Features

Political action and public relations go hand in hand.

ETFO was born into one of the most tumultuous periods in Ontario education history. In October 1997, 126,000 teachers staged a two-week walkout to protest the assault on teachers and public education by the Conservative government of Mike Harris.

ETFO president David Clegg told delegates to the 2008 annual meeting that the federation is determined to Close the Gap in this round of collective bargaining.

A funny thing happened while working on our anti-poverty project. We learned something! We learned that it isn’t so much what we can do for students, but how we do it that makes a difference.

One cold winter morning I was teaching my grade 8 class when halfway through the first period Joe came in, late as usual.

When Locke’s PS was selected to take part in ETFO’s poverty and education project we were excited by the prospect of having a theatre group come to perform at our school. We hoped to improve our understanding of issues related to poverty.

Temagami Public School is nestled at the base of a steep embankment along Highway 11 and is sheltered between the Ontario Northland railway line, pine forests, and the village of Temagami. Summer visitors and residents alike are captivated by this beautiful place.

There is a great deal of research that shows that live theatre touches the children’s imagination with an immediacy that is real and emotional and that its complexities engage students’ critical thinking.¹

Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” That saying captures my story. Many teachers took the time to nurture my development. The schools I attended provided resources that supported them in that work.