FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY A TIME OF NEW BEGINNINGS


one. In addition to lobbying the ministries of Education and Labour, MPPs, school boards and principal organizations, we are working with the ministries of Education and Labour to improve school board compliance with health and safety legislation and violence re- porting procedures and training. We have published articles in Voice about


T


he fall is a time of new begin- nings. As members settle into a new school year, we at provin- cial office are getting our pro- grams up and running, work-


ing on implementing the motions delegates passed at the annual meeting and ensuring we have the best services in place for you, the members. We continue Bill 115 remedy dis- cussions while we work for the next two years under a contract extension agreed to with the Liberal government. Members will be updat- ed as we make progress on these discussions. Among the many important motions


passed at this year’s annual meeting, one is particularly noteworthy. Beginning in 2019, the time of the next ETFO elections, four of the 14 seats on the provincial executive will be reserved for members of designated groups. While we already had designated seats for women, this motion recognizes that we are in a pivotal moment as an organization com- mitted to equity. Beginning in 2019, out of the 14 seats on the executive, two will be re-


6 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2017 its newest


served for women and two for members of other designated groups. At the annual meeting, ETFO released report, Shortchanging Ontario


Students: An Overview and Assessment of Ed- ucation Funding in Ontario, and issued seven recommendations to fix Ontario’s Educa- tion Funding Formula. ETFO is calling for increased special education funding in 2017- 2018, an independent, external review of the government’s statistical model used for funding special education and amendments to the funding formula to provide more front-line children’s services and ensure average class size in grades 4-8 does not ex- ceed 22 students. See the detailed report at etfo.ca. More funding and resources, along with smaller classes, will create safer and healthier learning environments for our members and our students. ETFO is pursuing a multi-year strategy to


address violence in schools. In January 2017, ETFO outlined the steps needed to make our workplaces and schools safe for every-


navigating the reporting system for violent incidents, have resources on the health and safety website and are producing short vid- eos that highlight information members and locals need when dealing with violent inci- dents at school. The first video, released at this year’s annual meeting, outlines reporting procedures for violent incidents and sets out the legal responsibilities of members, school boards and principals concerning such inci- dents. A second video, to be released in Oc- tober, deals with the legal requirement for school boards and principals to undertake a violence risk assessment at every school site and provide safety plans when a student or third party is identified as a risk to the safe- ty of people in the school. How to handle workplace injuries and illness arising from a violent incident will be the subject of the third video, to be released in February 2018. All videos will be available through ETFO social media channels and will be embedded in training for locals, stewards and members. For additional information on health and safety see etfohealth@safety.ca. As we look toward ETFO’s 20th


anniver-


sary, we have much to reflect upon and cele- brate. From our leadership in the fight against Bill 115, our innovative professional learning programs, like our workshop on welcoming refugee students, to our acclaimed equity and social justice work including groundbreaking white privilege training, ETFO continues to respond to the ever-changing needs of our members. Our political activism at the pro- vincial and local levels and our increasing engagement with parents and social justice groups position ETFO as a strong voice for students, educators and public education. In 2018, we will celebrate the rich and


proud history of ETFO, the largest and stron- gest teacher federation in this country. – Sharon O’Halloran


PHOTO BY KATHRYN GAITENS


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