As Education critic, it is Rosario’s responsibility to lead opposition criticism to Government education policy, and its respective legislation.  He is also responsible for offering alternative policies and legislation to Government actions.  Whoever holds a critic portfolio within an opposition party is considered to be the ‘expert’ on that issue within their opposition party’s ‘shadow cabinet’.  Rosario currently holds the critic portfolios for Education; Colleges, Training and Universities; GTA Issues; and Condominiums.

Rosario’s lengthy career in education and school board politics make him an ideal education critic for the Ontario NDP.  After graduating from U of T, Rosario became a French and English teacher in the downtown Toronto.  As he became more concerned about education issues, he deepened his commitment to quality education in Toronto by running for a Trustee position in the local school board. 

Rosario was first elected as a Trustee in 1982, marking the beginning of a long career in elected politics.  In his tenure as a Trustee, Rosario was known as a strong advocate of language rights and an anti-racism activist in our schools.  He worked to establish international language programs, alternative schools and school childcare, and helped to end the practice of streaming students into narrow learning programs.  As a parent and grandparent Rosario continues to be personally involved in the education system.

Rosario has also been a Toronto Public Library Board trustee, and the chair of the Multilingual Literacy Centre.

Since 1990, he has been the Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Trinity-Spadina.  While he has held various Ministry and critic portfolios over the years, Rosario has always held a deep passion for education, and continually strives to improve the quality of education offered to all residents of Ontario.