Voices

Even the most seasoned educational worker can find it daunting to return to work after a prolonged medical leave.

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

With only a few months to go before the next provincial election, ETFO members should use their assessment skills to evaluate the Liberal government’s record and the platforms of all the political parties. Education commitments figured prominently in the 2003 Liberal election p

In February ETFO launched the first stage of Closing the Gap, our campaign to achieve equitable funding for elementary education in this province.

This will  be  my  last  column  as  ETFO president. I have served on the ETFO provincial executive for nine years, the last five years as your president.

As a teacher federation ETFO supports your work in many ways: negotiating salaries and working conditions; promoting and defending your status as a professional; providing opportunities for professional development.

As the Minister of Education, it is my privilege and responsibility to visit as many schools and classrooms as I can across the province. By experiencing your classrooms first-hand, I can begin to see the impact of decisions made by government at Queen’s Park.

This issue of Voice, devoted to professional learning, is special in a number of ways.