Your Member News
March 22, 2023
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World Water Day
Today is World Water Day. Check out some resources for talking about the importance of water, click here. For further information, see World Water Day. For World Water Day facts visit UN Water.
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Closing today: ETFO’s 2023 All-Member Violence Survey
The survey closes TODAY! March 22 is your last chance to ensure that your experiences of workplace violence are included. The results will help ETFO raise public awareness, advocate for change, and develop programs and resources for members.
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Bill 115 Remedy update
The Ministry of Education has completed a review of all Bill 115 Remedy Notices of Objections. They are in the process of updating the final eligibility payment list and are on schedule to have the transfer payment to school boards by April 1st. School boards will then issue payments to eligible individuals by June 1st.
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Say No to the EQAO teacher questionnaire
ETFO’s provincial Executive continues to advise members not to participate in the voluntary EQAO teacher questionnaire.
EQAO has indicated it is leveraging information from teacher questionnaires to investigate decreasing scores. Should the government link decreasing EQAO scores with results from the questionnaire, teachers would be blamed. This transfers accountability away from the government for its systematic underfunding of public education to teachers.
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Special education spotlight
Check out what our candidates are saying about ETFO AQ Special Education courses:
“I really enjoyed watching videos and reflecting on them vs reading
pages and pages of ministry documents. This makes me more confident in taking AQ's. I found the workload great and so glad I took Special Education Part 2. Onto my specialist which I will be taking through ETFO again!”
“My instructor was supportive, insightful and encouraging as we took this journey to better understanding special education.”
Become part of the ETFO AQ community today: etfo-aq.ca.
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50-Day re-employment rule increased to 95 days for some OTPP retirees until June 30, 2023
This fall, the Ministry of Education approached the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) to initiate a discussion on a potential shortage of teachers, principals, and vice principals in Ontario’s publicly funded school system and to request another extension of the 50 day re-employment rule.
OTF and the Ontario Government, as co-sponsors of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), have agreed to temporarily increase the 50-day re-employment rule to 95 days for teachers, principals, and vice principals in the publicly funded school system until June 30, 2022. Read more here.
However, OTF, representing the four Teacher Affiliates in Ontario, does not believe that providing retirees with an increased number of days will solve the issue of worker shortages in the education sector. OTF and the Ministry have agreed to participate in a Teacher Supply and Demand Action Table to explore factors contributing to the current staffing challenges in Ontario’s publicly funded schools.
Representatives from the following organizations will be participating in this process:
- Federations: AEFO, ETFO, OECTA, OSSTF, OTF
- Government: Ministry of Education (EDU), Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU)
- Directors and School Boards: CODE, CODELF, OPSBA, OCSTA, ACÉPO, AFOCSC
- Principals and Supervisory Officers: OPC, CPCO and ADFO; OPSOA, OCSOA and AGÉFO
- Ontario Association of Deans of Education (OADE)
- Ontario College of Teachers
Implementation of identified solutions will occur during the 2023-2024 school year.
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For collective bargaining news, professional learning opportunities, and more, be sure to register at members.etfo.ca. You will need your ETFO ID to register.
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Privatization and how it creeps into public schools, on the ETFO podcast Elementary
Privatization is creeping into public education spaces, and it might not be where you think. In the latest episode of Elementary, we speak with Dr. Sue Winton about her book called Unequal Benefits: Privatization and Public Education.
Get the Elementary podcast on most podcast apps, or click here to listen now.
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Gold financial coaching program
Opportunity for women members
Credit Canada is offering a new session of their innovative Gold financial coaching program, at no cost to ETFO members (a $1,750 value). This virtual program will teach you how make lasting, sustainable and impactful changes in your financial life, helping you to get out of debt and reduce stress.
Details:
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When: April 24 - June 5, Mondays 7:00 - 9:00 pm EST
- Where: Weekly online group sessions + one-on-one phone calls with a financial coach
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Professional Learning Events in 2023 |
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May 2-3, 2023
Black women members are invited to participate in an exciting two-day forum that will provide an opportunity to identify and expand their leadership skills and develop a collective stance in anti-oppression and feminist frameworks, with a goal of increasing their participation and activism in ETFO.
Registration closes on March 31, 2023.
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May 5-6, 2023
This conference is designed for members who are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies.
At this conference, members will network and hear from experts on best practices and intersectional identities, learn about a new ETFO resource that addresses 2SLGBTQ+ content, and discuss supports available to make workspaces more inclusive.
Registration closes on April 5, 2023.
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May 6, 2023
Do you teach a Native as a Second Language class?
Participants will have opportunities to connect with the Six Nations Language Commission, network, and collaborate with other language educators from across the province.
Registration closes on April 5, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
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May 15-16, 2023
ETFO has always been committed to social justice unionism. The collective bargaining process is an opportunity for ETFO
members to challenge the status quo and continue our advancement of equity.
This program explores some bargaining tools, tips and strategies that can be
used to make schools just and equitable for both members and students.
Registration opens on March 27 and closes on April 14, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
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Bursaries and scholarships
Did you know that ETFO offers financial support to its members and others to pursue higher education?
There are scholarships and bursaries for doctoral and master's candidates, bursaries for members of designated groups and Indigenous education, and bursaries for children of ETFO members.
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Protecting your mental health at work
There is an increasing understanding of the impact that workload, school violence, and challenging relationships can have on the psychological well-being of teachers and education workers. What isn’t as widely understood is that mental health challenges brought on by work experiences are “psychological injuries” and should be reported in the same way as any workplace injury. Read more here.
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Starling Minds – Mental health resource
The Starling Mental Fitness Program is a support resource available to all ETFO members and their families through a partnership with Starling Minds and OTIP.
The program offers self-guided, unlimited, and personalized digital support and training to help you build the knowledge, tools and skills you need to better manage stress, anxiety, and burnout.
Read this PDF about the resource and learn how to register.
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Planning for retirement when It’s ten years, five years, and one year away
Planning for retirement but don’t know where to start? You’re not alone. Here are some action items you can take as your retirement date draws closer. Read more at https://www.otip.com/article160.
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The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
represents 83,000 teachers and education workers.
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