From the Editor - Fall 2026

As the school year begins, this issue of Voice considers where ETFO is in the collective bargaining process, the power and importance of organizing and mobilizing together, and what is at stake for public education. As President David Mastin writes in his column, “The Ford government’s playbook is clear: privatization, centralization and the systematic erosion of public services. They seek to strip power from local bargaining, silence community voices and consolidate control at Queen’s Park.”

In Collective Bargaining 2026: What ETFO Members Need to Know, ETFO Collective Bargaining staff member Gail Bannister-Clarke writes about bargaining over the summer, the impact of cuts where students need support the most and the importance of smaller classes. “Educators see the consequences every day in large, more complex classes, fewer supports for students with special education needs, reduced funding for equity and inclusion initiatives, and rising workloads and stress.” In a related article, Niki Kazemzadeh reflects on the power of ETFO members organizing together and the different opportunities to get involved at the local level, “what I like to call the choose your own adventure of political action,” she writes.

In Your Voice is Power: Coding, Creativity and Indigenous Perspectives in the Classroom, Teri Flemming highlights an innovative program that teaches coding while amplifying marginalized voices and Indigenous perspectives, all while engaging students in making music. “As education continues to evolve, there is a growing recognition that students need more than isolated skills. They need opportunities to think critically, create meaningfully and engage with the world around them,” she argues.

Also in this issue, Meghan McKee and Alison Symington write about supporting students with precarious immigration status, reflecting on school access as a legal issue and how educators can create an environment where students aren’t asked to expose their status. “We are educators, not gatekeepers,” they write. “Our goal is to create learning environments where all students feel they belong. We do not need to know a students’ immigration story in order to support them.”

The fall issue also features a roundup of everything that happened at this year’s Annual Meeting, including our incredible social justice speaker Marcia Howard, a community activist and president of the teacher chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Educators Local 59. Make sure to look through the pictures to see if you recognize members from your local and read about what delegates heard from your president, general secretary and special guests.

Wishing you a successful school year!

– Izida Zorde