Toronto may soon get a new school with the aim of teaching parents how to help their children learn.

Chris Spence, the Toronto District School Board 's new director of education, who presented a report titled A Vision of Hope to the board earlier this week, wants the group to adopt new educational ideas, including the school for parents.

Spence said broad educational reform is what he wants to deliver.

"When students and parents have choice, engagement goes up, achievement goes up, attendance goes up. And that's what it's all about," he said.

The issue of a boys-only school captured most of the headlines around Spence's report, but he said the problem isn't just young males dropping out of school. Other concerns — including declining enrolment, student violence, outdated technology and finances stretched to the limit — are affecting the city's education system.

In addition to calling for a boys-only grade school in the city, the report contains some sweeping recommendations for other changes in the way education could be delivered:

  • Reviewing 35 schools with declining enrolment.
  • Mixed use of schools to generate funds.
  • Hiring a marketing director.
  • Reducing violence by 20 per cent.
  • Installing solar energy systems.

"Schools really are microcosms of society. So we're dealing with all those things that are happening in society and are creeping into our buildings," Spence said in an interview with CBC News.

Spence said he wants to start an academy to teach parents how to help kids learn — an idea that comes from the Miami Dade Public School Board in Florida.

Anne Thompson, director of the Florida parents academy, said courses at the school range from life skills to school involvement.

"That's one of our primary focuses. We look at those schools that are struggling and those students that are struggling and to try to provide an opportunity to connect with their parents," she said.

Spence put the idea into practice at his old job in Hamilton

Whether Toronto gets a parents academy, an all-boys academy or any of his other proposed reforms is up to trustees, who will get a chance to vote on the report next week.