Vera Teschow.ca
  • Home
  • About
    • Overview
    • Education & Diplomas
    • Consulting & PR
    • Teaching Experience
    • Workshop Facilitation
    • Volunteer Experience
    • Extra-Curricular Leadership
    • Writing
  • Learn
  • BLOG
  • Contact

Wynne Wednesday

9/29/2015

0 Comments

 
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.... 
Picture
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!)
Picture
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.

Picture
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.
Picture
a few ETFO members show their school and federation spirit at Tomken Road on a recent "Wynne Wednesday"
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About Vera...

    Vera & her Sons, April 2021
    After writing for several teacher and multiple birth publications, including ETFO's Voice Magazine, Multiple Moments, and the Bulletwin, Vera turned her written attention to prolific blogging for some years, including BiB,  "Learn to Fly with Vera!"  and SMARTbansho .  Homeschooling 4 was her travel blog in Argentina.  She now spends more time on her Instagram (@schalgzeug_usw)  than her blog (pictures are worth a thousand words?!) 
    DISCLAIMER
    The views expressed on this blog are the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the perspectives of her family members or the position of her employer on the the issues she blogs about.  These posts are intended to share resources, document family life, and encourage critical thought on a variety of subjects.  They are not intended to cause harm to any individual or member of any group. By reading this blog and viewing this site, you agree to not hold Vera liable for any harm done by views expressed in this blog.
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Argentina 2013
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Cycling
    Family
    Flying
    Geocaching
    Honduras 2011
    Lakeshore
    Lgbtq
    Math Eyes
    Music
    Other Stuff
    Prince Edward Island
    Teaching And Learning
    Teaching-and-learning
    Travel

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2022
    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

Vera C. Teschow, OCT, M.Ed., MOT
Toronto, ON & St Peter's Harbour, PE
www.verateschow.ca 2021
Photos used under Creative Commons from Sean MacEntee, Studio Paars, Bengt Nyman, zeevveez, GoodNCrazy, CJS*64, Accretion Disc, CharlesLam, Courtney Dirks, CJS*64 "Man with a camera", Accretion Disc, Bobolink, Ian Muttoo, BioDivLibrary, Alaskan Dude, IsabelleAcatauassu, runran, Transformer18, jglsongs, Create For Animal Rights, david_shankbone, Paul J Coles, foilman, Newport Geographic, Photo Everywhere, kevin dooley, Claudio , Alex Guibord, Tscherno, f_mafra, Terry Madeley, musee de l'horlogerie, BobMacInnes, wwarby, jonathangarcia, amboo who?, chimothy27, Elin B, cliff1066™, Grzegorz Łobiński, Rennett Stowe, Farhill, Phil Manker, Guitarfool5931, airguy1988, dierk schaefer, Rob Stemple, katerha, StockMonkeys.com, Ramotionblog, andrewk3715, charlywkarl, AJC1, rachel_titiriga