Organizing is the Antidote to Feeling Powerless After Years of Cuts

We know that public education can bring equity and opportunity to all Ontarians regardless of their geographic locations or personal circumstances. But for that to be truly the case, we need to elect a government that values and invests in our public schools. We need a government that will bargain fairly with educators and other public sector workers.

The Ford government is rumored to call an early election in the first few months of 2025. They have spent years blaming the carbon tax and the federal government for all the problems facing the people of Ontario and they want to go to the polls before the federal election, which must happen no later than fall 2025.

In anticipation of the provincial election, your released officers have spent the fall travelling across Ontario to meet with members in every single local and hear your priorities and concerns. ETFO members turned out at these meetings to talk about how cuts to public education have affected their schools and their classrooms. Members talked about large class sizes, lack of specialist teachers, long wait times for student assessments, lack of resources and lack of ordinary classroom supplies. While members were clearly doing their best for their students and their classrooms, you talked about the impacts of loss of prep time on your ability to plan future lessons, struggling to address increasing mental health needs with few supports, increased violence and students falling further behind.

Despite these significant challenges, when asked to imagine what our schools could look like if public education received the investment it so desperately needs, educators didn’t hesitate to respond. Smaller classes would mean more one on one time with students, more specialists and resources would mean that students have the supports they need to be successful, needed assessments and supports would mean less violence in the classroom. This list goes on and on. We know that so much can be improved for students and educators if we had a government that valued children and invested in public schools.

It is this picture of a better future, not only for public schools and students but for all public services in Ontario that fuels the organizing that educators and others are doing in anticipation of the election.

ETFO has created a number of tools and resources for members and the public, which are available at BuildingBetterSchools.ca. ETFO has developed a map tool that allows you to search how much has been cut from your local school and print a PDF with that information. The numbers produced by this map tool localize the cuts and help explain why educators and students are feeling them so deeply. We have also shared an activist toolkit, social media shareables and testimonial videos from parents and educators about the impacts of cuts to public education. If you haven’t already done so, register to be notified of actions and to be part of the ongoing campaign to support public schools at BuildingBetterSchools.ca.

With more than $1,500 cut in per student funding in every part of the province, our members and our students have been struggling with fewer supports and resources and many feel physically and emotionally stretched. But that is what makes organizing all the more important. Not only does organizing present an opportunity to change things for the better, it is also a way for us to connect with neighbours, colleagues and community members. Organizing is the antidote to the powerlessness that many of us are feeling after years of cuts and I encourage you to get involved.

Happy New Year! Looking forward to organizing with all of you.

– Karen Brown