Voices

The fall has exemplified how the Ontario government continues to fail public education and reinforced for your provincial Executive the importance of ETFO members being organized and engaged, particularly as we head into collective bargaining next year.

The fall has been a very busy time at ETFO, supporting members confronting historically large class sizes and pushing back against a provincial government that has been dead set on taking over school boards instead of addressing the real issues in public schools that have resulted from years of underfunding.

This year, ETFO’s winter issue of Voice is is our environment issue, exploring resources and classroom practices to teach the next generation of activists to take care of the Earth and live more sustainably.

A decision was made by delegates to reduce the Voice budget for the 2025-26 school year, as they urged ETFO to move to a digital publication.

It is with immense pride and a deep sense of responsibility that I assume the role of president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.

The start of the school year is a moment to reflect on our core values as an organization.

This edition challenges us to reflect on the state of our public schools, the well-being of students and the professional conditions of educators.

In Ontario, the fight for gender equity has always been deeply connected to the labour movement.

The global theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), “Accelerate Action,” resonates deeply with me.