Education starts in the home: Why Toronto’s municipal election matters

October 19, 2026

Public education doesn’t begin and end at the school doors. It begins at home, in our neighbourhoods, and in the conditions that shape children’s lives.

When families struggle to pay rent, when children arrive at school hungry, and when educators can’t afford to live in the communities where they teach, these aren’t separate issues. They directly affect what happens in our classrooms. These factors don’t just improve education, they determine it 

That’s why the Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT) has launched its Education Starts in the Home campaign, sending an open letter to Toronto’s mayoral candidates ahead of the October 26 municipal election.

The letter asks candidates to make three commitments: support educator representation on the CreateTO Board, support a city-wide universal school lunch program, and ensure educators have a meaningful voice in the development of public school lands.

The proposed redevelopment of Toronto District School Board (TDSB) property at 705 Progress Avenue in Scarborough, includes housing, a new school and community spaces. That looks good, but it also shows why community conversations matter. We need more affordable housing, but we also need communities planned with the people who live, work and learn in them. Right now we don’t know anything about the decisions being made by the Ford government regarding valuable TDSB properties. It isn’t making that information available to TDSB school communities.

On Tuesday, October 20, at 10 a.m., ETT will hold a press conference outside 705 Progress Avenue, joined by the Toronto Tenant Union and supported by ACORN Toronto, to bring these issues into the public conversation.

Mayoral candidates have until Thursday, October 22, at 4 p.m. to respond to ETT’s questions. Their responses will be published Friday, October 23, before election day.

This campaign isn’t about telling anyone how to vote. It’s about ensuring voters have the information they need to make informed choices.

Because strong homes, nourished children, healthy communities and strong public schools belong together.

 

The School Magazine Board