We’re Keeping the Pressure On
When faced with a regressive government that consistently demonstrates its backwards logic, we must double down on our commitments to one another, to our collective well-being and to equity and social justice.
When faced with a regressive government that consistently demonstrates its backwards logic, we must double down on our commitments to one another, to our collective well-being and to equity and social justice.
As we worked on this women’s issue of Voice, I thought a lot about the importance of narrative, the stories we tell about ourselves and our social movements.
The summer issue of Voice is our women’s issue. It’s an opportunity to celebrate ETFO’s women members, highlight their accomplishments and centre their voices.
When I think about the importance of providing all Ontario students with the public education they deserve – class sizes that allow them to get the individual attention they need, resources to help them excel to the best of their abilities and the critical special education supports needed to ensure equity for every student – I think about our commitment to ensuring that every child is offered a promising future.
Since the fall, ETFO has been working to respond to government consultations on education. At the same time, we have been planning our own mobilization and engagement efforts, working in solidarity with parents and other allies, and doing the important day-to-day work of the federation – workshops, conferences and services to members.
The spring issue of Voice considers how we practise inclusion in our classrooms, and reflects on the impacts of the Conservative government agenda on Ontario students and educators and the importance of mobilizing our members and engaging our communities.
As we head into the new year, I want to propose that we don’t get distracted by the rhetoric of testing, meritocracy, austerity and privatization, which we will see more and more of in the coming months.
ETFO is continuing our work on the repealed portion of the Health and Physical Education Curriculum.
In this issue of Voice, we consider the important work we do in our classrooms every day to teach critical thinking and build community that reflects and represents our students and their families.