Voices

We can empower students by simply seeing attributes they possess. 

Over the winter holidays I discovered The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha, who decided that there was so much bad news in the world and in his own life that he needed to find and blog about a single, simple joy every day – things like the yeasty smell of a bakery, finding money

One of the major benefits ETFO provides for the designated early childhood educators (DECEs)* it represents is legal protection when work-related problems occur. These educators work closely with young children and, like teachers, are vulnerable to complaints lodged by the public.

There was an emergency evacuation at an Ontario school last October. Over a period of three days, staff had reported headaches and difficulty breathing. By the time the school was evacuated, some staff required medical help.

One of the biggest challenges ETFO provincial and local offices face is convincing members with disabilities to come forward and request the accommodations they need. Sadly, the prevailing culture in schools and in our broader society does not always foster this kind of disclosure.

ETFO’s 11th annual …and still we rise conference once again demonstrated the federation’s leadership in educating members about issues facing women and children worldwide.

This month work will begin on a project that has been in development for several years. Demolition crews will begin tearing down an old building to make way for a new home for ETFO.

It’s not often that I’m able to deliver good news in this column. But this is one such occasion. I’m happy to be able to tell you that we have made progress on the issue of EQAO-related initiatives.

Re: Disabled or Enabled? Turning challenges into an asset (December 2010)