Letters to the Editor
Re: “The Pervasive Threat of Declining Student Enrolment,” June 07
Re: “The Pervasive Threat of Declining Student Enrolment,” June 07
Occasional teachers should be aware of a number of rules under the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) that affect them differently from how other teachers are affected.
During the past four years there have been tremors and shockwaves across the education landscape, but for the most part educators, parents, administrators, and trustees have been lulled into passive acceptance. Most are oblivious to the devastation that is coming.
The path to a permanent teaching job often winds through the challenges of occasional teaching. Statistics show that most new teachers start as occasional teachers, and that many remain on an OT list for up to three years before acquiring their first permanent contract.1
For the first time, albeit under unusual circumstances, every current teacher collective agreement contains a negotiated lump sum to support individual professional growth.
When the Harris Conservatives took power in 1995 Ontario’s education system experienced dramatic, and often negative, change. The Tories cut education funding and denigrated the role of teachers as professionals.
ETFO Members are members of a profession that is unparalleled in its capacity to make a difference in our society.
This is the first of a four-part history of Ontario public elementary teachers and their federations. We will learn about ETFO and its predecessor organizations, the challenges they faced and the victories they achieved.
ETFO exists to serve you – our members. We work to make a difference in the lives of Ontario’s teachers, education workers, and students.
This round of bargaining has definitely created a new era for our occasional teacher locals. Negotiations have improved the working conditions in many areas, have established a number of significant gains, and have also revealed some challenges for reform.