the students and alumni of the TOPS program at Marc Garneau Collegiate institute, wish to express to you our disappointment in how you have handled the important issues surrounding the development and preservation of TOPS. We completely reject your decision to leave TOPS at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute and implement other satellite locations as being an acceptable solution to these issues and demand that it be changed immediately.
We do not object to leaving an enriched, TOPS-structured program at Marc Garneau. What angers us instead is being denied the chance to move to a larger, new site as we choose. Teachers and students should have the freedom to leave. We are the reason you exist, not your prisoners. Also, the move must take place in 2012 in order for our teachers to be able to help.
Your decision is one that we will fight with all that we have.
TOPS is a wonderful program. You know this. Some have called it a jewel (this ‘some’ including many of you). Yet your decision guarantees its demise. Your decision denies so many other capable, eager students in Toronto from participating in the same enriching experiences that we have – it denies them the same chance to grow; the same opportunity to benefit. There is one real TOPS no matter how many others you pretend to open. To pretend is to ensure a few years from now you have nothing, as all will have realized what you offer is not our TOPS.
Your decision instead – effectively – holds 250 students hostage in a terribly overcrowded school. Garneau benefits too much from TOPS to let it move, you say? Rubbish. The overcrowding issue is probably actually affecting our peers in the mainstream program more than it affects us and the students at Marc Garneau are completely self-sufficient and successful students.
You know what you need to do. We have written letters and our parents have written letters. We have even requested meetings (how wonderful it could have been if they’d actually happened). We will continue to do whatever it takes.
So allow us to move. Allow us to grow.
Many of you claim that the TDSB exists for our benefit – for the students. Right now, you are letting us down.
Please change that.
Updates
July 10, 2011
The board remains quiet while we wait for any sign that they understand the impact this has on our community. Watching this movement grow reminds me how many people feel trapped by these arbitrary decisions, and I refuse to let them ignore us any longer.
July 10, 2011
Seeing this kind of energy grow gives me so much hope that we can protect the future of this program. It is clear that the people in charge cannot ignore the community that built this place into a jewel.
6 Comments
This program is the only reason I actually enjoyed high school. Dont mess this up.
TDSB always making the worst decisions possible. TOPS made that school what it is!
We were promised a new site and now everyone is backpedaling. Typical.
TOPS teachers are the best. Why would you want to break up such a good community???
My kid worked so hard to get into this program. Stop playing games with their education
Let us move. The students and staff deserve better than this mess.
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This program is the only reason I actually enjoyed high school. Dont mess this up.