So, I'm confused at why, after a year of working without a contract (and continuing to do extra curriculars, btw, and not going on strike), I'm being told by my premier that we teachers are the ones being unfair.
"There's no money for education", we're told, when we're not even looking for money. No teacher I know is asking for a raise. We just want to keep the status quo, maybe fight for lower class sizes in Kindergarten and in the junior and intermediate grades (which currently have NO cap!!) and, well, keep the things we've already fought for over the past ten years. (Like the right to take a sick day once in a while -- in a profession where we're surrounded by germs every day -- and be able to recover in bed rather than spending the day at a clinic so we can get a detailed doctor's note, for example.)
And then along comes Wynne and says, "hey, we offered ETFO the same deal that the others settled for, but they didn't accept it!"
Hmmmm....
And then along comes Wynne and says, "hey, we offered ETFO the same deal that the others settled for, but they didn't accept it!"
Hmmmm....
I did a little digging, and it turns out that this isn't quite all there is to it.
As a matter of fact, what OPSBA and the government were trying to shove onto ETFO members would have maintained the significantly less preparation time and more supervision time we currently enjoy than secondary teachers, that our class sizes would still be larger than secondary classes, and that elementary students would still have less access to specialist teachers than their secondary counterparts.
I'm confused. Where's the "same deal" we allegedly turned down???
(Never mind the fact that we didn't even get equity in bargaining: The two unions that settled got 18-29 days at the bargaining table before reaching a settlement; we were left abandoned after only 7!)
As a matter of fact, what OPSBA and the government were trying to shove onto ETFO members would have maintained the significantly less preparation time and more supervision time we currently enjoy than secondary teachers, that our class sizes would still be larger than secondary classes, and that elementary students would still have less access to specialist teachers than their secondary counterparts.
I'm confused. Where's the "same deal" we allegedly turned down???
(Never mind the fact that we didn't even get equity in bargaining: The two unions that settled got 18-29 days at the bargaining table before reaching a settlement; we were left abandoned after only 7!)
Here's the thing, though -- we all know that same doesn't equal "fair". In fact, the ministry of education just recently published a document that speaks to this very fact.
Why doesn't the government then practise what it preaches??!
I'm so done with this nonsense, really, I am. I am Just. So. Tired.
I love teaching, and I want to do it well. I am a parent of two students in the system, and I see the stress kids these days are under. They are buried under a mountain of mixed messages in the media, stressed out by busy or absent parents, and overwhelmed by an overwhelming world.
Students need strong, engaged, committed teachers who are supported in planning and teaching effectively to meet their complex needs.
Want me to be a guidance counselor, librarian, nurse and math teacher? And I should also clean my own classroom properly? Then support me with systems that allow me to do those things well! I've always taught in diverse areas where I am as likely to be spending my days with the daughters and sons of engineers as I am with the children of refugees (sometimes they are one and the same).
27 students like that in one class is more than I can effectively handle, I'll be honest.
Why doesn't the government then practise what it preaches??!
I'm so done with this nonsense, really, I am. I am Just. So. Tired.
I love teaching, and I want to do it well. I am a parent of two students in the system, and I see the stress kids these days are under. They are buried under a mountain of mixed messages in the media, stressed out by busy or absent parents, and overwhelmed by an overwhelming world.
Students need strong, engaged, committed teachers who are supported in planning and teaching effectively to meet their complex needs.
Want me to be a guidance counselor, librarian, nurse and math teacher? And I should also clean my own classroom properly? Then support me with systems that allow me to do those things well! I've always taught in diverse areas where I am as likely to be spending my days with the daughters and sons of engineers as I am with the children of refugees (sometimes they are one and the same).
27 students like that in one class is more than I can effectively handle, I'll be honest.
If the government wants me to continue to put in long hours planning for and assessing student work, thinking about how best to meet the diverse needs of the students in my class, and still get enough sleep at night in order to come back in one piece smiling for the next day's adventures, then the government needs to respect me with a fairly negotiated contract.
Until such a time, I am going to wear red on Wednesdays and continue to follow the guidance of my union.
Until such a time, I am going to wear red on Wednesdays and continue to follow the guidance of my union.
a few ETFO members show their school and federation spirit at Tomken Road on a recent "Wynne Wednesday"
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