To hear some school administrators tell it, there is no more dangerous place on earth than the yard of their local school. It’s surprising that teachers are not given a suit of armor to wear – under the bright orange vest, mind you – while on duty.
On August 17, 2005, the delegates to the ETFO annual meeting elected their provincial executive for the 2005–2007 term and my life changed.
I was elected to the position of vice-president female. Leadership in ETFO is challenging and personally enriching.
Leadership opportunities exist at every turn. To be a leader you simply need to step forward and take advantage of one of those opportunities.
The ETFO protective services mentorship program has provided me with an incredible insight into the broader scope of the work of the Federation beyond the activities in individual locals.
Classroom noise, chit chat with superiors, students working in groups – these are among the challenges that teachers from other countries face when they step into a North American school.
Throughout the 1990s – particularly during the Harris-Eves years of government – we were forced as a federation to spend our energies on trying to preserve public education.
Our education minister Sandra Pupatello is someone I’ve had the honour of working with in the past.
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.
The election of a new federal government has opened the door to both challenges and opportunities for the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF).