that when these factors are overlooked, they can quietly contribute to the mental health struggles children face, which may surface over time as increased behavioural concerns and escalating violence in schools. With “COVID babies” now in schools, a
more informed and proactive government strategy would embrace a “back to the future” curriculum, one grounded in lessons gleaned from the past, including the need for explicit social-emotional learning. Tis requires rec- ognizing that the development of executive functioning and self-regulation skills is the foundation upon which academic learning must be built, not the other way around. Sup- porting these critical developmental founda- tions is at the core of the FDK model.
THE TEACHER-DECE PARTNERSHIP
FDK was intentionally designed to bring together
two complementary profession-
als: teachers, with expertise in curriculum and assessment, and DECEs, with special- ized knowledge in child development, ob- servation and pedagogical documentation. In Kindergarten, the classroom teacher and DECE work as a team to bring the program to life. Although DECEs have been part of the school system for 15 years, they still face ongoing systemic challenges that may affect
their job satisfaction and overall sense of self- efficacy. Many DECEs talk about feeling un- heard, with decisions made for them rather than with them. Common concerns include being treated as assistants, having limited planning time, few mentorship opportuni- ties, minimal access to meaningful profes- sional development and the absence of clear pathways for growth, leadership develop- ment and career mobility. Tese conditions contribute to ongoing inequities and profes- sional marginalization. Te Ontario Ministry of Education de-
fines equity as “fair, inclusive and respectful treatment of all people,” which acknowledges that equity requires addressing individual differences, not treating everyone the same. Marginalization is defined by UNESCO as a “form of acute and persistent disadvan- tage rooted in underlying social inequalities, which disproportionately affects women, Indigenous Peoples and ethnic minorities.” Even aſter 15 years of ECEs in the school system, most boards lack clear pathways for DECE growth development and career pro- gression, contributing to professional stagna- tion and reinforcing inequities. As one DECE I know reflected, “When I started at [my] school board, J. was my teaching partner. Now J. is a vice-principal I’m still a DECE in
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 13
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