Welcome To ETFO - KPR Occasional Teachers` Local

Transcription

Welcome To ETFO 2013 - 2014 Member Resource Book
136 Isabella Street
Toronto, ON M4Y 1P6
Phone: 416-962-3836
Toll Free: 1-888-838-3836
Fax: 416-642-2424
Website: www.etfo.ca
Welcome To ETFO
2013-2014
Welcome to the Elementary
Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
ETFO is your professional and protective organization. Together we represent over
76,000 teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators (DECEs),
and education workers employed in the public elementary schools of Ontario. You are
an active member of ETFO provincially and you are also a member of one of the 72
ETFO locals across the province.
In welcoming you to ETFO, this book was developed to provide you with helpful
information as you begin your teaching career, and outline the work of your
organization as well as the services available to you. ETFO strives to develop programs
and services that both protect and enhance the working lives of members in these
challenging times for education. We also work continuously to provide a welcoming
environment that celebrates the diversity of our members and the students in our
care. In addition to our internal work in support of members, ETFO reaches out to the
broader community to foster a climate of social justice in this province and beyond.
Workplace Protection + Professional Development + Social Activism = ETFO
L ETFO’s Statement and Definition of Equity:
It is the goal of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario to work with others to
create schools, communities and a society free from all forms of individual and systemic
discrimination. To further this goal, ETFO defines equity as fairness achieved through
proactive measures which result in equality, promotes diversity, fosters respect and dignity
for all.
If you are contacted by the police or
Children’s Aid Society (CAS) regarding an
allegation against you:
• Do not participate in or consent to
an interview.
LEGAL ASSISTANCE
FOR MEMBERS
• Make no statement to anyone regarding
The Federation provides
legal assistance to defend
members against allegations that are related to
the members’ teaching
duties or employment
responsibilities.
unable to comment until I contact the
Federation and legal counsel.”
• Call ETFO professional relations staff at
1-888-838-3836 or 416-962-3836
and state that your call is urgent.
the allegations/charges.
• Say, “I am willing to cooperate but I am
www.etfo.ca
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WELCOME TO THE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO - 2013-2014
Published by the
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
136 Isabella Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4Y 1P6
Copyright @ 2013 by Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
Design by ARTIFACT graphic design (artifactworks.ca)
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Table of Contents
1. WELCOME
7. TIPS FOR NEW MEMBERS RE:
Welcome to ETFO – Letter from the President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Welcome to Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Practicing Caution:
ETFO Human Rights Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Guidelines for Electronic Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Defamatory Websites and Social Networking Websites . . . . . 35
2. ALL ABOUT ETFO
The Hidden Dangers of Electronic Communications. . . . . . . . 37
The Objects and Priorities of ETFO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Electronic Communication and Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
ETFO’s Place in the World of Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ETFO: At The Provincial Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
8. OTHER TIPS FOR NEW MEMBERS
ETFO: At The Local Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
CLASSROOM ADVICE
The Individual Education Plan (IEP) –
3. YOU, THE NEW MEMBER
What You Need to Know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Beginning Occasional Teachers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Classroom Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs) Are
Elementary Progress Report Card and Elementary Provincial
Members of ETFO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Report Card Continued Implementation Update. . . . . . . . . 45
ETFO Member Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
EQAO Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
ETFO Stewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Getting Started Checklists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Getting Involved – Locally and Provincially. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Occasional Teaching – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) . . 51
Your Local/School/Classroom/Board Information . . . . . . . . . . 18
Parent/Guardian Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Your Collective Agreement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Preparing for an Occasional Teacher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Your Union Dues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
4. ETFO ADVISORIES
Maintaining Professional Relationships Among
Current ETFO Advisories to Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
All Educators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Positive School Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
5. ETFO POSITIONS
Early Learning Program (ELP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2014 Collective Bargaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
SCHOOL ADVICE
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
Allegations Involving CAS and-or Police –
What to do if it happens to you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
6. ETFO NEW MEMBER SUPPORTS
New Members Section of the ETFO Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Balancing Career and Personal Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
A Member’s Duty to Report Under the Child and
Online Resources for Occasional Teachers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Family Services Act. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Survive and Thrive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Professional Boundaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
ETFO Online AQ Courses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Professionalism and Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
ETFO Blogs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Sabrina’s Law – An Act to Protect Anaphylactic Pupils . . . . . . 71
ETFO Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Tutoring and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Members . . . 72
ETFO Workshops for New Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
PRS Matters Bulletins: Advice for Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Edvantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
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9. ETFO MEMBERSHIP: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Rights and Privileges of Membership
(Article V ETFO Constitution). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Code of Professional Conduct
(Article VI ETFO Constitution) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
12. WHO’S WHO IN EDUCATION
Your Union – ETFO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Public District School Boards and OPSBA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Ontario Ministry of Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Disciplinary Procedures
College of Early Childhood Educators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
(Article VII ETFO Constitution). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Qualifications Evaluation Council of Ontario (QECO). . . . . . . . 94
10. ETFO: THE PROVINCIAL ORGANIZATION
13. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
ETFO on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Duties of Teachers (Excerpts from the Education Act) . . . . . . . 96
The Annual Meeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Criminal Allegations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Representative Council. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Child Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Standing Committees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Parent Concerns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
The Ontario Human Rights Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
ETFO and the Labour Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Long Term Disability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
11. ETFO PROVINCIAL: SERVICE AREAS
Occupational Health and Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Equity and Women’s Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Pensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Professional Services:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Employment Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Employment Insurance –
Political Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Maternity and Parental Benefits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Professional Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Parental Rights and Benefits Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Public Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
In Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Protective Services:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Collective Bargaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
13.APPENDIX
Professional Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
A Teacher’s Pledge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
ETFO Leadership Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Glossary of Acronyms used in Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
136 Isabella Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 1P6
Telephone 416-962-3836 Toll-free 1-888-838-3836
Fax 416-642-2424
Website: wwwetfo.ca
Welcome to the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario!
ETFO is the largest teachers’ union in Canada. We are a unique organization representing teachers,
occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators (DECEs), and education workers in the
elementary public schools of Ontario. I am proud of our members – over 76,000 strong. When
you accepted your position with your board, you became one of those members, joining in their
collective strength, enthusiasm, and commitment to each other and to their profession.
As a member of ETFO provincially, you also became a member of your local – one of 72
throughout the province. The foremost goal of both your provincial ETFO and your local is to serve
the needs of all members.
Our members are dedicated and principled professionals. They care deeply about the conditions in which
they work, the children in their care, and the society in which they live and their students will mature. ETFO’s
resources, both human and financial, are directed to developing and implementing programs to meet those
concerns. We strive to serve our members in both professional and protective capacities.
As a federation, we offer a wide range of personal and professional development as well as leadership and
training opportunities. As a union, we offer collective strength through our bargaining and advocacy efforts. We
consider ourselves a union of professionals.
As your union, we work to provide a welcoming environment that celebrates our diversity and encourages the
participation of all our members.
We developed this book to show you some of the resources and services that are available to you as a member
of ETFO. Equally important is the information about opportunities for your involvement in ETFO and in your local.
You should feel great pride in working alongside colleagues who, for the past year and a half, vigorously
defended democratic rights for all working people in Ontario – including the students who will need those rights
when they enter the workforce in future.
ETFO’s 76,000 members lead the way during a difficult fight against Bill 115, one of the most regressive pieces
of anti-collective bargaining legislation ever seen in Canada. They were strong and determined throughout this
challenging time. Because of the unwavering resolve of our members, the government was finally moved to work
with ETFO to alleviate the damage caused by Bill 115.
In June 2013 ETFO reached a two-year (2012-2014) agreement with the government. At the height of
our conflict with the government more Ontarians supported our position than supported the position of the
government, and they stood with us in demanding fair bargaining. Our push back against Bill 115 caused the
Ontario government to back away from a similar approach against other public sector workers.
ETFO collective agreements expire in 2014, and the next round of bargaining may be as challenging as the
last. But we will be ready. Together, ETFO members will once again lead the way – and we will continue to be a
force to be reckoned with.
Remember, as a member of this federation, you are never alone in facing changes and challenges. No matter
where you work in the province, ETFO is as close as your telephone or your internet connection.
We are glad you have joined us. Welcome to ETFO!
Sam Hammond
President
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Welcome to Teaching!
When you chose teaching as a career, you became part of a larger community of dedicated
professionals committed to making a difference.
You will find the first few years on the job exciting, exhilarating, challenging, and exhausting
– all at the same time. In the end, we trust you will find teaching a rewarding career choice.
The first year can be confusing as you are bombarded with
information. What do you need to know? Is this important?
Where can I find the right answers? Sometimes you don’t
even know what questions to ask. To assist you, ETFO has
developed this resource to help you find your way through
the maze of information.
Good luck. Welcome to your new profession and welcome
to ETFO.
Membership in ETFO
When you signed on as an elementary teacher, an early
childhood education, or an education worker in your
board you became a member of the Elementary Teacher’s
Federation of Ontario. ETFO is your protective and
professional organization. ETFO is your union.
ETFO Human Rights Statement
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is committed to:
“Teaching is the one
profession that makes
all other professions
possible.”
Anonymous
•
Providing an environment for members that is free from harassment and
discrimination at all provincial and local Federation sponsored activities;
•
Fostering the goodwill and trust necessary to protect the rights of all individuals within
the organization;
•
Neither tolerating nor condoning behavior that undermines he dignity or self-esteem
of individuals or the integrity of relationships; and
•
Promoting mutual respect, understanding, and co-operation as the basis of interaction
among all members.
Harassment and discrimination on the basis of a prohibited ground are violations of the
Ontario Human Rights Code and are illegal. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario will
not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the Ontario Human Rights
Code, at provincial or local Federation sponsored activities.
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All About ETFO
The Objects and Priorities of ETFO
Every organization has objectives that define its purpose and guide its work. The objects of ETFO are
contained in the Constitution (Article Ill).
L The objects of the Federation shall be:
3.1
to regulate relations between employees and employer, including but not limited to securing and maintaining
through collective bargaining, the best possible terms and conditions of employment.
3.2
to advance the cause of education and the status of teachers and educational workers.
3.3
to promote a high standard of professional ethics and a high standard of professional competence.
3.4
to foster a climate of social justice in Ontario and continue a leadership role in such areas as antipoverty, nonviolence, and equity.
3.5
to promote and protect the interests of all members of the Federation and the students in their care.
3.6
to co-operate with other organizations, in Ontario, Canada, and elsewhere, having the same or like objects.
3.7
to promote and defend the health and safety of members in the workplace.
While the programs and services of ETFO are designed with these objects in mind, each year at the Annual Meeting the
membership sets the priorities of ETFO for the upcoming school year.
L The Current Priorities of ETFO for 2013-2014
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
To protect the collective bargaining rights of all members.
To defend publicly-funded public education.
To serve the needs of the membership.
To provide for the professional development of members.
To promote social justice in the areas of peace, anti-poverty, non-violence, and
equity.
To support international assistance and cooperation.
To promote the care and protection of the environment.
To actively engage members in the Federation.
To promote and protect the health and safety of members.
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ETFO’s Place in the World of Education
Education International
About 30 million members
400 teacher organizations in 170 countries
Canadian Teachers’ Federation
approx. 200,000 members
Ontario Teachers’ Federation
approx. 155,000 members
l’Association des
enseignantes et des
enseignants franco
ontariens
approx. 10,000
members
Elementary
Teachers’ Federation
of Ontario
Federation des
enseignantes et
des enseignants de
l’elementaire de
l’Ontario
over 76,000
members
Ontario English
Catholic Teachers’
Association
approx. 45,000
members
Ontario Secondary
School Teachers’
Federation
approx. 60,000
members
9
ETFO: At the Provincial Level
L The Ontario Teachers’ Federation
ETFO is one of four affiliates that make up the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF). The other
three are l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), the
Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and the Ontario Secondary School
Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF). ETFO has representation on the OTF Board of Governors and the
OTF Executive. OTF is the official voice of all teachers in Ontario in dealings with the Minister
of Education on the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
L The ETFO Executive
The Executive at the provincial level consists of 14 members: the president; the first vicepresident; two vice-presidents, one position open to women only; the ETFO representative to
the Ontario Teachers’ Federation; and, additional executive members as necessary to complete
an executive of fourteen. Four of these additional positions are open to women only. The
members of the Executive are elected to 2-year terms by the delegates to the Annual Meeting.
The Executive meets regularly and is responsible for carrying out the business of the federation,
receiving reports and recommendations from committees, authorizing legal support for
members in employment related cases, and carrying out a variety of other responsibilities.
L Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario 2013-2015 Executive
President Sam Hammond
First Vice-President Susan Swackhammer
Vice-Presidents James McCormack
Maureen Weinberger
OTF Table Officer Rian McLaughlin
Executive Members Karen Brown
Hamilton-Wentworth Teacher Local
Grand Erie Teacher Local
Waterloo Region Teacher Local
Halton Teacher Local
Hamilton-Wentworth Occasional Teacher Local
Elementary Teachers of Toronto Local
Adelina Cecchin
Greater Essex County Teacher Local
Diane Dewing
Upper Canada Occasional Teacher Local
Pamela Dogra
Elementary Teachers of Toronto Local
Kelly Holley
Algoma Teacher Local
Nancy Lawler
Bluewater Teacher Local
David Mastin
Durham Teacher Local
Rian McLaughlin
Hamilton-Wentworth Occasional Teacher Local
Monica Rusnak
Ontario North East Teacher Local
Deb Wells
Limestone Teacher Local
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Sam Hammond
President
Hamilton-Wentworth
Teacher Local
Susan Swackhammer
First Vice-President
Grand Erie
Teacher Local
James McCormack
Vice-President
Waterloo Region
Teacher Local
Maureen Weinberger
Vice-President
Halton Teacher Local
Rian McLaughlin
OTF Table Officer,
Executive Member
Hamilton-Wentworth
OT Local
Karen Brown
Executive Member
Elementary Teachers
of Toronto Local
Adelina Cecchin
Executive Member
Greater Essex County
Teacher Local
Diane Dewing
Executive Member
Upper Canada
OT Local
Pam Dogra
Executive Member
Elementary Teachers
of Toronto Local
Kelly Holley
Executive Member
Algoma Teacher
Local
Nancy Lawler
Executive Member
Bluewater Teacher
Local
Dave Mastin
Executive Member
Durham Teacher
Local
Monica Rusnak
Executive Member
Ontario North East
Teacher Local
Deb Wells
Executive Member
Limestone Teacher
Local
Victoria Réaume
General Secretary
Sharon O’Halloran
Deputy General
Secretary
LAdministrative
Leaders
The administrative leaders work
with the staff of the Federation
to implement the programs and
services approved by the Executive
and the Annual Meeting.
11
ETFO: At the Local Level
You are a member of the local in your board. There are 72 locals in ETFO across the province.
For the most part, each local is also a bargaining unit with a boundary corresponding to that
of an employing school board. However in some of the school authorities there may be two or
more bargaining units combined within a local. ETFO is the bargaining agent for all bargaining
units.
Each local has a president, executive members, committees, and other positions to meet the
needs of the membership in the local.
L Northern Ontario English-Language Public District School Boards
5A
6B
5B
6A
1
2
1 Ontario North East
2Algoma
3Rainbow
3
4 Near North
5A Keewatin-Patricia
5B Rainy River
6A Lakehead
6B Superior-Greenstone
4
12
L Southern Ontario English-Language Public District School Boards
17 Simcoe County
18 Upper Grand
19 Peel
7Bluewater
20 Halton
8 Avon Maitland
21 Hamilton-Wentworth
9 Greater Essex County
22 Niagara
10 Lambton Kent
23 Grand Erie
11 Thames Valley
24 Waterloo Region
12 Toronto
25 Ottawa-Carleton
13 Durham
26 Upper Canada
14 Kawartha Pine Ridge
27 Limestone
15 Trillium Lakelands
28 Renfrew County
16 York Region
29 Hastings & Prince Edward
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You, the New Member
Beginning Occasional Teachers
Most teachers begin their careers as occasional teachers. Ontario’s new teachers across the
province are increasingly relying on occasional teaching assignments as their introduction to
the teaching profession.
Occasional teachers are a very important part of the school system. They are fully qualified
teachers who are as legally responsible as any other teacher. They face the added challenges
of being called at a moment’s notice, following another teacher’s day plan, and dealing with a
multitude of unknowns in each teaching assignment.
A daily occasional teacher may be in a different school every day. Teachers who are absent for
extended periods of time are replaced by long-term occasional (LTO) teachers.
An occasional teacher fulfills all of the responsibilities of the teacher that is absent. In most
cases, this means that the occasional teacher has the same yard duty, hall duty, classroom
assignments and preparation time as the teacher being replaced. Check with your local
occasional teacher collective agreements for the requirements around duty and preparation
time, and provisions for the role of long-term occasional teacher.
L Ontario Regulation 274/12 and Teacher Hiring by School Boards
Regulation 274 was filed by the provincial government in September 2012 under the Education
Act. It establishes steps all publicly funded school boards must follow when hiring for long
term occasional (LTO) and new permanent teaching positions.
Under Regulation 274, school boards must establish and maintain two occasional teacher lists:
•
a roster of occasional teachers (or “roster”);
•
a long term occasional teachers’ list (or “LTO list”).
The roster must include the names of all occasional teachers hired by the school board, the day
each teacher was placed on the roster, and a summary of each teacher’s teaching experience.
A teacher’s ranking on the roster is based on seniority. School boards are required to place the
roster on their websites, and must update their rosters regularly.
An occasional teacher on the roster may apply to be placed on the LTO list once s/he:
•
has been on the roster for at least ten months; AND
•
has taught as an occasional teacher with the school board for at least 20 days during
a ten month period. (Note: The ten month period must have taken place some time
during the five years preceding the teacher’s application to the LTO list.)
School boards must grant an interview to every occasional teacher on the roster who meets
these qualifications. Boards then determine, through a hiring process, which occasional
teachers will be placed on the LTO list. Being placed upon the LTO list only ensures an
occasional teacher is eligible to apply for LTO positions that become available; it does not
guarantee hiring.
14
When permanent teaching positions become available, Regulation 274 stipulates that only
occasional teachers on the LTO list who have completed a minimum of one LTO assignment at
least four (4) months long can be considered for new permanent positions.
When hiring for LTO and permanent positions school boards must:
•
place notice of an available position on their websites for at least five weekdays;
•
honour any collective agreement language applicable to hiring and teaching
assignments.
Unsuccessful candidates to the LTO list, or to an LTO or permanent position, are entitled to
meet with the individual or panel that conducted the interview to discuss performance during
the interview and how to improve their chances during future interviews.
Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs)
Are Members of ETFO
In September 2010, designated early childhood educators (DECEs) and elementary teachers
began working side by side in classrooms across the province in the first phase of the Full Day
Early Learning Kindergarten Program.
Supporting new partnerships
FDK teams in kindergarten classrooms need considerable professional support to make the
program work. They need time for joint planning, curriculum preparation, and professional
learning. ETFO has made teachers’ professional needs a priority in bargaining and is similarly
supporting the professional needs of DECEs as collective agreements are bargained.
The success of the new FDK program depends on the willingness of teachers and DECEs to work
in new ways, to learn with and from each other, and to be prepared to grow daily alongside
their young learners. Meeting these challenges and benefitting from new opportunities will
enrich their lives and the lives of their young students.
Professional Learning
One of ETFO’s commitments to our DECE members was to support them with their professional
learning journeys. To that end we completed a needs assessment of our DECE members and
have used this information to begin to create professional learning opportunities for DECE’s
for the upcoming year and beyond.
We are also creating opportunities for DECE’s, teachers, or FDK teams to come and participate
in learning together through our Learning in the Early Years series. Members should watch the
ETFO website and also the e-newsletter for further opportunities. Any new projects, workshops
or resources will be shared through the DECE locals to share with their membership.
For more information go to www.etfo.ca.
15
ETFO Member Information
According to the 2012-2013 Annual Member Survey:
•
•
•
•
•
•
22% of ETFO teacher members are below the age of 35;
41% of ETFO occasional teacher members are below the age of 35;
41% of ETFO teacher members have less than 11 years experience;
48% of ETFO occasional teacher members have less than 11 years experience;
77% of ETFO teacher members have a QECO rating of A4; and
65% of ETFO teacher members are active in the community.
How Member Information is Used
The Member Records Department is responsible for maintaining the ETFO Membership
Database. This secure database contains each member’s name, home address, phone numbers,
email address, school location, etc. Starting in November each year, a member information
survey is mailed to each member’s home address. This survey shows the member what
information is currently on file at ETFO and gives the member an opportunity to revise her/his
information. All of your information is kept confidential by ETFO.
Keep Your Information Current
It is critical that the ETFO Membership Database be kept current as it is used to mail out ETFO’s
Voice magazine as well as any other information ETFO may need to send to its members.
If your information has changed since you filled out the Annual Member Information Survey,
you can submit updated information by filling out the Update Member Information form found
on the ETFO website. Go to www.etfo.ca E Being a Member E Member Information E Update
Member Information form or ww.etfo.ca/BeingaMember/UpdateMemberInformation or call ETFO
Provincial office and ask for the member record department.
16
ETFO Stewards
In each school an ETFO member takes on the role of steward. ETFO stewards are the
visible representatives of ETFO and the local in the workplace. Stewards are responsible for
monitoring the implementation of the collective agreement and making ETFO members aware
of ETFO services and programs. ETFO stewards receive training to assist them in carrying out
their work Your ETFO steward will be your workplace contact for information about your local
and provincial ETFO, including current information about upcoming meetings, conferences,
workshops, and emerging issues.
Getting Involved – Locally and Provincially
ETFO offers members a wide range of personal and professional development as well as
leadership opportunities. The strength of ETFO is its members, you and the people you work
with, the teachers and educators in public elementary schools across Ontario. Throughout
your career there will be many opportunities for involvement. ETFO is your organization. You
can help to set the tone and direction of ETFO. There is interesting and challenging work to be
done. You will meet new people who share your views about public education. Be involved a
little or a lot- you choose. Your participation makes us strong.
Ways to get involved . . .
From the comfort of your own home:
•
•
•
The ETFO Humanity
Fund uses the resources
of ETFO members to
support children and
their teachers around
•
Without leaving your school:
•
the world, enriching
their lives and the lives
of their communities.
Build the ETFO Humanity
Fund. Talk to your local
president. Talk to your
colleagues.
Get informed. Read the ETFO magazine Voice and visit the ETFO website www.etfo.ca to
get the latest information about professional development and updates on the work of
the union.
Go to www.controlyourfuture.ca for current collective bargaining news and updates.
Call your ETFO local with your questions, your opinions, or your offer to volunteer for
an activity.
Call the ETFO provincial staff with a question that’s been worrying you.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Get to know your ETFO steward, who is the ETFO representative in your school. See
how you can help to improve your workplace.
Get informed. Read the ETFO bulletin board and the local newsletter.
Read the material ETFO distributes through your ETFO steward.
Use ETFO curriculum materials in your classroom.
Keep ETFO pamphlets available to hand out to parents.
Go to the in-school meetings called by the ETFO steward.
Talk with colleagues about education issues.
Become an ETFO steward.
For more information,
call the ETFO provincial
office at 416-962-3836
or 1-888-838-3836.
Stepping out into your local:
•
•
Attend new teacher functions hosted by your local.
Attend P.D. events and workshops sponsored by your local.
•
17
Attend your local’s general meetings, annual meetings, and bargaining meetings. Take a
friend along.
Join a local committee to help make a difference for teachers in your local.
Volunteer to work on a project or program within your local.
Get involved in trustee/political/federal elections through your local’s political action
program.
Get involved in community affairs through the local.
Get involved in social justice activities through the local.
Write an article for your local’s newsletter to share new information with other
members.
Run for the local executive.
Mentor a future new member of your local.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Going provincial:
•
Volunteer for candidates in the provincial government election who support education
and the work of educators.
Become one of your local’s delegates to the ETFO Annual Meeting.
Attend a provincial ETFO conference or workshop – as a participant or workshop
presenter.
Take an ETFO Online AQ course, or become an instructor for an ETFO Online AQ
course.
Contribute an article to an ETFO publication.
Apply to be a member of an ETFO provincial committee.
Volunteer for an ETFO focus group.
Run for the provincial Executive to help shape the future of the union and influence
policy on public education.
Tell another member about the services of ETFO.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Helpful Tip:
Keep all documents related to your teaching career in a safe and accessible place e.g.,:
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
Certificate of Qualification (COQ) from the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)
District school board correspondence related to your hiring and placement
University/College transcripts
Certificates from professional development activities (e.g., course, conference, workshop)
Current resume
Copy of criminal record check/offence declaration
QECO evaluation
Documents related to your Teacher Performance Appraisal (TPA)
Information from your ETFO local
18
Your Local/School/Classroom/Board Information
Your ETFO Local Information
Your ETFO local is:
Your ETFO local president and/or representative is:
And can be reached at:
Your ETFO school steward is:
Professional relations advice or assistance related to your profession: 416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836
Other:
Your School Information
Your principal is:
Your vice-principal is:
Your mentor teacher is:
The report card administrator is:
The secretary in your school is:
The chair of your school council is:
The teacher representative on your school counciI is:
The custodian in your school is:
Other:
Your Classroom Information
Designated Early Childhood Educator(s) working with you:
Special education staff working with your students:
Educational assistant(s) working with your students:
Teachers in your division:
Other:
Your District School Board Information
Your district school board is:
Central board office telephone is:
Your director of education is:
Your area superintendent is:
Consultants/coordinators/resource personnel:
Human Resources contact:
Payroll contact:
Benefits contact:
Other:
19
Your Collective Agreement
As an employee of a district school board or school authority and as a member of your ETFO
local, you are covered by the terms of a collective agreement. That agreement is negotiated
between the union and your board and contains a number of provisions outlining your rights
as an employee. Although your salary and benefits may seem the most obvious and important
to you right now, your agreement also contains clauses on working conditions such as class
size and preparation time, supervision duty, leave provisions, seniority, transfers, resignation
and termination dates, protection against arbitrary disciplinary action, access to your
personnel file, and much more.
The terms of your collective agreement are legally binding upon you, the union, and your
employer and are enforceable under law. If you think your employer has violated the terms of
the agreement, you or the union may have recourse to a grievance. The grievance procedure
is a process for resolving differences arising from the application or interpretation of your
collective agreement. It provides an opportunity to resolve differences at the local level. If
there is no satisfactory conclusion, the parties have access to arbitration, a procedure where a
neutral third party hears the arguments and renders a final and binding decision.
Check your collective agreement for pertinent clauses:
•Salary
• Grid placement (Have you applied for and
received your QECO evaluation?)
• Class size
• Preparation time
• Supervision duty
• Length of school day
• Leave of absence plans, including pregnancy
and parental leaves and deferred salary leaves
Make sure you have a
copy of your collective
agreement handy and
get to know what’s in it!
• Insured benefits
• Transfer dates
•Seniority
• Harassment and nondiscrimination clauses
• Other important clauses
20
Your Union Dues
Under the Education Act, an elementary teacher who works in the English-language public
education system is represented by ETFO. Based on this statutory representation, ETFO collects
dues to support union activities.
Union dues are determined at the ETFO Annual Meeting each August. Dues are deducted
directly from members’ pay cheques by school boards and submitted to ETFO Provincial
Office.
How Are Your Dues Spent?
Local and Provincial Programs
Dues are used to provide funds to provide programs and services to the members through
Provincial Office, and to operate ETFO’s locals. These programs and services include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Collective Bargaining,
Equity and Women’s Programs,
Leadership Development,
Political Action and Public Relations (PA/PR),
Government Relations, Media Relations, Communications,
Professional Development, and
Professional Relations (counselling/legal services).
L ETFO Budget 2013-2014
Provincial Office
41%
Political Action/Public Relations
2%
Defense Fund
19%
Fees to Other Organizations
8%
Local Rebates and Release Time
30%
21
Membership in Other Organizations
ETFO is affiliated with other teacher federations and labour organizations such as:
• The Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF),
• The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF),
• Education International (EI),
• The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), and
• The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).
Membership in these organizations:
•
•
•
•
gives ETFO access to a wide range of research and programs,
links ETFO with teachers and other organized workers (many of whom are parents of
the children we teach),
involves ETFO in the social justice campaigns, and
strengthens the voice of all those who defend public education and public services.
The Defense Fund
A portion of ETFO members’ dues is set aside in the Defense Fund. The Defense Fund is set
up to pay for the cost of operating a collective bargaining strike (e.g., strike pay, and pension
contributions relating to a strike), and to fund certain other extraordinary expenses.
ETFO Advisories
Current Advisories to Members
ETFO issues advisories to members on various issues of concern, giving direction on
government and agency initiatives. The advisories in effect for 2013-14 deal with EQAO
marking, evaluating or reporting on classroom practices of other members, and the EQAO
teacher questionnaire.
Advisory – EQAO Marking (updated September 1, 2012)
Advisory – Evaluating or Reporting on Classroom Practices of Other Members
(updated September 1, 2012)
Advisory – Completion of EQAO Teacher Questionnaire (updated September 1, 2012)
ADVISORY TO MEMBERS
22
EQAO Marking
Members are advised not to participate in any Primary
Division (Grades 1-3), Junior Division (Grades 4-6), Grade
9 Assessment of Mathematics or the Ontario Secondary
School Literacy Test (Grade10) EQAO marking exercise.
Members are reminded that the delegates at the 2001 Annual Meeting passed the
following motion:
“That ETFO encourage members not to participate in any EQAO marking exercises.”
Delegates informed the Annual Meeting that the results of these assessments have been
used to undermine the teaching profession and denigrate the success of students in
Ontario. The participation of our members adds validity to a program that the Federation
believes is not in the best interests of students.
The Federation views province-wide testing of every student in the primary and junior
divisions and grades 9 and 10 as both a misuse of student time, and an ineffective use of
funds that should be redirected to support students’ learning.
The consistent trend within the media of ranking schools by assessment results has been
unfair to students and is potentially destructive to the education system.
Participation in the marking of EQAO assessment materials could lend undue credibility
to the value of the test results. Members are advised to refrain from any involvement in
the marking of EQAO assessment materials.
Members are advised:
• Not to participate in any EQAO marking exercise.
September 1, 2012
Fédération des enseignantes et des enseignants de l’élémentaire de l’Ontario
136 Isabella Street, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 1P6
Telephone: 416-962-3836 Toll free: 1-888-838-3836
Fax: 416-642-2424
ADVISORY TO MEMBERS
Evaluating or Reporting on
Classroom Practices of Other
Members
Members are advised not to evaluate or report on the
classroom practices of other members.
It is ETFO’s position that no member should participate in the assessment of or
reporting on another member’s classroom practices.
Some members have been asked to participate on district review teams as part of
the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat’s initiatives. These teams visit schools and
classrooms making observations to assist schools in setting goals. They provide a
report to the principal highlighting specific areas of need based on their observations.
Members, whether required to participate in such teams due to their role as a
consultant or coordinator, or participating in a voluntary manner, must refrain from
making any statement and/or assessment that could be considered as evaluative
regarding the classroom practices of another member.
• not to evaluate or report on the classroom practices of other members.
September 1, 2012
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario/
Telephone: 416-962-3836 Toll-free: 1-888-838-3836
Fax: 416-642-2424
23
ADVISORY TO MEMBERS
24
Completion of EQAO Teacher
Questionnaire
Members are advised not to complete the EQAO teacher
questionnaire.
The completion of the EQAO teacher questionnaire is now voluntary for all teachers,
including those teaching grades 3 and 6.
It is ETFO’s position that members not volunteer to complete the EQAO teacher
questionnaire that is distributed as part of the EQAO administration process.
EQAO offers a questionnaire to all elementary (K-8) teachers. The questionnaire
collects information about teacher background, use of instructional resources,
communication with parents, and use of school-based testing data. The use of the
questionnaire represents an unnecessary expansion of the EQAO testing regime and
additional workload for members.
• not to complete the EQAO teacher questionnaire.
September 1, 2012
Telephone: 416-962-3836 Toll free: 1-888-838-3836
Fax: 416-642-2424
ETFO Positions
Early Learning Program (ELP)
In September 2010, Ontario launched the first phase
of the Early Learning Program (ELP), an exciting new
initiative for kindergarten-aged children that will be
fully implemented by September 2015. The program
is staffed by certified teachers and desginated early
childhood educators (DECEs), with both professionals
bringing complementary knowledge and skills to the
classroom. It is based on a developmentally appropriate,
play-based approach to early childhood education. This
plan brings Ontario more in line with other industrialized
countries that have a strong commitment to the education
and development of young children. ETFO welcomes this
plan to provide full-day kindergarten programs for fourand five-year-olds taught by qualified teachers and early
childhood educators.
“A preschool model
based on playful
learning might do even
more than buttress
outcomes.It might also
better prepare students
to be lifelong learners
who will eventually
enter a world that is
increasingly relying on
global, socially sensitive
and flexible thinkers.”
Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff,
Berk and Singer
25
26
2014 Collective Bargaining
ETFO collective agreements expire on August 31, 2014, and the process to create and renew
those collective agreements has begun. ETFO’s overall goals for every collective bargaining
round are twofold:
•
to ensure collective agreement provisions reflect the value and professionalism of our
hard-working and highly-skilled members;
•
to ensure our members are informed about and actively involved in the collective
bargaining process.
The ongoing engagement of a well-informed ETFO membership is critical to a successful
round of bargaining. This past year, ETFO’s 76,000 very knowledgeable and engaged members
lead the fight against anti-collective bargaining legislation, Bill 115. They made their views
about fair collective bargaining heard over and over again on picket lines, in our communities,
at rallies, protests, forums, at MPP offices, in newspapers, on TV and radio, and through social
media. They became an overwhelming force the government could not ignore. Ultimately,
ETFO members’ collective strength resulted in a two-year agreement that mitigated the impact
of Bill 115, and also eliminated the 2% salary penalty imposed on members in 2008.
Given the actions of the government in 2012, it’s more important than ever for ETFO members
to be actively involved in upcoming bargaining. As the school year unfolds, ETFO will be
launching a dynamic new collective bargaining communications campaign that will inform,
engage and motivate – and will ensure ETFO members continue to be a force to be reckoned
with in the 2014 round of collective bargaining.
27
ETFO New Member Supports
New Members Section of the ETFO Website
The New Members committee recommended that a section of the ETFO website be dedicated
to new members with links to other relevant sites. Go to www.etfo.ca E Being a Member ENew
Members or http://www.etfo.ca/BeingaMember/NewMembers to see the new member section
of the ETFO website. There you will find Quick Links, a link to Survive and Thrive, a link
to the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP), and other links of interest to new members
including:
•
Professional Links (e.g., QECO, Edvantage),
•
Curriculum Links (e.g., Curriculum Services Canada), and
•
Other Resource Links (TV Ontario – The Independent Learning Library).
Online Resources for Occasional Teachers
http://etfo-ot.net
“Develop a passion
for learning. If you do,
you’ll never cease to
grow.”
Anthony J. D’Angelo
Resources
for Occasional
Teachers
28
Survive and Thrive
<screen shot of www.survivethrive.ca same as last year>
Survive and Thrive is a free on-line conference for teachers in their first five years of
teaching. There are downloadable classroom resources, keynote presentations by experts,
useful web-links and much more. Go to www.etfo.ca or www.survivethrive.on.ca.
ETFO Online AQ Courses
ETFO AQs – the Perfect Choice for New Members
ETFO has long held a reputation for the delivery of quality professional learning programs;
teachers know that when they participate in an ETFO program, it will be practical and
current. Further the program will be developed by experienced teachers and delivered by
teachers. While ETFO has been an AQ provider for many years it was only in 2010 that we
launched our online AQ program. The response was incredible and we had more than 7000
participants in 2012-2013 sessions making ETFO online AQ courses, the flagship professional
learning program of the organization.
In addition to the simple reasons of access spanning the province, many members want the
opportunity to engage in professional learning online. The reasons for this are varied but
they include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Online courses are flexible and convenient;
They make it easier to balance work, professional learning and family responsibilities;
Online courses provide opportunities for shared collaborative learning;
Teachers can manage their own learning and accountability through self-management
skills;
The extended reflection time available through online courses results in more
meaningful learning; and
Excellent classroom resources, which are unavailable locally, are only a “click” away
through online courses.
29
Clearly with new technology and hectic lives that teachers lead, they want courses that are
respectful of their work/life balance and still provide an exemplary professional learning
experience. ETFO online AQ plan will address these needs.
The ETFO Edge
Our AQs are embedded with the ETFO Edge. This means that ETFO strives to make its AQ
offerings a superior learning experience by:
•
•
•
•
•
Ensuring that ETFO AQ course developers embed ETFO beliefs within the course;
having courses developed by elementary educators who appreciate the realities of
elementary classrooms;
developing course content that is practical, well-grounded in effective practice, and has
a respectful balance between theory and practice;
respecting the delicate work/life balance of teachers; and
reviewing courses regularly and updating them to make certain that the course
activities, resources, and key leanings remain current.
For more information about ETFO professional course offerings, visit www.etfo-aq.ca.
30
ETFO Blogs
This interactive blog has practical ideas and topics of interest to new members or those who
are experiencing a change of assignment, from practicing teachers. The blog is meant to be a
continuation of the ETFO resource: The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning: Practical Ideas
and Resources for Beginning Teachers
heartandart.ca
This interactive blog is a central repository for early learning focusing on teaching and
learning across the primary grades. Here you will find practical ideas and topics of interest
to primary teachers. The contributors are practicing primary and Kindergarten teachers
including an ETFO DECE member.
earlylearningcentral.ca
ETFO Publications
ETFO publications are valuable to all members but the following ones are of particular
interest to new teachers. Some can be downloaded free of charge from the ETFO website and
others are available for purchase from shopETFO at www.etfo.ca.
31
The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning: Practical Ideas and
Resources for Beginning Teachers is a new ETFO resource designed
specifically for new teachers, but is helpful for all teachers, especially
when experiencing a new teaching assignment. It is full of practical tips
on setting up your own classroom, classroom management, planning
and working with parents. This is also ETFO’s first ever eBook available
through Lulu.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and the iBookstore.
Social Justice Begins With Me is a schoolwide curriculum kit from early years to grade
eight consisting of five documents; Primary
(early years to grade 3), Junior (grades 4-6), and
Intermediate (grades 7-8), a Teacher Resource
Guide, and a copy of More Than A Play.
More Than a Play is a collection of nine short
plays intended for junior/intermediate grades,
written by Canada’s foremost playwrights,
exploring equity and social justice issues.
Thinking It Through is designed to provide
early learning educators with a single book that
addresses the whole kindergarten program.
Learning Together: A Classroom Guide to
Combined Grades is a practical resource
that shows you how to deliver differentiated
instruction and incorporate varied delivery
modes, forms of assessment, teaching
methods, and resources.
Parent-Teacher Relationships: Putting the
Pieces Together provides valuable tips on how
to develop positive relationships with parents
and successful strategies for dealing with
conflict.
After the Chalk Dust Settles is about
achieving and maintaining health, well-being,
and balance in your career and personal life.
32
I am the Teacher is a classroom management
guide geared to occasional teachers. Classroom
management theory and helpful tips are
provided that are reflective of the professional
realities of occasional teachers.
ETFO Special Education Handbook: A
Practical Guide for All Teachers contains
instructional, environmental, and assessment
strategies that all teachers can use to address
a range of student needs. It includes suggested
resources, and a glossary of special education
terms.
ETFO Workshops for New Teachers
Many locals plan special events for new members (e.g., dinners, workshops, socials). Locals
often partner with the provincial ETFO to offer workshops especially for new teachers.
Check with your school steward or local president to see if your local is offering these
provincial programs.
The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning is a workshop full of practical ideas that
can be used in every classroom. The topics include: themes of success, before school starts,
building inclusion, classroom management, communicating with parents, meeting diverse
learning needs, preparing for or being an occasional teacher, continuing your professional
learning and growth, and personal wellness.
Surviving While Smiling is a four-part workshop series offered throughout the year
focused on topics such as planning, classroom management, creating an effective learning
environment, assessment and evaluation, and professional boundaries.
For a comprehensive list of ETFO courses, credit courses, conferences, and workshops, go to
www.etfo.ca.
Edvantage
Edvantage is a savings and discounts program
exclusively for members of the educational
community. And it’s free for you and your family.
Edvantage offers rewards and discounts to education
employees and their families through partnerships
with retailers and businesses throughout Ontario.
Your ETFO member card is your Edvantage card.
For more information go to www.edvantage.ca.
33
Tips for New Members Re: Electronic
Communication and Social Media
E Practicing Caution: Guidelines for Electronic Communications
E Defamatory Websites and Social Networking Pages
E The Hidden Dangers of Electronic Communications
E Electronic Communications and Social Media
Practicing Caution: Guidelines for Electronic Communications
The opportunities to use social media and electronic communication for pedagogical purposes
continue to expand on an almost daily basis. Social media offers teachers exciting new ways
to engage with students, parents and the wider school community. While embracing these
new opportunities makes pedagogical sense, expectations on us professionally dictate that we
do so with proper safeguards in place and a vigilant eye to maintaining the standards of our
profession.
When considering using social media to communicate with students, parents, or others in the
school community, it is important to remember that the technology does not change the role
of teachers and their professional obligations. The principles that have traditionally governed
how teachers communicate with the school community have not changed: professionalism,
accountability, and boundaries continue to apply. Always remember that material posted
online, whether via e-mail, Facebook, blogging, twitter, or other media, is never truly erased.
If you would not utter a phrase or raise a particular topic in your classroom or in the presence
of your principal or a parent, then do not communicate it by electronic means. When using
social media, exercise caution and restraint and remain aware.
While there is a range of uses of social media and electronic communication in school
environments, at least three scenarios have pitfalls that demand teachers exercise caution:
teachers communicating with individual students, parents, or the wider school community,
through Facebook or other social media; teachers being careless about their personal use
of social networking sites or what is posted about them; teachers failing to recognize social
networking websites as an arena for potential cyber-bullying.
Social Networks and E-mail as a means of communicating with the school community
Social media and electronic communication have the potential to provide innovative and
exciting options for teaching. They also have the potential to blur professional boundaries
and expose teachers to a number of risks. ETFO continues to support the use of electronic
communication and social media as a teaching tool but cautions that its use must be consistent
with the highest standards of professional conduct.
The use of e-mail, for better or worse, tends to promote a casual conversation style that can
34
blur the boundaries between student and teacher. It is also often perceived with suspicion by
parents and administrators. ETFO recommends against individual e-mail communications with
students. E-mails to an entire class, in relation to specific scholastic projects may be appropriate
in certain situations; however, teachers should use their professional e-mail address exclusively
and always maintain a professional tone and structure throughout the communication.
For communications with parents, ETFO recommends face-to-face meetings or telephone
conversations with parents to discuss any issues that students may be facing. If e-mail is used,
teachers should only use their school email accounts during regular business hours. Sending
e-mails late at night can give rise to unrealistic expectations on the part of parents who may
get the impression that teachers are available at any time of day.
Social media sites clearly have the potential to provide a number of exciting and innovative
ways for teachers to interact with their classes and the wider school community. They can be
used to encourage group discussions, to facilitate collaborative projects, and provide peer-topeer support. Social media sites also provide opportunities for teachers to communicate with
groups of parents and students in an effective and efficient manner.
In contrast, communicating with individuals through social networking sites tends to promote
an even more casual style than e-mail and does not meet the standards of professionalism
expected of teachers. ETFO recommends that a teacher who wants to use a social network
for a school related project should ensure that any communication that occurs over the site
is accessible to all those who have access to the page – including school administration and
parents. Transparency will go a long way towards ensuring that professional standards are
maintained and inappropriate conduct is minimized.
While ETFO supports the use of social networking sites as a teaching tool, ETFO cautions that
it is rife with serious consequences if used inappropriately. ETFO strongly recommends that
teachers who want to use social media, in the classroom consult with their school administrator
before doing so, create an account to be used exclusively for pedagogical purposes and ensure
that the account is unconnected to their personal information.
Careless or inappropriate personal use of social networking sites
In addition to the problems that may be caused by communicating through social networking
sites, teachers can get into trouble if they are careless in how they use these sites personally.
While ETFO strongly promotes the protection of a teacher’s private life, teachers must
nonetheless be very cautious both in respect to what they post and what is posted about them.
Teachers should manage their privacy settings so that only those whom they personally
approve have access to their page. Teachers should similarly request that their friends not post
photos or other material that could reflect badly on them.
Teachers should also be alert to students posting material about them online. ETFO strongly
recommends that teachers carry out Google searches on themselves on a regular basis to
ensure that there is no harmful material being posted about them. There has been an increase
in incidents of teachers having unfounded allegations against them posted online. In one
instance, a student set up a Facebook account in a teacher’s name and posted offensive
comments using that account. Should such material be found, it should immediately be
reported to both the teacher’s principal and ETFO.
35
Teachers should never invite students or parents to be their friends on their personal Facebook
page, or similar sites and never accept an offer of friendship from a student or a parent
on Facebook. Doing so blurs the boundaries between teacher and student and can lead to
discipline by the school board and/or the College of Teachers.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying falls within the definition of bullying mandated by the Ministry of Education.
ETFO does not support teachers going online to supervise their students’ Facebook pages.
However, teachers need to be aware that the possibility for cyberbullying is very real and
should be ready to report any incidents they come across to their administrators.
Tips
Given the potentially serious consequences of misusing e-mail and social networking sites
here are some tips to consider: if you use social media as a teaching tool ensure that the proper
safeguards are in place, including providing access to school administrators and parents;
•
•
•
•
avoid communicating with individual parents or students through e-mail or social
networking sites;
never use your personal account to friend students or parents;
if you communicate electronically, only do so from your board e- mail account and
maintain the highest standards of professionalism;
be vigilant in monitoring what is posted about yourself online.
Defamatory Websites and Social Networking Websites
Multitude of websites offer social networking services and/or act as public message boards
that cater specifically to students. Some of these websites, such as www.ratemyteacher.com,
encourage students to comment publicly about the teachers in their school.
Many of these websites do not monitor or filter the content or comments posted by the
students that use them. Further, these services offer students a level of anonymity that may
lead to a diminished sense of culpability. The result is that some of the comments and/or
content posted on these websites is rude, hurtful, and even defamatory.
Historically, when a person was the subject of an offensive and/or defamatory publication,
that person could sue the publisher and the author of the defamatory content. Today, the
Internet has added a new level of complexity to this course of action. Many websites are
run from servers located outside of Canada and the operators can be very difficult to locate.
Nevertheless, victims of offensive or defamatory postings have avenues of recourse aside from
civil litigation.
Most reputable websites and social networking services, such as Facebook and MySpace, have
policies in place to ensure that any offensive or defamatory postings can be removed as soon
as they are brought to the attention of the service operators. Postings on other websites, like
ratemyteacher.com, can be more difficult to remove. This type of website actively encourages
students to post comments about their teachers and their policies state that they will remove
comments only in extreme cases. Also, www.ratemyteacher.com does not offer an easy to use
content removal procedure. However, despite these variances between website policies, it is
36
generally understood that offensive or defamatory content should be removed once discovered
and brought to the attention of the appropriate managers.
Even though offensive content may be removed from these websites once discovered, this
does not mean that it is expunged from the Internet. Search engines, such as Google and
Yahoo, store snapshots of billions of websites in their databases to provide fast search results.
Consequently, offensive content from these websites may get caught and stored in these
databases. As a practical matter, search engines must also be contacted directly in order to have
all of the offending content removed from the Internet.
What you can do:
Monitor your online reputation. Action can be taken quickly to remove the offending content.
Also, be mindful of your “online footprint” and carefully consider the information and pictures
you post on the Internet so that you can minimize the chances that someone will use your own
information and/or pictures to harass you.
Periodically search your own name in various search engines to ensure nothing offensive or
defamatory is posted on some or all of the following websites:
• www.google.com
• www.yahoo.com
• www.msn.com
• www.search.com
• www.live.com
• www.webcrawler.com (this site searches several different services at once)
• www.ratemyteacher.com
• www.youtube.com
• www.flickr.com
• www.facebook.com
• www.myspace.com
If you find something offensive and/or potentially defamatory, note the date, time, and web
address (i.e. http://www.ratemyteacher.com/school/teacher/...) of the offending web page, along
with any other potentially useful information.
Contact your ETFO local president or staff in PRS for additional advice.
Protect your “online footprint” by minimizing the amount of personal information you publish
about yourself on the Internet:
•
•
•
•
check your privacy settings on Facebook, MySpace, MSN Messenger or any other
similar service that you use to ensure your page can be accessed by only those whom
you have invited;
DO NOT invite or add students to your Facebook, MySpace, MSN Messenger, or similar
service;
review the pictures of yourself posted on the Internet; if you do not want your students
or employer to see a certain picture or series of pictures, have them removed;
minimize the amount of personal information you give to various online services;
ask yourself, “do I need to give my friend list I phone number I e-mail address to this
service?”;
•
37
consider creating a separate online e-mail account through Hotmail or Gmail or a
similar service with minimal personal information specifically for using online services
without giving out your personal e-mail and/or address information.
For further information contact your local ETFO president or professional relations staff (PRS)
in protective services at 416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836.
The Hidden Dangers of Electronic Communications
The issue of electronic communication, cyberbullying, defamatory websites, and social
networking sites have been the topic of numerous ETFO publications over the past few years.
In an effort to be proactive and prevent possible difficulties, we have advised members to be
extremely cautious when communicating electronically with students as well as parents.
In PRS Matters #48, entitled, ‘Electronic Communications’, the issue of electronic abuse was
explored in detail. Members were provided with strategies to deal with inappropriate student
electronic communications.
In PRS Matters #43, entitled, ‘Changes to the Safe Schools Act Bill 212: What You Need to
Know’, we outlined the changes to the Act, especially the inclusion of cyberbullying on the
list of infractions that may lead to suspensions.
In PRS Matters #46, entitled, ‘Defamatory Websites and Social Networking Pages’, we
outlined the difficulties associated with having defamatory messages removed from websites
such as www.ratemyteacher.com.
In addition, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation has developed a handy pamphlet entitled,
‘Cybertips for Teachers’ and presented a brief to the Department of Justice Canada on
the topic, “Addressing Cyberconduct.” The brief calls for the government to recognize
the very negative impact of the misuse of technology by supporting amendments to the
Criminal Code of Canada that make it clear that the use of information and communication
technology to convey a message that threatens death or bodily harm, or perpetuates fear and
intimidation in another constitutes a punishable offence under the Criminal Code.
At the ETFO Leadership Training Event in September 2008, ETFO legal counsel, Patrick
Groom, presented on the topic, “The Hidden Dangers of Electronic Communication.” In his
address, he commented on the issue of cyberbullying, the victims of cyberbullying, and the
dangers of teachers engaging in electronic communication. He provided very valuable “tips”
that all teachers should know.
LTips
General
•
•
•
•
Always maintain a professional demeanor in all interactions with students, parents,
colleagues, and administrators.
Failure to communicate appropriately puts teaches at risk with the employer, College
of Teachers, Children’s Aid Society, and police.
Do not e-mail students or communicate via instant messaging services.
Always maintain professional boundaries and avoid communications that could be
interpreted as personal.
38
•
It may be inadvisable to use your home/personal computer for contact with parents or
students.
Communicating with students
•
Do not e-mail students for personal reasons. Your messages may be forwarded to a
much wider audience- deliberately or unintentionally and they may be manipulated.
• Avoid casual, familiar tone that can erode boundaries.
• Watch your language.
• Do not comment on student-parent or student-student relationships or other colleagues.
• Avoid sharing or receiving personal information which might be construed as violating
boundaries or “grooming.”
Communicating with parents
•
•
•
•
Be aware that your e-mail can be used as evidence of your conduct.
Your messages may be forwarded to a much wider audience- deliberately or unintentionally.
Avoid lengthy e-mail exchanges that consume a lot of time. In addition to increasing
your workload, protracted exchanges may be prone to misinterpretation.
Respect confidentiality: obtain permission to use e-mail communications.
Protect Yourself
•
•
•
•
•
•
Refrain from using a personal computer account for school communication purposes
and use caution when using school based computers.
Do not leave a computer unattended when logged into the school board system.
Protect username and password against identity theft to prevent unauthorized e-mail
under your name or access to school documents.
Where possible, change your password(s) on a regular basis.
Respond to messages from parents by telephone or face-to-face meeting whenever possible.
Clear the web browser’s cache memory after every session on a computer.
E For Internet Explorer, click on “Tools E Internet Options” and click the following
buttons:
• “Delete Files”
• “Delete Cookies”
• “Clear History”
• Be sure to check the box to “Delete all offline content” if the box pops up.
Members are advised
to consult Professional
Relations staff (PRS) in
Protective Services at
416-962-3836 or
1-888-838-3836 for
additional advice.
E For Mozilla Fire Fox, click on”Tools E Options” and then click on the following
tabs:
• “Cache tab E Clear Cache Now”
• “Cookies tab E Clear Cookies Now”
• “History tab E Clear Browsing History Now”
• “Download History tab E Clear Download History Now” (may not apply
depending on computer configuration).
39
If you do send messages
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Save a copy of the original message.
Use spelling and grammar checks on materials that you plan to e-mail or post on a
web site.
Signatures should include your name, assignment title, and school name.
Avoid unnecessary attachments and/or forwards.
Do not write e-mails in capital letters (capitals indicate SHOUTING).
Never forward a message without permission from the sender first.
Always maintain professional standards when sending e-mails to students, parents,
colleagues (including friends), and administrators on board equipment- treat every
e-mail as though it is a written letter.
Do not engage in casual gossip on chat lines as it is unprofessional.
Electronic Communication and Social Media
You are a seasoned teacher. Your Grade 7 class is a handful. There are a couple of “bright lights”
in your class who seem to reward all of your hard work. One in particular is a girl with so much
potential you want to challenge her, help her and watch her achieve remarkable things. You
know that her family circumstances are difficult, and are amazed that she succeeds despite
considerable obstacles. She confides in you that she struggles to study but is determined to do
so. She thanks you for your help. One day she emails (or texts) you her considerable distress
about whether she will be able to continue with her dream of going to university. You sense she
is losing hope and you write back: “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back, I believe in you, you’re the
best”. She emails back: “you have no idea what you mean to me, you are the key to my future,
luv u.” You email back “luv u too sweetie, can’t wait to see you on Monday”. She emails you a
“heart” emoticon in return.
Questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Does this exchange concern you?
Does it cause you to seek advice from ETFO?
Does it cause you to report this email communication to your principal?
Does it cause you to seek assistance from the guidance counselor or social worker?
Does it cause you to speak to the student with a colleague present to discuss
boundaries?
Does this interaction raise no cause for concern?
Would you continue this type of communication with this student?
Answer:
In the example above, the first time you emailed or texted this student you may have officially
started down the “slippery slope” leading to boundary violations according to the Ontario
College of Teachers and its recent PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA. Every member of the College received a copy of the
advisory in the June 2011 edition of Professionally Speaking. It is also available on the College
website.
40
ETFO continues to support the responsible use of social media as an excellent teaching tool,
provided it adheres to professional standards. ETFO warns its members that anything they post
can be: forwarded, taken out of context, copied, manipulated and impossible to remove from
cyberspace. In the example above, this overly casual communication may be misconstrued as
inappropriate, and as a boundary violation.
•
“Friending” students; posting pictures of partying, or sending overly casual messages
or texts to students, parents or others may lead to professional difficulties that you
may not anticipate. While the use of technology has changed dramatically over time,
the standards of professionalism have not changed. Interactions must be respectful,
courteous, professional and boundaries must be maintained. Members are expected to
be friendly, but not “friends” with their students.
ETFO has seen an increase in cyberbullying by electronic media in the education community.
Members of ETFO can be the target of this. Sometimes members initiate careless electronic
communication which may have unintended, but grave professional consequences.
Some Tips:
1. Communication with parents, students and other members of the education
community is best done verbally or face to face in a professional and structured
manner.
2. Casual, off hand, joking remarks or expressions of support via electronic media are
easily misconstrued.
3. Pictures of you, chat discussions you initiate or participate in, and email or text
messages between you and others create a permanent record. Reflect on your
electronic postings.
4. Advise friends and family not to post pictures of you on social media sites without first
asking for your consent.
5. Slow down. Don’t press “send” until you evaluate whether or not your postings, texts,
emails will be considered professional and appropriate in the education community.
6. You are not your students’ “friend”. You are their teacher and must maintain a
professionally appropriate relationship. If in doubt, call to find out.
ETFO has distributed a variety of publications on the topic of the appropriate professional
use of electronic communication – see PRS Matters Volumes 63, 59, 48, 46 and 25 and
VOICE articles from December 2008 – Cyberbullying and October 2007 – Think Before You
Click. These are available on the ETFO website.
41
Other Tips for New Members
CLASSROOM ADVICE:
E The Individual Education Plan (IEP) – What You Need to Know
E Classroom Management
E Elementary Progress Report Card and Elementary Provincial Report Card Continued Implementation
Update
E
E
E
E
E
EQAO Testing
Getting Started Checklists
Occasional Teaching – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Parent/Guardian Communication
Preparing for an Occasional Teacher
SCHOOL ADVICE:
E New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP)
E Maintaining Professional Relationships Among All Educators
E Positive School Team
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE:
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
Allegations Involving CAS and/or Police – What to do if it happens to you
Balancing Career and Personal Life
A Member’s Duty to Report Under the Child and Family Services Act
Professional Boundaries
Professionalism and Ethics
Sabrina’s Law – An Act to Protect Anaphylactic Pupils
Tutoring and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Members
PRS Matters Bulletins: Advice for Members
CLASSROOM ADVICE:
The Individual Education Plan (IEP) – What You Need to Know
IEPs are written plans describing the special education assistance provided to exceptional
students and how that assistance will be delivered. Ontario Regulation 181/98 requires that an
IEP be developed for every student identified as exceptional by an Identification, Placement
and Review Committee (IPRC). School boards may also prepare IEPs for students who have not
been identified as exceptional but are receiving accommodations and program modifications.
The principal is responsible for ensuring that an IEP is prepared within 30 school days after
a student has been placed in a special education program (a program based on and modified
by the results of continuous assessment and evaluation and that includes a plan containing
specific objectives and an outline of educational services) – for most students, this would
occur at the beginning of the school year. The principal must also take into consideration any
recommendations made by the IPRC.
42
Every IEP must include:
• program goals;
• an outline of the special education services the student will receive;
• a statement about how the student’s progress will be reviewed; and
• for students 14 years and older (except when identified solely as gifted), a transition plan.
The IEP is the result of a collaborative effort among teachers, parents, the student, the school,
and other professionals involved with the student. Parents must be asked to sign the IEP and
indicate whether they were consulted during its development; parents are also entitled to
receive a copy of the final IEP. The IEP is kept in the Ontario Student Record (OSR), unless
parents object in writing.
IEPs are reviewed at least once every formal reporting period. The Elementary Progress
Report Card introduced in the fall of 2010 represents one formal reporting period, and so the
requirement for three IEP reviews during the school year remains. Because the IEP is a working
document, adjustments to its program goals may be necessary throughout the school year;
those adjustments should be noted and significant changes should be shared with the parent.
The IEP Process – Tips for Teachers
y
Become familiar with IEP requirements in the IEP standards document, The Individual
Education Plan, A Resource Guide (2004). An electronic version is available through the
Ontario Ministry of Education website.
y
y
Review posted IEP samples developed by writing teams from across the province.
y
y
Involve parents in the collaborative process as early as possible.
y
Consult with the principal and teachers involved in the student’s program as often as
necessary.
y
Communicate regularly with parents regarding the IEP and resources available to
support the IEP.
y
Differences of opinion related to IEPs may arise between teachers or between teachers
and principals; express your opinion in a professional manner.
Ensure your principal has established, in a collaborative manner, clear roles and
responsibilities for staff members assisting in the development of the IEP.
The IEP is a confidential document; use discretion when disseminating any
information contained in an IEP.
IEPs and Workload
Completion of IEPs can represent a significant time commitment. It is important for ETFO
members to establish strategies that keep their IEP workload manageable while ensuring that
the needs of students are being met.
y
y
Ask your principal for time during the instructional day to be trained on and complete IEPs.
An IEP should not commit to accommodations and alternative programs or services
that cannot be delivered. Keep the plan’s program goals achievable, reasonable, and
manageable.
43
y
Although the decision to create a discretionary IEP lies with the principal, best
practices cited by the Ministry refer to a “team approach” on the part of teachers and
principals with respect to the development of IEPs. Think carefully about whether the
degree of accommodation for a student warrants the development of an IEP or can
be met through the instructional techniques that teachers normally employ in their
classrooms (e.g., differentiated instruction).
y
Remember the “E” in IEP – you are responsible for the education plan of the student,
not therapy or medical plans.
y
Promptly report in writing to your principal any technical difficulties you encounter
using web-based IEP tools.
y
Make arrangements with your principal to have school support personnel photocopy
and file IEPs.
y
Refer to your local collective agreement as it may contain negotiated language specific
to the workload associated with the preparation of IEPs.
Classroom Management
The majority of discipline problems can be avoided or controlled by effective classroom
management. This includes clear daily routines, consistency, proper use of teaching strategies,
and a well-prepared curriculum. The following strategies should be kept in mind.
Plan and be Prepared
y
y
Have your curriculum effectively and appropriately planned for all levels of students.
y
Have your short and long-range plans written and available in your classroom for
parents or administrators who may request to see them or meet to discuss them.
y
Prepare your daybook at the very least one week in advance (recognizing that there
may be minor variations from day to day).
y
Have written assessment and evaluation plans and results readily available in your
classroom for reference by students, parents, colleagues, and administrators. Should
differences arise, your material will provide support for your decisions.
y
Do NOT try to plan day-to-day. This kind of planning affects your curriculum, your
flexibility, your confidence, and your sense of readiness. This could also cause
problems for you, an occasional teacher, and your students if you are suddenly absent.
y
Prepare your materials well in advance (e.g., the previous afternoon), NOT before each class
or lesson. Time getting ready while students wait is time for inattention and offtask behaviour.
y
Assess student work promptly.
– When work is quickly evaluated and returned, students are able to see their
progress immediately and will be clear on your expectations about work
completion and work habits in your class.
Know when your units will start and when they will end. Dragging a unit on too long will
hamper the completion of the rest of the curriculum as well as lose student interest
44
– It will also allow you to evaluate student needs and modify the program if necessary,
thus preventing off-task behaviour due to a student’s inability to complete a task.
– Student performance will assist you in your planning for future lessons.
Establish Routines
y
Establish your classroom routines immediately in September. It is wise to develop
these expectations with the students to ensure appropriate student “buy-in.”
y
y
Be sure to consider the age/grade level(s) of your students.
y
Communicate your routines clearly to students, parents, teaching partners, and
administrator(s).
y
y
Regularly review the success of your routines and make changes as necessary.
Routines which work for younger students may cause behaviour problems in older
students and vice-versa.
Remember to be as consistent as possible once routines are established.
Ask Yourself...
y
y
y
y
y
y
Are my routines logical and efficient?
Am I consistent with my routines?
Are my routines appropriate for all age/grade levels I teach?
What changes will I make?
Are my routines clearly communicated to my students? teaching partners? parents?
Are my routines fair and achievable by my students?
The above examples are only a few of the classroom management techniques. As a beginning
teacher you are not expected to know everything. Just remember that consistency is the key.
Don’t hesitate to ask an experienced teacher, the federation, or your administrator for advice.
Teachers are happy to pass on helpful information to other teachers.
Adapted from ETFO, A Teachers’ Guide to Planning and Programming, 2003.
Recommended Classroom Management Resources:
- Beyond Monet: The Artful Science of Instructional Integration.
Barrie Bennett and Carol Rolheiser
- Classroom Management – A Thinking & Caring Approach.
Barrie Bennett and Peter Smilanich
- Classroom Management that Works.
Robert J. Marzano, Jana S. Marzano and Debra Pickering
- Creating the Dynamic Classroom – A Handbook for Teachers.
Susan Schwartz and Mindy Pollishuke
- The First Days of School. Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong
- The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning: Practical Ideas and Resources for Beginning
Teachers. ETFO
- Punished by Rewards. Alfie Kohn
- With All Due Respect. Ronald Morrish
45
Elementary Progress Report Card and Elementary Provincial
Report Card Continued Implementation Update
(Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition, 2010)
Schools will continue to use the Elementary Progress Report Card between October 20 and
November 20 of the school year. The progress report card is designed to show the development of
a student’s learning skills and work habits during the fall of the school year, as well as a student’s
general progress and growth in working towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations.
The first Elementary Provincial Report Card will be issued between January 20 and February
20. The second Elementary Provincial Report Card will be issued at the end of the school year. Exact dates are set by individual school boards. The Elementary Provincial Report Card is
designed to show a student’s achievement at two points in the school year. The first provincial
report card will reflect the student’s achievement from September to January/February of the
school year. The second provincial report card will reflect the student’s achievement from
January/February to June of the school year.
The following guidelines will support members, protect against increased workload, and ensure
consistency from school to school across the province as the report cards are completed.
The ETFO Elementary Progress Report Card Guiding Principles:
1. The term “teachers’ professional judgement” is used consistently throughout the Growing
Success document. Teachers use their professional judgement to determine where a child
is progressing in the progress report card boxes. The teachers’ professional judgement
should also be relied upon to determine which subject areas to comment on in the
“Strengths/Next Steps for Improvement” comments boxes. Teachers do not need to
comment on every subject or learning skill.
“In the case of the Elementary Progress Report Cards, it is not necessary for teachers to
comment on all subjects/strands in the one space provided for comments.” Growing Success,
page 64. (See Pages 98-99 of Growing Success, for Progress Report Templates.)
2. Completion of the progress report card should not be the sole responsibility of the
homeroom teacher. A process should be in place for all teachers who instruct a classroom
to have the opportunity to include comments on any report card if he/she requests to. A
school based strategy should be developed and in place. Ministry policy does not require
teachers to enter comments for all subjects/strands on the progress report card.
“The comment area on the progress report card is not subject specific. Teachers are to share this
space and, if possible, the electronic versions should facilitate the sharing. The position of the
ministry is that students benefit when teachers collaborate in the assessment of their work. In
addition, it is alright for one teacher to enter more comments than another. The comments do
not need to line up with the subjects and teachers do not need to enter comments for all subjects/
strands.” Growing Success, Elementary and Secondary Report Cards: Q’s and A’s: Version #
4 – August 11, 2010.
3. Comments should be general rather than specific as it is the beginning of the year. “The
comments should describe in overall terms what students know and can do …” Growing
Success, page 64.
46
4. The phrases “Progressing Very Well, Progressing Well, and Progressing with Difficulty” are
terms used on the Progress Report card and they are not meant to be directly aligned with
the achievement chart, letter grades, or percentage marks. The Progress Report Card uses
these terms to indicate early on in the school year areas of strength and possible areas for
improvement in student learning.
5. The inclusion of appropriate comments should be considered when “Progressing with
Difficulty” is checked off for a student.
6. Space for Board Information and Space Designated for Board on the progress report card is
to be completed by the school board, not the classroom teacher.
7. IEPs need to be created and in place within 30 school days of the start of the student’s
program, typically the first day of school. The IEP is to be reviewed and updated if changes
are needed, for the fall progress report card. It is unlikely that within a few weeks of
completion of the initial IEP there would be many changes to it. If upon review of the IEP
there are no changes to it, then the initial IEP is what will stand for the fall Elementary
Progress Report Card.
Elementary Provincial Report Card Guiding Principles:
1. A letter grade or percentage mark does not have to be assigned along with the code “I”.
2. Teachers are expected to enter a grade for Social Studies and for Science and Technology on
both the January/February and June report cards. Teachers may indicate in the comments
box which strands are being reported on within each subject. It is mandatory that a grade
be entered for each subject at least once over both reporting periods. All of the strands
in both Social Studies and Science and Technology must be accounted for in instruction,
assessment, and evaluation by the end of the year.
3. Teachers are expected to enter a grade for both Health and Physical Education on both the
January/February and June report cards. It is mandatory that a grade be entered for each
strand at least once over both reporting periods.
4. For Language, four strands are reported on in January/February and four strands in June.
For Mathematics, at least four strands are reported on January/February and at least four
strands are reported on in June. Each strand must be reported on at least once. For The
Arts, at least three of the subjects are reported on in January/February and at least three
subjects are reported on in June. Each subject is reported on at least once.
5. The development and inclusion of report cards for junior and senior kindergarten is still
in the consultation phase. The final edition of Growing Success will include policy related
to Full-Day Kindergarten.
Elementary Progress Report Card and Provincial Report Card Guiding Principles:
1. The term “personalized comments” does not mean that every student must have a
different comment. A well written and meaningful comment may apply to several
students in the class.
2. Teachers are not required to completely fill the comment boxes; the comments should
be based on quality not quantity. Comments should follow the format of Strengths/Next
Steps for Improvement and be linked to the learning goals for students as opposed to
curriculum expectations.
47
3. Comments may be written in full sentences or in point form. Individual boards and
schools may make decisions about this format.
4. The design of the progress card and the provincial report card is standard. The size and
location of boxes cannot be changed.
5. The six week rule regarding report card completion applies for all three formal reporting
periods. In the case where neither teacher has had the student for six weeks, support
from administration, and collaboration on behalf of the teachers is suggested.
Teachers should not be asked to do any additional written reporting to parents (formal or
informal) other than the progress report card and two provincial report cards.
Please discuss any concerns with your ETFO school steward or your ETFO local president so
that the federation can monitor the implementation of the new reporting system.
For further information contact your local ETFO president or Professional Relations staff in Protective
Services at 416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836.
EQAO Testing
Standardized testing is not new for students. For many years, elementary and secondary
students have taken part in testing at all levels -provincially, nationally and internationally.
Over the past ten years, the amount of testing in our schools has increased. This is largely
because successive governments have viewed standardized tests as tools to monitor a few
select variables.
EQAO Established
The government established the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) to:
• accomplish its mandate of designing new tests for grades 3, 6, 9, 10 in reading, writing
and mathematics;
• manage the administration of these tests;
• report the results to the public; and
• collect data to help determine the effectiveness of Ontario’s education system.
From the onset, the tests raised levels of anxiety for students, parents, teachers and school
boards.
Members are advised
Since its creation, the EQAO has faced criticism, particularly on the issues of security,
timelines, and validity of the tests. Despite this, each year it continues to assess elementary
school students in grade 3 and grade 6 reading, writing and mathematics.
to consult professional
relations staff (PRS) in
protective services at
416-962-3836 or
1-888-838-3836 for
additional advice on
administering EQAO
tests.
Tests Not a Reflection on Teacher Performance
It is important to note that students’ results on these tests are NOT a comment on teacher
performance in the classroom. While teachers in grades 3 and 6 may feel pressured to
“deliver” high test results so that their class, and school, scores well, ETFO urges its members
not to succumb to this pressure. Poor test scores are usually the result of multiple factors that
are far beyond the teacher’s control.
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EQAO Process Must Be Followed Properly
If the rules surrounding test administration are not followed, a teacher may be accused of
improperly administering the test, intervening or assisting students to influence test results, or
even changing students’ answers on the test. Such allegations, if proved, can result in severe
disciplinary measures against a teacher, and an allegation of professional misconduct at the
Ontario College of Teachers.
Some cases have alleged that:
• The teacher erased answers and substituted the correct answers.
• The teacher provided students with inappropriate resource material.
• The teacher provided the students with the answers by writing information on the board.
• The teacher spoke to and inappropriately “coached” student answers.
• The teacher had received an advance copy of the real test and provided it as practice to
the students prior to the test.
The allegations were made because children told their parents about incidents surrounding
the testing.
When the EQAO receives test results, it searches for “anomalous” results or problems. This
could mean similar wrong answers, similar erasures, or many identical right answers on
problems that do not lend themselves to the same answers. A suspicion of inappropriate
application of the test may result in a prolonged investigation by the EQAO and the school
board involving the teacher’s actions.
Some Reminders about EQAO Testing
ETFO strongly advises members to:
• Read the material describing what you can and can’t do around the testing.
• Be sure you understand the directions on resource materials.
• Be sure you understand how the test is to be administered, and how materials are to be
safeguarded.
• Attend any seminars relating to test administration.
• Ask questions if you don’t understand your role and the role of students.
• Use the practice tests the EQAO provides to assist your students in understanding how
to write the tests.
• Do not assist your students unless you are permitted to do so under EQAO’s direction,
and be clear about the assistance you may provide.
• Never change any students’ answers on an EQAO test.
• Never provide answers to students during testing.
Remember, these tests do not reflect on your performance as a teacher.
EQAO publishes a yearly Administration Guide available at http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/12/
PJe_Admin_Guide_0612_web.pdf to provide direction and information to principals and teachers
administering the assessments in the primary and junior divisions in the spring. It provides a
clear outline of do’s and don’ts of administering the assessments. These guidelines should be
followed closely.
ETFO Advisory on EQAO Marking in Effect
See the ETFO Advisory to Members on page XX regarding EQAO marking.
Getting Started Checklists
What to prepare for the first day:
n Classroom layout:
E seating plan – arrangement of desks or tables to meet students’ needs and
learning styles
E bulletin boards
E storage of materials
n Method for tracking:
E bus numbers and going-home routines
E textbooks and supplies
nPrepare:
E a first-day newsletter and/or monthly calendar
E some fun get-to-know-each-other activities
E a process for collaboratively establishing classroom rules
nProcedures:
E for taking attendance and reporting to the office
E for handing in assignments
E for passing out handouts and materials
n Process for receiving:
E
E
E
E
parent correspondence (e.g., late and absent notes)
office correspondence (e.g., staff memos)
information (e.g., trip forms)
money (e.g., for pizza days)
nRoutines:
E for entering and leaving the classroom, as a group, and individually for
washroom breaks, lunch, and recess
What you should know about the physical layout of the school:
“Successful people
prepare themselves
daily for their work.
That is why they are
successful.”
Haim Ginott
n map of school
n audio/visual equipment and copiers
n main office/secretary’s desk
n gym, computer lab, library
n principal’s office
n staff washroom/student washroom
n your classroom
n general supply room
n staff room/workroom
n custodian’s room
49
50
School Procedures you should know about:
n school arrival and dismissal times and attendance procedures for students,
including late arrivals
n opening-day activities (e.g., assembly)
n opening exercises
n school-wide rules
n paper and other supplies -what the school provides and where to find them
n classroom budgets, purchase orders, petty cash
n fire drills and other emergency procedures
n school keys, classroom keys & security system
n homework policy (for the school or district school board)
n parent volunteers
n schedules and timetable for gym, library, labs
n expectations of secretarial and custodial staff
n supervision schedule and responsibilities
n educational support staff
n school calendar or handbook
n use and storage of Ontario Student Records (OSRs)
n student medical and physical procedures
n safe schools/health and safety issues; reporting forms
n guidelines for referral to Children’s Aid Society
n school improvement or action plan
n process for getting support for special needs students
n occasional teachers – what materials to leave
n library resources – process for teachers and students to sign out materials
n field trips – school and board policies and procedures
n school council members and meeting schedule
n report card information (e.g., hardware and software requirements)
Adapted from ETFO, Professional Beginnings: An Induction Guide, 2002.
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Occasional Teaching – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should I take anything with me to the teaching assignment?
It is important for you to maintain the continuity of the classroom teacher’s academic program.
This is achieved by following the teacher’s lesson plans as closely as possible. However, you
may arrive in a classroom where it is not possible to implement the planned lessons for that
day. In fact, if you were called in with little warning, there may not be any lesson plans.
In order to ensure you are prepared to handle just about any situation, you need a “tote” full
of materials that may be used to enhance an activity, for time between activities, or to assist in
creating a lesson. These high-interest activities should be linked to the Ontario curriculum and
provide students with meaningful and purposeful learning experiences. You may want to keep
three bags of materials; one for each division: primary, junior and intermediate.
What do I do when I arrive at school?
•
•
•
•
•
Check in at the office to announce your arrival.
Introduce yourself to the school secretary and administration.
Pick up keys to the classroom.
Locate the classroom and other rooms you may need throughout the day. A school
map may be provided to you or there may be one in the classroom. Be sure to locate
the staff room, the workroom, and the staff washroom.
Unlock the classroom door, find the daybook, and prepare for the day.
Once I have familiarized myself with the lessons, what else should I do?
It is to your advantage to learn as much as possible about the school, the schedule, and
the students. The degree to which you are able to do this depends on the information the
classroom teacher has left. Following are some suggestions that may help you prepare for your
assignment prior to the students’ arrival.
• Perform any tasks necessary to execute the lessons (e.g., photocopying, cutting,
reading information in a textbook).
• Find the seating plan; if there isn’t one, be prepared to make one.
• Familiarize yourself with school safety routines (e.g., fire drills), school timetable, yard
duty supervision schedule, and school discipline policy.
• Find a class list and prepare name tags.
• Review any behaviour plans that exist to ensure you will maintain consistency for
those students involved.
• Identify the names of students with high needs, allergies, and those requiring medications.
It is a good idea to identify those students as soon as they enter the classroom.
• Review the in-school support program timetable (e.g., special education, ELL).
• Find out if you need to collect anything from the students (e.g. money, homework).
• Find out if there are any special events happening in the school (e.g., pizza day, special
visitor).
52
How do I maintain classroom continuity?
Review the established classroom rules, routines, and expectations. Encourage students to take
ownership of their classroom by having them explain the rules and expectations to you.
Try to follow the rules and routines as closely as possible in order to maintain consistency for
the students.
If you believe a temporary rule should be instituted, provide the students with an explanation for its
need. Students are more likely to adhere to a new rule when they understand why it is necessary.
Rules should be short, concise, and stated in a positive manner. It is helpful to write the rule on the
blackboard or to post it as a reminder. You may need to review rules and expectations several times
during the day, especially after high-energy activities such as recess or physical education class.
What should I do if I cannot find information about
lessons and established rules and routines?
If the minimal amount of information is not available from reviewing the daybook, you can ask
the school secretary and other staff; once the students arrive, you can ask them too. Students
are particularly helpful in answering your questions about classroom procedures around
attendance, washroom use, collecting money, etc. Helpful students are a valuable resource and
will identify themselves quickly to you. Be sure to use them.
What do I need to do at the end of the day?
At the end of the day, follow this useful checklist:
• ensure that students have completed their usual end-of-day activities (e.g., fill out
planner, homework review);
• distribute newsletters or notes that need to go home with the students;
• ask students to assist with tidying the room; and
• tell the students how much you enjoyed working with them.
Once students have been dismissed, complete these tasks:
• finish tidying the room, if necessary;
• write a note to the classroom teacher;
• mark any work completed during the day;
• collect all your own teaching resources and personal effects;
• thank staff who assisted you during the day;
• check in at the office to return the classroom keys and to determine if the classroom
teacher is scheduled to return the next day; and
• maintain confidentiality about the students and the school.
What should I include in the note to the classroom teacher?
Classroom teachers need to know what happened during their absence and where to start
when they return. It is very helpful when a clear and detailed outline of the day is provided.
The note to the classroom teacher may include:
• anecdotal comments about the day and the students – be truthful but positive;
• a list of helpful students;
• a list of absent students;
• an explanation of what work was completed and what still needs to be finished;
•
•
•
53
a review of material with which students had difficulty;
an explanation of any disruptions to the day (e.g., unexpected assembly, fire drill);
if you were unable to follow the prepared lesson plans, an explanation and a copy of
the lesson you gave; and your name and the date.
What is a positive classroom environment?
A positive classroom environment is a reflection of the sense of community between the
students and the teacher. It involves an understanding of and agreement with classroom rules
and routines. It incorporates the methods used to motivate students as well as the physical
organization of furniture, materials, and space. Basically, a positive environment is the good
and welcome feeling you ought to get when you walk into a classroom.
As an occasional teacher you cannot control the physical arrangement of the classroom and
materials, but you can foster a sense of community.
Why is a positive classroom environment so important
for an occasional teacher to establish?
Students become comfortable with established routines and the familiarity of their own
classroom teacher. The absence of their regular teacher can disrupt everything to which the
students are accustomed. This is especially evident when the arrival of an occasional teacher
is unexpected. Students need to feel welcome and comfortable in their own classroom and to
have as much continuity as possible in their everyday activities.
How do I create a positive learning environment and
establish a respectful relationship with the class?
Successful occasional teachers have compiled the following tips for creating a positive learning
environment:
• Greet students at the door.
•Smile.
• Introduce yourself.
• Tell the students something about yourself.
• Explain why you are there.
• Allow students an opportunity to introduce themselves or each other.
• Allow students to take ownership of their classroom by asking them to explain the
established rules and routines.
• Try to adhere to these rules and routines as closely as possible.
• If a temporary rule or routine is required provide the students with a reason for its
need; record it on the board as a reminder.
• Treat each student with respect and dignity; it will be returned to you.
• Call each student by name (use name tags or cards).
• Be an active, attentive listener.
• Be fair and consistent.
• Use a sense of humour; be open to laughing at yourself.
• Maintain a confident composure.
• Encourage appropriate behaviour by acknowledging it.
• Do an icebreaker activity.
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What can I do to encourage appropriate behaviour?
First and foremost, be proactive. Preventing discipline problems is easier and more effective than
responding to them. When a well-planned, stimulating learning environment is created, most
behaviour problems can be avoided. Student behaviour may appear to be more disorderly when
an occasional teacher is in the classroom because some students may take advantage of your lack
of familiarity with the rules and routines. In other words, they try to test the established limits.
How can I be proactive?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Arrive early.
Review lesson plans.
Gather the necessary materials required for the lessons (e.g. photocopy a class set of
worksheets).
Identify potential times for off-task misbehaviour, such as transitions or when work
is completed. Try to make transitions quickly and smoothly by planning ahead and
knowing what comes next. Also, have some prepared activities appropriate for the
grade and/or division. These may include puzzles, trivia, and word games. When
students are busy and on-task, there is a lower rate of misbehaviour.
Check the daybook, calendar, or memos to see if there will be any alterations to the
regular school day (e.g. assemblies, drills).
Write an outline of the day’s activities on the board for students to see.
Locate a seating plan or be prepared to make one.
Familiarize yourself with students who have special needs (e.g. behaviour plans,
medications). This information should be in the daybook. If it isn’t, check with the
school administration or secretary.
Review classroom rules, routines and expectations.
At the start of class inform the students that the regular classroom rules, routines, and
expectations will be followed.
Inform students about what you need them to do, rather than what they need to stop doing.
Provide clear instructions before an activity begins, offering students an opportunity to
ask questions.
What does “professionalism” mean for an occasional teacher?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Be punctual.
Dress professionally.
Familiarize yourself with board policies.
Familiarize yourself with school and class routines and policies.
Be a role-model for how you want the students to conduct themselves.
Be flexible.
Be respectful.
Your collective agreement may identify specific items of information that each school should
supply to you. Many schools have occasional teacher packages outlining important information
about the school and individual classrooms; check to see if one is available for each school at
which your work. Remember to support the collective agreement by following its provisions.
If in doubt, contact the local.
Adapted from: ETFO, Head of the Class – Making it Work!, 2002.
55
Parent/Guardian Communication
Parents/Guardians are your partners in the learning process. You need to establish a relationship
with them from the beginning days of school. There is evidence that when parents/guardians
are involved in their child’s education, achievement is enhanced. Involvement may include
two-way communication, assisting with homework and volunteering in the school.
• Communicate regularly about individual and class achievements.
• Invite parents/guardians to share their observations and insights about their child.
• Send home monthly newsletters outlining the learning topics, upcoming events and
field trips.
• Provide tips on how parents/guardians can support student learning at home:
– reading to and with the student;
– playing games that require thinking and problem solving; and
– monitoring homework.
• Extend an invitation to parents to join in creating a successful learning experience for
their child.
Meet-the-Teacher
Your first formal introduction to parents/guardians will be at a “Meet the Teacher” activity
which is usually held early in September. This is a time to introduce you, the curriculum and
to begin to establish a relationship with the parents/guardians.
Many parents/guardians will be coming to “check you out.” Be prepared to instill confidence
regarding your instructional abilities. Share your relevant experiences and let your enthusiasm
show. It is a good idea to post relevant information for parents/guardians on chart paper and
have a display of the text series you will be using as well as the Ontario Curriculum for your
grade(s) since you will likely get busy talking with one family after another. Topics to address:
• Outline the topics you will cover during the year.
• Cover all relevant points.
• Include classroom routines, expectations for students, assessment/evaluation strategies
and homework policies.
• Identify how, when and where you can be reached.
• Share ideas about how the school and home can work together to support the child’s
learning in and out of school.
Successful Parent/Guardian Interviews
Before the Interview:
Did you know that most
board consultative staff,
coaches, facilitators,
and resource support
teachers are ETFO
members?
y
Be aware of any family situations where parents/guardians may not have access to
their children and the information about their school progress (check the OSR for
court orders regarding this).
y
y
y
y
Determine how much time you will allow for each interview.
Consider whether students will be involved in the interview.
Consider the set-up of your room and the area for the interview.
Provide translators if English is the second language.
56
y
y
Practice your message if you perceive a conflict.
y
y
Have forms on hand that require a parent’s/guardian’s signature.
y
y
y
y
Have dated student work samples that show growth and needs.
Invite other staff to be present (resource teachers, principal, special education teacher)
if it is beneficial to the interview.
Be ready for questions about the child’s behaviour, ability level and achievement in
certain subjects.
Make accommodations for physical disabilities.
Arrange for chairs in the waiting area.
Set up information in the waiting area with curriculum documents, school plan,
samples of student work.
During the Interview:
y
y
Greet the parents/guardians at the door.
y
y
Listen to what the parents/guardians say.
y
Avoid the use of educational jargon which can create awkwardness for the parents/
guardians.
y
Be specific in your comments about the student by giving examples of what you mean
and showing examples of student work.
y
y
y
y
Ask for the opinions of the parents/guardians.
Begin with a positive statement about the student and his/her involvement in the
classroom.
Ask if there is anything you should know that might impact on the child’s school work
and life.
Collaboratively develop goals and a course of action.
Summarize the discussion.
End on a positive note.
After the Interview:
y
y
y
y
Thank the parents/guardians and walk them to the door.
Summarize the interview on the appropriate form.
Follow up with whatever was decided in the interview.
Keep your principal informed about student/parent/guardian concerns.
Adapted from ETFO, Classroom Beginnings, 2000.
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Preparing for an Occasional Teacher
There will be days that you will be absent. In order to ensure that a quality education program
continues in your absence, advance preparation for an occasional teacher is necessary.
Qualified occasional teachers are ETFO members. They are professionals who can continue to
implement your regular program.
Many schools have specific expectations about preparing for an occasional teacher. Ask your
administrator about the process at your school.
Prepare an occasional teacher folder for use in your absence. Include enough detail for a
teacher who does not know your students, or your schedule. Suggestions to include in your
folder:
• Class rules, routines, and expectations
• A class list, identifying special needs and health issues
• A seating plan
• A map of the school
• Supervision schedule and guidelines
• Fire and emergency procedures
• Daily and weekly schedule
• Timetable for student support
• Lessons and materials
• A “Where to Find” list (e.g., attendance book, art supplies, guided reading books, safe
schools reporting forms)
• Other Staff Information (e.g., names of administrators, teachers in the classroom next
to yours)
• Other Helpful Information (e.g., structure of your literacy block, parent volunteer days)
SCHOOL ADVICE:
New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP)
Every district school board must provide a New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) for certified
new teachers (including teachers trained out-of-province) who have been hired into permanent
positions (full-time or part-time). The NTIP must include the following components:
1. Orientation for new teachers by the school and school board;
2. Professional development and training in specified areas;
3. Mentoring programs established by the school board and principals; and
4. Two teacher performance appraisals for each new teacher in the first year of teaching.
Successful completion of the NTIP will be noted on the new teachers’ Ontario College of
Teachers certificates and the public register.
If a new teacher moves to a different school board before completing the NTIP, the process
will carry on with the new school board. Information collected by the first school board in the
context of the NTIP and appraisal process will be forwarded to the new school board.
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Boards are funded for and must include, their beginning teacher LTOs in the induction
elements of the NTIP (orientation, professional development and training, and mentorship).
A beginning teacher LTO is defined as a certified occasional teacher who is in his/her first
long-term assignment, with that assignment being 97 or more consecutive school days as a
substitute of the same teacher.
Boards may use their NTIP funding to support second-year teachers in the NTIP. This will assist
those teachers who need or would like more than one year of support to gain proficiency in
the role. It is important to note that not all second-year teachers may wish or need to take part
in another year of supports. Participating in an additional year of NTIP supports is optional and
is not related to the requirements of the TPA.
Performance Appraisal of New Teachers
The Education Act and Regulations outline the process required for teacher evaluation. New
teachers must achieve two satisfactory performance appraisals within the first 24 months of
teaching in order to successfully complete the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP).
As soon as two satisfactory appraisals are achieved, the NTIP is complete. The teacher is then
placed on the regular five-year evaluation cycle from that point onward. This may be as early
as the second year of teaching.
If a new teacher receives a not satisfactory rating, the teacher has a chance to continue with
the NTIP with an enrichment plan and further appraisal. If a new teacher receives two not
satisfactory ratings in the course of the NTIP, the teacher may continue with the NTIP with
an improvement plan established but will be placed “on review.” A further not satisfactory
appraisal may result in termination of employment and notification to the College of Teachers.
A rating is not satisfactory if it is either “Development Needed” or “Unsatisfactory.”
Advice to New Members
If you are a new teacher, it is very important that you become familiar with the expectations
and components of the performance appraisal process. Many locals provide workshops on the
TPA process. You have the right to:
• know what standards of performance are expected of you;
• receive adequate feedback and opportunities for input;
• receive timely notice of concerns and assistance to improve;
• have the opportunity to work on the identified improvements;
• have a federation representative present at any meetings regarding the performance
appraisal process.
You also have other rights as defined in your local collective agreement or entitlements arising
out of your school board’s policy or procedures on performance appraisals. If you are not in
agreement with the summative report of your performance and the evaluator is unwilling to
change it, you may attach a response to address what you believe to be inaccuracies, omissions
or concerns about the evaluation process. You should also consider contacting your ETFO local
office or ETFO staff in professional relations (PRS) for assistance with your response.
You will be asked to sign the report. Your signature is acknowledgment that you have received
the report. It does not constitute agreement with its contents.
59
Members can contact the Federation at any time throughout the process; however, if you
receive an unsatisfactory rating, it is very important that you contact the Federation as soon
as possible for support and advice. Even if it looks like you might be moving towards a
“Development Needed” or “Unsatisfactory”, you can contact ETFO for advice.
Mentorship
Mentoring programs are a necessary part of the NTIP. Experienced teachers may be asked to
volunteer to mentor new teachers.
Mentoring may be carried out in a number of different ways depending on the needs of
the individual new teacher. However, the key to any form of mentoring is the relationship
between the people involved. This relationship must maintain the professionalism demanded
of our profession and should be built on trust and respect. A mentor is not a supervisor or an
evaluator. A mentor is a colleague, a coach, a support, and a resource.
Mentors normally need training to be effective. The Ministry of Education has indicated that
school boards must include training as part of their mentoring programs. Some of the skills
for which training will be important concern the following: development of mentoring plans,
consulting, coaching and collaborating without supervising or evaluating; identifying resources
to share; providing meaningful feedback; elements of an effective mentoring relationship;
effective and supportive mentoring; communication skills; and maintaining confidentiality of
the mentoring relationship.
If the mentoring relationship is not effective, it may be necessary to explore opportunities
for new mentoring partnerships. Teachers should consult the processes established under the
school board’s mentoring process for this or consult the Federation for advice.
Ministry of Education NTIP Resources
The Ministry of Education has produced two manuals regarding the NTIP:
• Induction Elements Manual 2010, and
• Teacher Performance Appraisal Technical Requirements Manual (2010)
There are other helpful resources available on the Ministry of Education NTIP website:
• Resource Handbooks for New Teachers, Mentors and Principals
• Resources to Support New Teachers Professional Development
• Individual NTIP Strategy Form and Board Plan
• Teacher Performance Appraisal System
• Frequently Asked Questions
They are all available at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/teacher/induction.html
Maintaining Professional Relationships Among All Educators
Increasingly, the task of educating children and maintaining safe and effective schools is being
carried out by teams of education practitioners. In addition to full-time teachers, many schools
employ occasional teachers, educational assistants, early childhood educators, and a number
of other professionals including health professionals, community workers, and social workers.
This plethora of professionals, each of whom plays a vital role in the development and
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education of students, has given rise to new concerns regarding the professional relationships
within school communities. Professional and respectful relationships among educators and
other professionals is not only a necessary ingredient for effective learning, it is also mandated
by governmental, regulatory, and organizational policy.
Sources that establish the obligation to maintain respectful and professional
relationships
The Ontario Human Rights Code and Occupational Health and Safety Act apply to all employees
working within Ontario schools. Both of these statutes prohibit workplace harassment, defined
broadly as a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be
known to be unwelcome. This includes bullying behaviour.
While the Human Rights Code prevents harassment that is based on one of the listed prohibited
grounds of discrimination, the Occupational Health and Safety Act prohibits all forms of
harassment and requires school boards to have specific policies setting this out.
For teachers and early childhood educators, both the Ontario College of Teachers Act and the
Early Childhood Educators Act prohibit conduct that is unbecoming a member. Violation of that
requirement may result in a finding of professional misconduct and could affect the ability of
a teacher or early childhood educator to practice in Ontario. In addition, the Ontario College of
Teachers has a code of ethics and standards of practice that apply to the relationship between
teachers and other educators. The College of Early Childhood Educators has recently approved
its own code of ethics and standards of practice that contain similar provisions regarding the
requirement to treat colleagues and other professionals with respect, trust, and integrity. ETFO
represents teachers, early childhood educators, and other education practitioners working in
Ontario schools. The following provisions of the ETFO Constitution are directly relevant to the
issue of respectful professional relationships, and apply to all ETFO members:
Article VI. Code of Professional Conduct
6.1
A member shall:
6.1.6 strive to eliminate all forms of harassment between individuals in the educational
system;
6.1.7 endeavour to ensure equity and inclusiveness in the workplace; and
6.1.8 strive to achieve and maintain a high degree of professionalism and to uphold the
honour, dignity, and ethical standards of the teaching profession.
The Teaching Profession Act applies to all teachers and other members of the Ontario Teachers
Federation (OTF). The following provision is contained in a regulation established under the
Teaching Profession Act:
s.18(1) A member shall,
(a) avoid interfering in an unwarranted manner between other teachers and pupils;
(b) on making an adverse report on another member, furnish him with a written statement
of the report at the earliest possible time and not later than three days after making the
report.
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In addition to the rules, regulations, and policies listed above, each individual school and
school board will likely have its own standards that will apply to the professional relationship
between co-workers. Such policies will likely be enforceable as a condition of employment and
breach of these policies could lead to discipline.
What to do if there is a breakdown in the professional relationship between educators
Consistent with the requirements set out above, ETFO encourages all educators to treat each
other with mutual trust and respect, acknowledging that each has a unique and important role
to play in student learning and development.
ETFO members are encouraged to discuss, in a respectful manner, any professional relationship
issues that arise between them. If issues can’t be resolved, ask your local ETFO representative
to help.
Mediation is also available through ETFO provincial office to help resolve colleague-tocolleague disputes. ETFO’s Professional Relations staff possess relevant expertise in this area
and can assist in working out a reasonable and respectful working relationship.
These solutions should be sought early in order to avoid harassment complaints, human
rights complaints, grievances, and deteriorating working environments.
Positive School Team
Teachers – Support Personnel – Principals
Teachers, support personnel, and principals are all important to the school staff and
student support team. Establishing a professional relationship based on mutual respect and
communication is essential.
The teacher, as instructional leader, is responsible for program planning, student assessment,
and liaison with parents. Support personnel are there to support and assist the teacher with
these responsibilities.
Important Considerations for Developing a Positive Team:
E It is essential that the role of the teacher and the role of the support personnel be
established and clarified at the beginning of the professional relationship. This
should be done between the two and/or in consultation with other staff or the school
administration depending on the circumstances of the particular assignment.
E Role descriptions, responsibilities, and duties must be clearly defined and should be
communicated to the whole school team at the beginning of each school year to assist
in preventing
–overlap,
– communication problems,
– confusion or conflict regarding role description.
E Expectations and protocols should also be clearly established. These should include:
– communication: with each other, with parents and students, with administration
– strategies for classroom management,
62
– the appropriate way to express concerns,
– conflict resolution,
–confidentiality,
– ethics and professionalism,
– use of non-violent crisis intervention and/or restraint procedures,
– administration of medication and emergency procedures.
Support Personnel
It is the policy of ETFO:
1. That paid support personnel be responsible to the principal of the school.
2. That the evaluation of support personnel be the responsibility of the principal and viceprincipal.
3. That teachers and support personnel be provided additional preparation time within the
students’ instructional day to plan and communicate.
4. That district school boards provide appropriate training for teachers and support personnel
to enhance the effectiveness of teachers and support personnel working together.
5. That district school boards provide appropriate training for support personnel that is
relative to the condition of his/her student(s).
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE:
Allegations Involving CAS and-or Police
– What to do if it happens to you
Has someone made an allegation against you?
•
•
Even allegations that appear to you to be frivolous or entirely false can result in CAS
and/or criminal investigations. Many can also result in discipline by your school
board and complaints to the Ontario College of Teachers or College of Early Childhood
Educators.
At the first hint of a problem involving any allegation that could potentially lead to a
criminal charge or investigation by CAS, you should immediately contact the provincial
office of ETFO.
DURING OFFICE HOURS
If you are contacted by the police or the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) regarding an allegation
made against you:
•
•
•
•
DO NOT participate in or consent to an interview.
Make no statement to anyone regarding the allegation or charges.
Say, “I am willing to co-operate but I am unable to comment until I contact my
Federation and legal counsel.”
Get the name, title and contact information for the police officer or CAS worker who
has contacted you.
•
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Call Professional Relations Services (PRS) at 1-888-838-3836 or 416-962-3836 and
state that your call is urgent.
You will be put in touch with the Professional Relations Services (PRS) counsellor on call who
will provide you with the necessary assistance, including legal counsel if deemed appropriate.
“AFTER HOURS” EMERGENCY LEGAL ASSISTANCE
What is an emergency?
•
•
•
Police are on the scene or on the way.
You are facing criminal charges for an alleged criminal offense directly related to the
performance of your professional duties.
You are at risk of being arrested and/or incarcerated.
What to do?
Call: 1-888-838-3836 or 416-962-3836
After Hours:
•
•
A voice message will provide the necessary instructions to put your call through to an
operator. You will be asked a few important questions.
Where appropriate, a criminal lawyer will be contacted and you will be connected
immediately.
Working with School Staff
•
•
•
•
When a member is accused of abuse or assault and is either reassigned or placed on
leave by the school board, the school steward may be called upon to reassure staff
colleagues that due process is being served and that the Federation is assisting the
member.
It is the responsibility of the principal, on behalf of the school board, to provide staff
with specific advice for responding to student, parent and media enquiries relating to
the colleague who is being investigated or accused of a criminal offense.
You should refrain from providing any comments on the situation and should instead
direct any such enquiries to the school principal.
If you are contacted by anyone as a potential witness to the alleged conduct, you
should contact PRS for advice.
Supporting Your Colleague
•
•
•
•
The stress factors on a member facing allegations are enormous and should not be
underestimated.
If possible, staff should attempt to maintain regular communications with the member;
this will help reduce the acute sense of isolation and despair, especially if the colleague
has been suspended.
Your colleague will have been advised not to make any statements about the allegations
or the circumstances surrounding their case and you should be careful not to ask him or
her any questions about the case or otherwise encourage a discussion about it. Making
such statements, even in confidence, could be detrimental to your colleague’s case.
If your colleague has not yet contacted PRS for assistance, you should urge them to do
so immediately.
Staff in Professional Relations (PRS) can be reached at 416-962-3836 or
1-888-838-3836 See also ETFO’s website – Advice for Members
64
Balancing Career and Personal Life
Balancing Your Life
In your first few years of teaching you will be very concerned with giving your students every
opportunity to succeed. To do this well sometimes you have to take a step back and remember
that you have to take care of yourself so that you can give your best for your students.
Lack of time is a major concern of new teachers. As educators, we must learn strategies
to manage time. We must determine what is important in our lives and plan accordingly.
Although things may get hectic, remember to take time for yourself – to eat properly and get
rest, to enjoy hobbies, friends, and interests outside of your work. Only you will know what
techniques work for you, but here are some suggestions to help you maintain your balance
and wellbeing:
• Eat well balanced meals.
• Get enough sleep.
• Call a friend or family member to talk.
• Take time to do something you enjoy doing.
• Practice saying the word “no.”
• Remember that everything doesn’t have to be perfect.
• Realize the in-basket will never be empty.
• Be kind to yourself when you make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.
• Write down the funny things your students say. Look at them when you’re feeling
stressed.
• Keep a file of positive notes, cards, and letters. Review them regularly.
• Laugh often.
• Write down why you wanted to become a teacher in the first place and read it to
yourself if you start to question your choice.
Managing Your Time Effectively:
• Prioritize – You need to know what matters to you.
• Simplify – It doesn’t have to be picture perfect, at home or at work.
• Plan – Create a schedule that is reasonable. Remember that your schedule is to help
you, not make you its slave. If it’s not done, it’s okay!
• Make choices – Balance chores you like with those you don’t. Don’t turn leisure
activities into chores.
• Eliminate – Give up something and schedule a “free night” or “free day”, at least one
day a week.
• Get help – Use your support systems! This might include family, friends, colleagues,
federation support, agencies, etc.
• Delegate – Consider how chores/responsibilities can be balanced among each family
member or, at work, delegated to students and colleagues. Delegating often requires
teaching others initially and backing off when it is not done. Make sure that you are
not taking on responsibilities that are not yours.
• Delay – It’s okay ... everything doesn’t have to be done immediately!
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Manage Your Work Effectively
Understanding that the teacher’s work is never completely finished and that we could fill every
minute of every day with something for our job, helps us to plan and make decisions about
what is most important. Here are some tips to help keep you on track and confident that you
are managing your work effectively:
• Maintain plans for units, daily work, and other tasks.
• Keep assessment and evaluation records in one place.
• Avoid spending too much time making everything look “cute.”
• Let students take an active role in creating bulletin boards, organizing math/art
materials, etc.
• Return student work as quickly as possible.
• Tackle one task at a time and then move on. Don’t become overwhelmed.
• Don’t mark every single piece of work for everything. Select key performance
examples that support the curriculum to include an assessment picture of each
student. Tests should always be graded and returned.
• Use assessment checklists/rubrics to assist in student, self, and peer review of the work
before you mark it.
• Use a daily agenda posted for student and personal use.
• Outline your week. Use a calendar and chart overview to assist organization.
• Prepare copied materials several days or weeks ahead. Place items in a folder marked
for the day of the week.
• Plan! Plan! Plan!
• Maintain a “To Do” folder with items that need to be completed right away
• Work smarter – PLAN, PRIORITIZE, DO.
• Use planning times effectively – beware of time wasters.
• Keep parents informed by using class newsletters and/or calendars. This saves a lot of
time in the long run.
• Simplify what you can.
• Prepare open-ended work for students that meet a range of abilities.
• Remember if students can finish work faster than it took you to create it, you’re doing
something wrong.
Adapted from ETFO, After the Chalk Dust Settles, 2000.
A Member’s Duty to Report under the
Child and Family Services Act
Section 72(1) of the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) requires “a person who performs
professional or official duties with respect to children” to report any reasonable grounds to
suspect that a child under their care is at risk of harm, abuse, neglect, etc. There are a number
of situations and types of harm that are mentioned in the Act. These are detailed below.
A failure to report can lead to conviction of a provincial offence, and a fine, as well as an
investigation at the Ontario College of Teachers.
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What kinds of situations trigger a member’s Duty to Report?
Section 72(1) of the CFSA describes the following situations:
1. The child has suffered physical harm, inflicted by the person having charge of the child
or caused by or resulting from that person’s:
i. failure to adequately care for, provide for, supervise or protect the child; or
ii. pattern of neglect in caring for, providing for, supervising or protecting the child.
2. There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer physical harm inflicted by the person
having charge of the child or caused by or resulting from that person’s:
i. failure to adequately care for, provide for, supervise or protect the child; or
ii. pattern of neglect in caring for, providing for, supervising or protecting the child.
3. The child has been sexually molested or sexually exploited, by the person having charge
of the child or by another person where the person having charge of the child knows or
should know of the possibility of sexual molestation or sexual exploitation and fails to
protect the child.
4. There is a risk that the child is likely to be sexually molested or sexually exploited as
described in paragraph #3 above.
5. The child requires medical treatment to cure, prevent or alleviate physical harm or
suffering and the child’s parent or the person having charge of the child does not
provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, the treatment.
6. The child has suffered emotional harm, demonstrated by serious:
i.anxiety;
ii.depression;
iii.withdrawal;
iv.self-destructive or aggressive behaviour; or
v.delayed development;
and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the emotional harm suffered by the
child results from the actions, failure to act or pattern of neglect on the part of the
child’s parent or the person having charge of the child.
•
The child has suffered emotional harm of the kind described in #6 above and the
child’s parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is
unavailable or unable to consent to, services or treatment to remedy or alleviate the harm.
•
There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer emotional harm of the kind described in
#6 above resulting from the actions, failure to act or pattern of neglect on the part of
the child’s parent or the person having charge of the child.
•
There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer emotional harm of the kind described in
#6 above and that the child’s parent or the person having charge of the child does not
provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, services or treatment to
prevent the harm.
•
The child suffers from a mental, emotional or developmental condition that, if not
remedied, could seriously impair the child’s development and the child’s parent or
the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or
unable to consent to, treatment to remedy or alleviate the condition.
If you are experiencing
difficulties and need
to talk to someone in
confidence call ETFO
staff in professional
relations at 416-9623836 or 1-888-838-3836.
67
•
The child has been abandoned, the child’s parent has died or is unavailable to exercise
his or her custodial rights over the child and has not made adequate provision for
the child’s care and custody, or the child is in a residential placement and the parent
refuses or is unable or unwilling to resume the child’s care and custody.
•
The child is less than 12 years old and has killed or seriously injured another person
or caused serious damage to another person’s property, services or treatment are
necessary to prevent a recurrence and the child’s parent or the person having charge
of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, those
services or treatment.
•
The child is less than 12 years old and has on more than one occasion injured
another person or caused loss or damage to another person’s property, with the
encouragement of the person having charge of the child or because of that person’s
failure or inability to supervise the child adequately.
A member does not need to be sure that any of the situations above is taking place. The
member needs only “reasonable grounds to suspect” that one of the events has occurred.
Members are professionals who deal with children on a daily basis and are alert to many cues
from them. Students may also disclose information to members which they don’t disclose to
other people. If you are unsure whether you should call CAS, call your local ETFO president or
Professional Relations staff (PRS).
What kind of reporting is required?
A member must:
• Report directly to a children’s aid society any reasonable grounds of suspicion of
harm or risk of harm to a child. This reporting can be done verbally or in writing, but
must be done personally/directly by the member to the CAS. A member cannot rely on
his or her report to a principal, police, or school board to satisfy this duty;
•
Continue to report any new grounds to suspect. The duty is ongoing – each new
fact or suspicion creates a new duty to report. A member cannot rely on his or her
previous report about a child to cover all problems that a member suspects about that
child’s health, safety, or risk of harm.
What happens if a member fails to make a report to a Children’s Aid Society?
It is a provincial offence for a member to fail to report. If convicted, this can lead to a
fine of up to $1000. In order to be found guilty, the failure to report must concern information
or suspicions that a member learned of through his or her professional duties, and does not
apply to volunteering or work outside of his or her role as a member, according to the courts
of Ontario. It does not normally involve information learned outside of teaching, off duty.
It is also a breach of a member’s professional obligations to fail to report to the CAS.
Failing to report can lead to a complaint under the Ontario College of Teachers Act. Regulation
437/97 – Professional Misconduct states that it is professional misconduct to fail a duty under
the CFSA. This includes failing the duty to report. Consequences for a teacher could include a
variety of penalties under the College of Teachers’ Act, depending on the circumstances of the
failure to report.
68
Bill 157 – Keeping Our Kids Safe at School Act
Bill 157 also obligates members who become aware that a pupil of a school of the board
may have engaged in an activity described in subsection 306(1) or 310(1) of the Education
Act (suspension and expulsion offences) shall, as soon as reasonably possible, report to the
principal about the matter.
Professional Boundaries
Failure to understand professional boundaries can lead any member to make serious mistakes
– career threatening ones – in the management of teacher-student relationships.
Any act of professional misconduct can lead to disciplinary measures being taken by the
Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). Even an unfounded allegation of professional misconduct
could be permanently damaging to a teacher, to the teacher’s family, and to the profession.
Professional Boundaries Defined
The term “Professional Boundaries” is not easily defined. When teachers were asked how they
understood the term, ETFO learned that it can mean different things to different people. Some
common responses were –
• violation of the position of trust;
• abuse of power in a teacher’s relationship with a child; and
• teachers using their relationship to meet their own needs instead of the needs of their
students.
The most extreme form of boundary violation is that of sexual abuse against a student. Sexual
abuse represents the ultimate breach of the trust placed on a teacher.
The Onus is On the Teacher
Teachers are responsible for recognizing in themselves whether they are “at risk” of crossing
boundaries and, if they are, the issue must be addressed. This makes the issue an important
and potentially dangerous one for teachers.
Teachers have a responsibility to address this issue when they witness a colleague who may be
crossing boundaries. In serious situations, reporting suspicion of child abuse may be required.
What Places Teachers at the Highest Risk?
Insufficient training: Teachers insufficiently trained in their roles can become too personally
involved with students. This can lead to actual or alleged sexual misconduct.
Ignorance of the law: There is no excuse for being ignorant of the law. Teachers need to be
informed about legal liability and the standards of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).
Unacceptable Behaviours
In general, activities which take a teacher beyond the expectations of the employer could
easily qualify as boundary violations. These include:
• becoming too personally involved with students – friend, confidant, surrogate parent;
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
69
seeing students in private or non-school settings;
writing or exchanging notes, letters or emails;
serving as a confidant with regard to a student’s decision about his/her personal issues;
giving gifts or money to students;
inviting students to one’s home or cottage;
having students stay overnight in one’s home/cottage;
driving individual students to or from school;
giving one student undue attention;
being alone with a student with the exception of an emergency situation;
sharing your personal problems with students;
sharing personal information about a student with a third party; and
initiating physical contact.
Protective Strategies
The best way for members to protect themselves is to follow that old adage “an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Teachers must be ever vigilant of situations that place
them in vulnerable positions.
As a teacher, do you protect yourself by:
• learning about the law and your liability as a teacher?
• teaching with your classroom door open?
• having another adult present when attending to the personal needs of special needs
students?
• complimenting or commending students without “hugging” or “touching” them?
• reporting any reasonable suspicion of child abuse to proper authorities?*
*All members of ETFO have a statutory obligation under the Child and Family Services
Act to personally report to the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) when “a child is or may be
in need of protection.”
• clarifying procedures with your principal regarding potentially threatening situations?
• getting parents’ and principals’ approval regarding all activities off school property?
• letting students know when they are overstepping your personal boundaries?
• seeking input from colleagues or other professionals if unsure of the appropriateness
of your actions or plans?
Remember ... a caring professional relationship always helps a student to learn. But this
relationship has boundaries of time, place, purpose and activity.
Members are advised to consult their local president or professional relations staff (PRS) in
protective services at 416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836 for additional advice.
Professionalism and Ethics
Regulation made under the Teaching Profession Act – Ontario Teachers’ Federation
Section 18 (1) (b) of the regulation made under the Teaching Profession Act states that a member
shall, “on making an adverse report on another member furnish him (her) with a written
statement of the report at the earliest possible time and not later than three days after making
the report.”
70
What is meant by an “Adverse Report?”
An adverse report is a negative report made about a member to an individual in a supervisory
position who has authority to impose discipline or work sanctions against the member, or
to make recommendations for discipline or work sanctions. The report may be verbal or in
writing, and will contain criticisms of the member’s performance and/or conduct.
An adverse report is NOT idle gossip or nasty, pejorative comments made amongst colleagues.
Does this include principals and vice-principals?
Principals and vice-principals are not members of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation and
therefore Section 18 (1) (b) does not apply to them.
However, members are advised that it is inappropriate to make adverse comments about
principals and vice-principals.
Ontario College of Teachers
Principals and vice-principals are members of the Ontario College of Teachers. A principal
or vice-principal could make a complaint of professional misconduct concerning another
member of the College if they believe that a member has not acted ethically.
Does Section 18 (1) (b) apply to teachers in their role as parents?
Yes, if members, who have parental concerns about their child’s teacher, make an adverse report
about the teacher to the principal, the parent/teacher would have to inform the teacher in writing
within 72 hours as required in Section 18 (1) (b) of the Regulation made under the Teaching
Profession Act. If members have concerns they should go to the teacher to discuss whatever
concern exists. This is what members would expect any parent to do first, rather than going
to the principal. It may be that the concerns can be cleared up at this point. If not, the option
of going to the principal still exists, but the substance of the conversation must be provided in
writing within three days, assuming that this conversation is critical of the teacher. It would also
be appropriate for members to inform a colleague if they intend to discuss matters further with
the principal. It is also possible to include the teacher in the meeting with the principal.
Are there any exceptions to the Section 18 (1) (b) obligation?
If you have any
questions or concerns
about your ethical
obligations, or are
considering filing an
Yes. The Student Protection Act 2002 added a new subsection (2) to Section 12 of the Teaching
Profession Act ...”a member who makes an adverse report about another member respecting
suspected sexual abuse of a student by that other member need NOT provide him or her with
a copy of the report or with any information about the report.”
This makes it clear that the obligation to notify another teacher in writing of an adverse report
does not apply to allegations of sexual abuse of students.
adverse report about
colleague and want to
discuss it, contact staff
in professional relations
(PRS) at 416-962-3836
or 1-888-838-3836.
What to do?
If you have reason to believe that a colleague has made an adverse report about you and has
not informed you of this within 72 hours, consider:
• speaking to the teacher about your concerns; and
• speaking to professional relations staff (PRS) in protective services for advice.
71
Professionalism is at the core of our being as teachers. Professionals support each other and
approach problems with the attitude that they can work together to solve their concerns.
Maintaining professionalism should be foremost in the way you conduct yourself in the
workplace.
Sabrina’s Law – An Act to Protect Anaphylactic Pupils
Administering an epinephrine autoinjector (e.g., the EpiPen®, Twinject®) could save a life.
Failure to do so could result in serious illness or death. Members of ETFO must know their
rights and responsibilities with regard to administering autoinjectors.
Sabrina’s Law
Sabrina’s Law, an Act to Protect Anaphylactic Pupils, was named after a student who died of
anaphylactic shock following exposure in her school.
This law came into effect in 2006. It protects students with life threatening allergies. It requires
all school boards to establish and maintain an anaphylactic policy, which must include
strategies to reduce risk of exposure to anaphylactic causative agents in classrooms and
common school areas.
E The school board must develop a communication plan to share information on life
threatening allergies with parents, pupils, and employees. This plan should include
information on the symptoms of anaphylactic shock.
E The school board must provide training on dealing with life threatening allergies for all
employees who are in regular contact with students.
E The school board must ensure there is a storage plan for autoinjectors, and that there is a
plan for using them in emergency situations.
Individual Plans (IPs)
Principals are required to develop individual plans (IPs) for students with anaphylactic
allergies. The IP must inform employees who are in direct contact with the student of the type
of allergy, monitoring, avoidance strategies, and appropriate treatment.
The IP must also include readily accessible emergency procedures and storage for autoinjectors.
What Members Should Know About Autoinjectors
Members should be informed of:
• their school board’s and principal’s policies on anaphylaxis;
• which students in the school are susceptible to an anaphylactic reaction, and which
allergies are known for each student; and
• anyone pre-authorized to administer the autoinjector.
72
For more information
regarding members’
rights and obligations
call ETFO staff in
professional relations at
416-962-3836 or 1-888838-3836.
Members should also know that:
• the autoinjector is easy to administer;
• the autoinjector does not pose a health risk to students, even if it is administered
unnecessarily;
• the autoinjector can be self-administered, but it should generally be done by, or with
the assistance of, an adult because the onset of anaphylaxis can be debilitating; and
that
• Sabrina’s Law provides immunity from lawsuits for any act done in good faith in
response to an anaphylactic reaction.
Members’ Legal Obligations with Regard to Administering Epinephrine Autoinjectors
E Members have a common law duty of care to take all reasonable steps to ensure the
safety of students. Failure to do so could result in a charge of negligence.
E A member might be the subject of a criminal investigation if the failure or refusal to
administer an epinephrine autoinjector was considered criminally negligent or a failure
to provide the necessities of life.
E Section 20(g) (Duties of Teachers) of Regulation 298 under the Education Act requires
teachers to ensure that all reasonable safety procedures are carried out in courses
and activities for which the teacher is responsible. These include positive steps that a
reasonable parent would take to safeguard the health and safety of students.
E Collective agreements may have provisions limiting a member’s responsibility for
performing medical procedures of any sort, but in an emergency situation the member
may have to administer the epinephrine autoinjector because of the life threatening
nature of anaphylaxis.
Human Rights Code
If the student is identified as having a disability under the Human Rights Code, the school board
must accommodate a student’s susceptibility to anaphylaxis. Not to do so would be considered
discriminatory.
For more information on epinephrine autoinjectors including videos on how to administer,
go to: www.epipen.ca; or www.twinject.ca
Tutoring and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Members
Members often ask whether they can engage in private tutoring on their own time. ETFO has
publicly opposed referring students in publicly funded schools to private education providers.
ETFO believes that all students in the public system should have access to the resources,
services, and supports they need to succeed.
OTF’s Tutoring Policy
Members should know the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) policy on tutoring:
• Teachers must not tutor their own students for remuneration.
• The teacher should consult the student’s regular teacher.
•
Members are advised
to consult professional
73
The teacher will be in violation of the Code of Ethics if he or she makes adverse
comments about the student’s regular teacher, or if the teacher interferes in an
unwarranted manner between the student and the student’s regular teacher.
relations staff in
protective services at
416-962-3836 or
1-888-838-3836 for
additional advice if
concerned about a
possible conflict of
interest.
Conflict of Interest
Teachers are bound by the Professional Misconduct Regulation 437/97 under the Ontario
College of Teachers Act. Section 26 states that a teacher is guilty of professional misconduct
when practising the profession while in a conflict of interest.
Public servants, such as teachers, are held to higher standards than other employees in conflict of
interest situations. Teachers should be guided by the following rules, which apply to public servants:
Guidelines for Members
ETFO has developed specific guidelines for members:
• Find out whether the board has a policy on tutoring and follow it. If a teacher breaches
the policy, he or she may be disciplined and/or reported to the College of Teachers.
• Private tutoring should not take place on school property or during the instructional day.
• Members should not advertise private tutoring through connections at the school,
through school or board publications, or through the board’s computer network.
• Regular communication should occur with the student’s own teacher so as not to work
at cross purposes or outside the regular classroom curriculum.
• Members tutor students at their own risk, and may not be eligible for ETFO support
should problems arise from the private tutoring situation.
• Members must not advance their own agendas, financial or otherwise, in ways that
might prejudice their employer’s interests or reputation.
• Members must not use information that is unavailable to the general public, and to
which they have access because of their official duties, for private gain.
• Members must not place themselves in situations where their judgement could, even
unconsciously, be affected by their private business.
• Members’ interest in their private financial affairs must not clash, or appear to clash,
with the employer’s interests.
PRS Matters Bulletins: Advice for Members
PRS (Professional Relations Services) Matters Bulletins are articles about issues relating to
your rights and responsibilities as a teacher. They are designed to keep members informed
on a variety of important legal and professional issues. The most relevant bulletins have been
adapted for the Tips for New Members section of this book. Look for new bulletins in the
Steward mailings that come to your school. They are also available on the ETFO website. Go to
www.etfo.ca EAdvice for Members EPRS Matters Bulletins.
E A Member’s Duty to Report under the Child and Family Services Act
E Allegations involving CAS and/or Police - What to do if it happens to you
E Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
E Anger in the Workplace
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E Annual Learning Plan – Advice to Members
E Assertive versus Aggressive Behaviour
E Attitude – It’s Everything
E Bill 13 - Accepting Schools Act
E Bill 157 – Keeping our Kids Safe at School Act
E Bill 168 Protects Educational Personnel from Violence and Harassment in the Workplace
E Changes to the Safe Schools Act (Bill 212) Criminal Allegations or Charges
E Class Building
E Criminal Background Checks
E Dealing with Conflict
E Defamatory Websites and Social Networking Pages
E Documentation and Personal Information Concerning Students
E Electronic Communications
E Electronic Communication and Social Media Advice to Members
E Elementary Progress Report Card and Elementary Provincial Report Card Continued
Implementation Update
E Employment Insurance Benefits
E Epipen Fact Sheet – Sabrina’s Law
E EQAO Testing – Advice to Members
E Fifths Disease and You
E Health and Safety – The 3Rs
E Members as Witnesses in Court Proceedings
E Implementation of the Elementary Progress Report Card
E Individual Education Plan Advice to Members
E Making and Adverse Report on Another Member
E Maintaining Professional Relationships among all Educators
E Member Mental Health
E Members as Witnesses in Court Proceedings
E Money in Schools
E New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP)
E Notice of Resignation
E Other Teaching Roles – Are You Protected
E Practicing Caution – Guidelines for Electronic Communications
E Pregnancy and Parental Leaves
E Pregnancy – Parental Leave
E Professional Boundaries
E Professional Learning Communities
E Professionalism and Ethics
E Reporting Workplace Accidents
E Requests for Medical Information
E Resolving Staff-Principal Concerns
E Revised Teacher Performance Appraisal
E Safe Schools Teams One Year Later – Any Progress?
E Student/Parent Custody Issues
E Teacher Performance Appraisal for Experienced Teachers – Advice to Members
E Teacher Performance Appraisal for Experienced Teachers – Overview of the Process
E Teacher Workload – Juggling the Increasing Demands of the job
E Teachers Acting in Advisory Roles
E The Different Roles of Teachers
E The Hidden Dangers of Electronic Communications
E The Special Education Teacher and Student Aggression
E The Student Protection Act
E Tutoring and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Members
E Use of Member’s Own Vehicle
E Use of Restraint
E Voluntary Extracurricular Activities
E Working with Support
E Personnel Workplace Accommodations
E Workplace Harassment and Bullying
E Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
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ETFO Membership:
Rights and Responsibilities
As a teacher or occasional teacher working in the elementary panel of a public district school
board or school authority, or as an education worker in a bargaining unit for which ETFO holds
bargaining rights, you are an active member of the federation. Your membership brings many
benefits as well as responsibilities. These are outlined in the ETFO Constitution.
Rights and Privileges of Membership
(Article V ETFO Constitution)
SECTION 1 – Rights and Privileges of Active Membership
5.1.1
An active member shall have full rights, privileges and responsibilities of membership in
the Federation unless limited by disciplinary action taken in accordance with Article VII:
Disciplinary Procedures.
5.1.2
The rights of an active member shall be:
5.1.2.1 to attend, participate and vote at meetings of the local;
5.1.2.2 to attend meetings of the Representative Council and the Annual Meeting;
5.1.2.3 to lodge a complaint against another member, through the Federation, in accordance with Article VII: Disciplinary Procedures;
5.1. 2.4 to request Federation support, through the grievance arbitration process;
5.1.2.5 to request Federation support for employment-related matters including:
5.1.2.5.1 termination or resignation of employment;
5.1. 2.5.2 protection from being slandered, libeled, or harassed in any form; and
5.1.2.5.3 protection from fraudulent or malicious allegations or charges;
5.1.2.6 to request Federation support in any problem directly related to professional
duties;
5.1. 2.7 to request Federation support in an investigatory or disciplinary procedure
undertaken by the College of Teachers;
5.1.2.8 to request Federation support for employment-related matters which are alleged
to have occurred when the individual was a member of the Federation or its
predecessors; and
5.1. 2.9 to approve, after duly-called information meetings, the commencement and
conclusion of any provincial job action by an all-member vote.
5.1.3
An active member who accepts a position as a temporary or acting principal/viceprincipal
which involves any responsibility for the evaluation and/or disciplining of other members,
shall have the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of membership suspended for the
duration of the appointment.
5.1.4
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An active member who accepts a position as a temporary or acting principal/vice-principal
may not also be the workplace steward for the duration of the appointment.
Code of Professional Conduct (Article VI ETFO Constitution)
Within the ETFO Constitution is the Code of Professional Conduct. This Code outlines your
obligations within the Federation. As a member of ETFO you are expected to adhere to these
obligations.
Why is the Code of Professional Conduct important?
A Code of Professional Conduct is a framework that informs and guides your actions in relation to
your colleagues, your Union and your profession.
The Federation can best accomplish its objects when individual members adhere to the Code of
Professional Conduct. Respecting the Code helps ETFO work on your behalf to improve working
conditions, to advance the profession and to ensure a professional working environment. We all
benefit from this individual responsibility within collective action.
A strong union for teachers and education workers is vital to quality education in the province.
6.1.
6.2
A member shall:
6.1.1
recognize the Federation as the official voice of all the active members of the
Federation;
6.1.2
adhere to the Constitution, Bylaws, and Directives of the Federation;
6.1.3
support collective bargaining initiatives, including a strike authorized by the
Executive;
6.1.4
refrain from undertaking or supporting actions which undermine established
bargaining procedures;
6.1.5
honour the terms of the collective agreement;
6.1.6
strive to eliminate all forms of harassment between individuals in the educational
system;
6.1.7 endeavour to ensure equity and inclusiveness in the workplace; and
6.1.8
strive to achieve and maintain a high degree of professionalism and to uphold
the honour, dignity, and ethical standards of the teaching profession.
A member who is representing ETFO on the local executive and/or the Executive shall, in
addition to 6.1:
6.2.1
strive to achieve and maintain a high degree of professionalism and to uphold
the honour, dignity, and ethical standards of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation
of Ontario.
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What happens if I violate the Code?
As a member of a union, it is essential that you understand the importance of the Code of
Professional Conduct and adhere to your responsibilities in order to reinforce the strength of
the collective.
ETFO employs the principles of due process and natural justice in investigating alleged
violations of the Code. Complaints must be submitted, in writing, to the General Secretary. The
procedure for investigating formal complaints is outlined in Article VII of the ETFO Constitution.
ETFO may implement a range of sanctions for a breach of the Code that may include, but are
not limited to:
• Letter of Concern or Discipline
• Publication of the member’s name in a Federation document
• Denial of services for a specific period of time
• Suspension of the right to hold office locally or provincially for a specific period of time
• Monetary fines
Disciplinary Procedures (Article VII ETFO Constitution)
7.1 A complaint alleging violation of the Code of Professional Conduct shall be submitted by
a member, in writing, to the General Secretary of the Federation within 60 calendar days
of the date of the alleged violation or within 60 calendar days of when a member ought
reasonably to have become aware of the violation.
7.2 The complaint shall state the facts and shall indicate that a copy has been provided to the
member about whom the complaint has been lodged.
7.3 The General Secretary, or designate, shall investigate the complaint and report with
recommendations for further action to the Professional Relations and Discipline
Committee.
7.3.1
Should the General Secretary, or designate, after investigation, deem that a
complaint against a member is vexatious, frivolous, or an abuse of process, the fulltime released officers of the Federation will be informed of the complaint, the course
of the investigation, and the rationale or reason for dismissal.
7.4 The Professional Relations and Discipline Committee shall consider complaints referred
to the committee by the General Secretary and report with recommendations to the
Executive.
7.5 The Executive shall determine the discipline to be enacted.
7.6 The principles of natural justice shall be followed in the disciplinary proceedings.
7.7 Members deemed to be in non-support during a job action may be subject to disciplinary
procedures that include the possibility of a monetary fine of up to $500 per day.
7.8 Members found to be in violation of Article VI, Code of Professional Conduct, shall be
subject to a range of sanctions that may include, but is not limited to, publication of name
in a Federation publication, suspension of the right to hold office in the Federation, and
suspension of Federation services except those required by law.
This is what your
membership means on
paper.
But what does your
membership mean for
you in your everyday
life as an employee
who deserves a healthy
working environment
and good working
conditions, as a
professional who strives
for continued growth,
and as a citizen in the
broader society who
wants to build a better
and safer world? Look
at ETFO programs and
services for the answer.
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ETFO: The Provincial Organization
ETFO on the Web
www.etfo.ca is your entry to up-to-date information about what is going on in and around
ETFO. Sections allow you to find out important information on:
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• the organization of ETFO, including the
Executive, the staff, committees, ETFO
priorities, and ETFO awards;
• the latest information concerning
collective bargaining;
• being a new member of ETFO;
• education issues, such as teacher testing,
privatization of education, and education
funding;
• equity initiatives, such as homophobia,
anti-racist education, and women’s
issues;
• a variety of important legal and
professional issues impacting on
education workers in Professional
Relations (PRS) Matters bulletins and
webcasts;
how to access related ETFO websites, such as www.earlylearningcentral.ca, a website for
primary educators, www.heartandart.ca, a website for beginning teachers, and etfo-aq.ca,
a site to access information about ETFO’s AQ courses;
links to all of ETFO’s locals;
links to ETFO’s Facebook page, Twitter account, and YouTube channel where you can
follow us and receive regular updates from your federation;
advice for members, including advisories responding to various government and
agency initiatives;
the latest ETFO news releases, newsletters, magazines, and briefs to government;
political action, including Queen’s Park Highlights, and a political action questionnaire;
a database of resources for teachers containing lesson plans, activities, units and
blackline masters;
an e-newsletter you can subscribe to so that you receive all the latest information from
your federation;
multimedia content, including regular video addresses from the President, webcasts,
and photo albums;
professional development information, including courses, workshops, and conferences
from ETFO; and
information on how to purchase ETFO publications and curriculum resources from
shopETFO.
All of the information you need to be an active member in ETFO is on the website.
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The Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of ETFO is held in August each year. Your local has a minimum of two
voting delegates to this meeting as well as additional delegates calculated on the basis of one
per every one hundred and twenty members of the local. The local may also send alternate
delegates and observers to the meeting.
The Annual Meeting ratifies the priorities of the organization, elects the Executive, approves
the budget and fees, amends the Constitution, votes on resolutions, and fulfills a variety of
other responsibilities.
Representative Council
The Representative Council is composed of the president of each local and additional
representatives based on the size of the local. The Council meets three times a year and is
responsible for reviewing the proposed annual budget, recommending policy to the Executive
or Annual Meeting, recommending actions to the Executive, approving ETFO’s bargaining
goals, and other activities.
“Any weakening in
universal public
education can only
be a weakening of
democracy.”
John Ralston Saul
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Standing Committees
ETFO has a number of Standing Committees:
• Aboriginal Education
• Annual Meeting
• Anti-Racist Education
•Arts
•Awards
• Collective Bargaining
• Disability Issues
• Early Years
• Education Support Personnel/
Professional Support Personnel/
Designated Early Childhood Educator
• English as a Second Language
•Environmental
• French as a Second Language
• Human Rights
• Intermediate Division
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•
International Assistance
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
Members
• Men’s Focus
• New Members
• Occasional Teacher
• Occupational Health and Safety
•Pension
• Political Action
• Professional Development/
Curriculum
• Professional Relations and Discipline
• Special Education
• Status of Women
• Teacher Education/Faculty Liaison
The members of these committees are appointed provincially and they meet during the year to
provide the perspective of the member and advice on Federation initiatives and programs, as
well as make recommendations to the Executive. To apply for a standing committee, complete
the application form available on the website www.etfo.ca.
Awards
Every year ETFO recognizes member achievements and assists with academic studies. In
addition, ETFO recognizes activities and programs at the local level, distinguished academic
achievements, and outstanding contributions to education and this federation by its members
and others. Bursaries are available to assist with continuing education including additional
qualification courses as well as scholarships to assist with post graduate studies.
The following program of special honours and awards is administered by the Awards Committee
on behalf of ETFO and its members. Deadline dates for the various awards are February 1, and
April 30 of each year. For more detailed information or to obtain an application form go to
www.etfo.ca. In the “About ETFO”Awards and Scholarships” section of the mainpage you will
find descriptions, criteria, and application forms for all of the following awards.
“Tell me, I forget.
Show me, and I may not
remember.
Involve me, and I
understand.”
Native American Saying
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Aboriginal Women in Education (Women’s Program)
Anti-Bias Curriculum Development Award
Arts and Culture Award
Bev Saskoley Anti-Racist Scholarship
Children’s Literature Award
Curriculum Development Award
Curriculum Development Award (Women’s Program)
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“The mediocre teacher
tells. The good teacher
explains. The superior
teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher
inspires.”
William Arthur Ward
Doctoral Scholarships
Doctoral Scholarships (Women’s Program)
ETFO Bursaries (for persons with a disability, visible minorities, Aboriginal persons,
LGBT)
ETFO Bursaries (for persons with a disability, visible minorities, Aboriginal persons,
LBT – Women’s Program)
ETFO Bursaries (for sons and daughters of ETFO members)
ETFO Member Bursary
Faculty of Education Awards
Honourary Life Membership
Humanitarian Award for a Non-ETFO Member
Humanitarian Award for an ETFO Member
Master’s Scholarships
Master’s Scholarships (Women’s Program)
Member Engagement Award
Multi-Media Award
Multi-Media Award (Women’s Program)
Native as a Second Language (NSL) Bursary
Outstanding Role Model for Women (Women’s Program)
Rainbow Visions Award
Women Who Develop Special Projects in Science and Technology (Women’s Program)
Women Working in Social Activism on behalf of Women and Children (Women’s
Program)
Women’s Studies Scholarship
Writer’s Award
Writer’s Award (Women’s Program)
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ETFO and the Labour Movement
ETFO is the largest teachers’ organization affiliated to the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). The CLC is the largest democratic and popular
organization in Canada with over three million members. The CLC brings together Canada’s
national and international unions, the provincial and territorial federations of labour,
and 130 district labour councils. Most national and international unions in Canada
belong to the Congress.
The Ontario Federation of Labour is the umbrella organization for the labour movement in
Ontario and represents 700,000 unionized workers. Because of its size, ETFO is represented on
the Executive Board of the OFL by two representatives.
The majority of the members of both the CLC and the OFL are public sector workers and
both organizations are strong advocates on behalf of these workers and public services. ETFO
membership in these organizations ensures that issues of concern to ETFO members are
included in all discussions.
Our membership in these organizations gives ETFO access to labour research and programs;
links ETFO with other organized workers, many of whom are parents of the children we
teach; involves ETFO in the social justice campaigns the labour movement undertakes; and
strengthens the voice of all those who defend public education and public services.
A number of ETFO locals are affiliated to labour councils in their communities. Find out if your
local is one of them and see how you can get involved.
For more information go to www.clc-ctc.ca and www.ofl.ca.
“The best case for
public education has
always been that it
is a common good.
Everyone, ultimately,
has a stake in the
caliber of schools, and
education is everyone’s
business.”
Michael Fullan
84
ETFO Provincial: Services Areas
For administrative purposes ETFO programs are organized into three major service areas Equity and Women’s Services, Professional Services, and Protective Services. What follows are
brief descriptions of the major programs and services offered to members.
Equity and Women’s Services
ETFO is a leader among teacher federations on equity issues, particularly in its support for
women’s participation and leadership. There are designated positions for women on the ETFO
Executive (5 of 14 positions), and constitutional guarantees that programs for women will
be provided, with funding allocated for this purpose. These programs offer direct services
to women members through courses, workshops, awards, and publications. Funding is also
available to establish provincial and local partnerships with other organizations and to support
groups that advance the status of women and women’s issues in society.
ETFO’s equity and women’s programs are offered in the context of the Federation’s
constitutional object “to foster a climate of social justice in Ontario and continue a leadership
role in such areas as anti-poverty, non-violence, and equity,” and in the spirit of the statement
and definition of equity adopted by the ETFO Executive:
It is the goal of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario to work with others to create schools,
communities and a society free from all forms of individual and systemic discrimination. To further
this goal, ETFO defines equity as fairness achieved through proactive measures which result in
equality, promotes diversity, fosters respect and dignity for all.
Work incorporating these principles spans all service areas of ETFO. The particular issues of
women members, Aboriginal members, racialized members, members with disabilities, and
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members are included in women’s programs, addressed
through standing committees, and explored through a range of other equity programs. Issues
of poverty and social class are addressed throughout.
“Inclusive education
seeks to provide a
welcoming environment
for all students, not
by ignoring gender,
race, disability, or
sexual identities, but
by recognizing and
validating difference.”
Heather-Jane Robertson
Some of the ongoing programs and initiatives offered through Equity and Women’s Services
include:
• An annual women’s leadership conference, ... and still we rise, held in February;
• Leaders for Tomorrow: leadership training for diverse women;
• Workshops for teachers addressing a variety of equity issues including in-service
sessions for the ETFO social justice focused curriculum resources;
• Workshops on disabilities and accommodation issues offered to locals;
• Workshops on confronting homophobia, and other exclusionary practices;
• Introduction of equity issues to pre-service teachers;
• Solidarity Study Groups: support for members engaged in building understanding
about various social justice issues;
• Partnerships with the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH),
Workers Action Centre, Springtide Resources, Centre Ontarien de Prevention des
Agressions (COPA), and other community groups;
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Support for the collaboration between local members and women’s initiatives in their
communities;
Participation in the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and the Canadian Labour
Congress (CLC) equity committees and events;
Support and participation in the Canadian Aboriginal Festival in November;
Work at the local level including steward training on equity, poverty, and social justice
issues;
Partnerships with organizations addressing international human rights issues and
initiatives;
Participation in Pride Day parades and events;
Participation in International Women’s Day and special events for women;
Anti-violence programs and workshops offered at the provincial and local levels;
Outreach to members from designated groups to increase their involvement in ETFO;
Curriculum resources, pamphlets, and publications addressing broad-based equity
issues;
A multi-session program for new women members to encourage participation in ETFO.
Watch for additional information on these
programs and others from local presidents,
ETFO stewards, local status of women chairs,
ETFO publications, the Equity section on the
ETFO website, and in Voice.
Be sure to check shopETFO for a variety
of inclusive curriculum resources ready for
classroom use. Equity and Women’s Services
also publishes a brochure each year outlining
current programs and services.
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Professional Services
LCommunications
A strong, active membership is built on an informed membership. ETFO keeps members
informed in a number of ways.
E ETFO VOICE
We have had many exciting developments at ETFO Voice this past year – in print and
online. In September, we introduced a redesign of the publication. The redesign has
created more opportunity for members to share their stories, exemplary classroom
practices, resources and experiences. While providing members with the space to delve
deeply into their articles, we also accompany each story with more pictures, illustrations
and diagrams. The print magazine arrives at your home four times a year.
Etfovoice.ca publishes new online-exclusive articles, reviews and blog posts on a weekly
basis. The site offers educators the power of social and online media. By sharing articles
through trust-based networks as well as posting comments, readers can be more
engaged with the materials in the publication. The magazine online offers readers a way
to participate and contribute. Email [email protected] if you have an idea for an article.
The best way to stay in touch with the magazine is to “like” our facebook page at
facebook.com/ETFOVoice. That way you can be the first to hear about newly released
articles, reviews and blog posts, writing opportunities and contests.
E Regular communication with your ETFO school steward provides you with up-todate information on education issues, upcoming conferences, and opportunities for
involvement.
E www.etfo.ca is the ETFO website. You can log onto it anytime for up-to-date information
on the federation and related educational issues.
E You can sign up for an e-newsletter at the ETFO website that will provide you with direct
information about current issues as well as upcoming events and programs.
L Political Action
ETFO maintains a list of political action contacts in each local to keep them informed about
activities at Queen’s Park – those of the government and of the opposition parties. Members
are informed either through e-mail updates or mailings. ETFO also coordinates all-local and
all-member campaigns to advance public education. Position papers, fact sheets, and other
resource material supporting the federation’s policies are posted on-line. Check out the ETFO
website at www.etfo.ca. The report, Queen’s Park Highlights, gives you an up-to-date union
take on what’s happening at the Ontario legislature. Members can also sign up for the ETFO
political action Facebook group, a closed group open only to ETFO members. The Facebook
group provides a forum for information sharing and discussion related to current education
politics. Members can also follow @qpwatcher on Twitter, a staff Twitter account that reports
on Queen’s Park and shares information about current events. Politically active members are
also encouraged to join their local’s political action committee.
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ETFO members who are active in a provincial or
federal party have access to financial support
to attend conventions and conferences of
the main political parties. The ETFO Political
Convention Subsidy provides up to $500 to
cover the expenses of members who attend
these political meetings. The guidelines for
accessing the subsidy are available in the
Action and Advocacy section of the ETFO
website on the Political Action page.
L Professional Learning
Increasing accountability demands, the focus
on data – driven instruction, teacher inquiry
and a shift to increased collaboration at the
school level have placed a new emphasis
on teacher learning and leadership. ETFO
has responded to this challenge by offering
a wide variety of professional learning
opportunities delivered in multiple formats,
times, and locations. ETFO professional learning activities respect sound principles of
effective professional learning: are practical yet grounded in theory and best practice, integrate
the acquisition of new skills and prior learning, are self- directed, and provide opportunities
for collaboration, networking, reflection, and feedback. Our high-quality, low-cost curriculum
resources are developed by our members who understand the realities of our classrooms.
E ETFO is a provider of 71 online interactive practical and engaging Additional Qualification
courses that are facilitated by knowledgeable and experienced instructors. In addition,
ETFO also provides many onsite AQ courses (e.g., Kindergarten, Special Education).
Destination AQs, which are unique learning experiences, that combine online learning
prior to leaving home with face-to-face learning in various countries, are a way of
integrating learning and travel. More information may be found at www.etfo-aq.ca.
E A variety of Credit Courses are offered online and at locations across the province
throughout the year. These courses may be recognized by QECO for category placement.
Check with your local president to determine if your course is eligible.
E ETFO has developed a Book Club program for 26 resources to run in partnership with
interested locals:
1. The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning
2. Thinking It Through: Introduction to Child Development
3. Thinking It Through: Introduction to The Arts - Joyful Learning
4. Thinking It Through: Introduction to Literacy and the Young Child
5. Thinking It Through: Introduction to Learning In Centres
6. Thinking It Through: Introduction to Playing Is Learning
7. Thinking It Through: Introduction to Science and Technology
8. Thinking It Through: Introduction to Assessment That Informs Instruction
9. Thinking It Through: Introduction to Thinking Mathematically
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10. Thinking It Through: Teaching and Learning in the Kindergarten Classroom
11. Primarily Play: Engaging primary learners through play
12. Transformer sa pédagogie
13. Learning Together: A Teacher’s Guide to Combined Grades
14. I Am the Teacher
15. Teaching for Deep Understanding
16. Worms, Shadows and Whirlpools
17. Professional Learning to Reshape Teaching
18. Making Math Happen in the Primary Years
19. Making Math Happen in the Junior Years
20. Differentiated Instructional Strategies for Writing in the Content Areas
21. Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom
22. The Arts Go To School
23. ETFO Special Education Handbook
24. Punished by Rewards
25. Classroom Management That Works
26. Social Justice Begins with Me
E The ETFO Summer Academy Program offers members a wide variety of three-day
courses across the province throughout July and August. These motivating and refreshing
courses provide teachers with opportunities for ongoing professional growth and
collegial networking.
E Local curriculum workshops and ICT courses are offered in cooperation with ETFO locals
and school boards.
E The ETFO Principal’s Qualification Program (PQP) is offered across the province in
partnership with district school boards. This innovative program is based on building
learning communities to support the improvement of student learning.
E ETFO Presenters on the Road Program offers a variety of workshops developed by
members for members and delivered throughout the province. Your ETFO local makes
this happen.
ETFO also offers numerous workshops and annual conferences. Additional information
about all these programs, dates, and locations can be found on our website www.etfo.
ca. Check out the online calendar of events. Your ETFO steward receives regular mailings
with application forms for many programs. Your local professional learning chair is an
important source of information as is your local president. Additionally, these professional
learning activities are highlighted in the ETFO electronic newsletter. You can sign up for this
newsletter at the ETFO website.
L Public Relations
Establishing a positive profile for public elementary educators and for the federation is
essential to the success of the organization, the morale of the members, and the credibility of
our issues. Public relations in ETFO takes a variety of forms including regular media releases
on emerging issues, radio ads, print campaigns, billboard advertising, pamphlets for parents
and teachers, and much more.
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Locals also receive support in their communications strategies through individual assistance
and through communication workshops that ETFO staff delivers to locals. ETFO regularly
works with other federations and unions, social justice groups, community agencies, and
education stakeholders to advance education and social justice issues.
Protective Services
L Collective Bargaining
ETFO is the bargaining agent for all ETFO bargaining units.
ETFO collective bargaining staff provide direct assistance to your local, as well as all other locals,
to help you achieve and maintain strong collective agreements. They provide assistance with
preparation of preliminary proposals for improvements to your collective agreement as well as;
• ongoing advice on strategies and bargaining positions;
• assistance at the bargaining table;
• training of local presidents and negotiators at regional and provincial conferences;
• assistance in contract enforcement including the processing of grievances;
• access to legal advice through staff; and
• production of resource documents, statistical and clausal analyses, trends in
negotiations, and other materials relevant to bargaining.
Collective agreements provide rights, entitlements, and protection against arbitrary treatment.
The following are a few items which would not be there without collective bargaining:
Your Salary
It is not set by law. In fact, teachers are exempt from the law which provides minimum wage
protection to most other workers in this province. The fact that your salary rises each year, and
that there is an experience grid which causes it to rise even further in your first ten or so years
of teaching, is due to collective bargaining.
Your Insured Benefits
The coverage you receive for prescription glasses, prescription drugs, dental services, hearing
aids, and semi-private hospital room care is negotiated at the bargaining table. So, too, are your
life insurance policy and your long-term disability coverage.
Your Workday
The general framework in the Education Act with respect to school day and student instructional
time leaves wide scope for collective bargaining. Therefore, your collective agreement can cover
the instructional day, preparation time, supervision time, and an overall limit to the working day.
Your Work Assignment
For teachers, transfer, seniority, and lay-off provisions are all subject to collective bargaining.
So, too, are the rights of part-time teachers. For occasional teachers, the size of the call-out list,
the right to remain on the list, the system of call-out, and the posting and allocation of longterm positions are all bargainable items.
Your Peace of Mind
One of the most important parts of your collective agreement is your “just cause” clause.
Without it, your job tenure would be much less secure and your employer would be able to
discharge or discipline you far more easily.
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Collective Bargaining – An Evolving Process
Collective bargaining is an ongoing process which continually evolves, gaining more
protections and better working conditions for educators over time. Each and every ETFO
member has a stake in reading and understanding the agreement, and in supporting the
local bargaining process. Collective bargaining protects your rights as an educator. Read your
collective agreement today.
L Professional Relations
During the course of your career you may experience professional difficulties that cannot be
addressed or resolved through the collective agreement. Working in the education system is
more challenging today than it has ever been. Teachers and education workers have complex
and varying roles in a litigious climate during a time of continual change and ongoing challenges.
ETFO professional relations staff provide information, advice, support, and intervention for
members who are experiencing professional difficulties covering a broad range of issues.
A 24-hour emergency
assistance line is
available to members
facing criminal
allegations related to
their profession.
For advice or assistance
in any of these
areas, contact ETFO
professional relations
staff (PRS) at
416-962-3836 or toll
free: 1-888-838-3836.
All information
shared by a member
with professional
relations staff is held in
confidence.
Staff in professional relations will advise you of your rights and responsibilities in matters such as:
• difficulties with students, staff, parents, administration;
• ethics and professionalism;
• teacher performance appraisals;
• Ontario College of Teachers complaints;
• criminal allegations related to the member’s employment responsibilities;
• conflict resolution;
• Employment Insurance;
• harassment and discrimination;
• human rights issues;
• long term disability;
• resignation and termination;
• stress and sick leave; and
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
This service is confidential and no action would be taken without the knowledge and consent
of the member.
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ETFO Leadership Development
In addition to maintaining strong links between the provincial organization and the locals,
ETFO works to foster a strong active membership and an effective leadership through a variety
of services and programs.
E ETFO runs a unique program for local leaders called Union School. This intensive
longitudinal program assists local leaders in developing more inclusive and engaging
leadership skills. Participants complete a variety of readings, assignments, and on-line
activities in an effort to become the dynamic, proactive leaders of tomorrow.
E The ETFO video Voices of the Union, available from your local, shows new as well as
experienced ETFO members discussing the value of the union and the opportunities
for involvement. The pamphlet Workplace Protection + Professional Development
+Social Activism = ETFO provides more information about ETFO and opportunities for
involvement.
E ETFO staff delivers workshops to local executives on goal setting, planning,
teambuilding, issue management, effective meetings, and much more. The fall leadership
training gives local elected leaders opportunities to hone their skills and increase their
knowledge of education issues.
E ETFO offers stewards a variety of workshops on communications, rights and
responsibilities, collective bargaining, equity issues, conflict resolution, and many more.
E Workshops specifically designed for the teacher representatives on school councils assist
them to advance the cause of education with parents and the broader community.
E ETFO offers specific programs designed to assist members of designated groups seek
leadership positions within the union. Offered by ETFO’s Equity and Women’s Services
department, these powerful sessions are designed to assist those members who might
otherwise encounter barriers to leadership positions.
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Who’s Who in Education
L Your Union – ETFO
As has been outlined, ETFO is your professional organization. A strong union of over 76,000
teachers, occasional teachers and education workers, ETFO speaks for its members and
makes sure their voices are heard.
ETFO protects teachers’ rights, provides professional development, promotes the profession
and the cause of education and works for social justice.
L Public District School Boards and OPSBA
There are 31 public district school boards in Ontario. These district school boards are the
employers for the teachers in the province’s public schools. See the map of Ontario in the All
About ETFO section of this resource for the alignment of locals and district school boards.
As the employer, the district school board negotiates the collective agreement with its
teachers. The district school board is responsible to the Ministry of Education to implement
Ministry policies and legislation regarding the teachers and pupils of Ontario.
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) is an organization that represents
public district school boards and public school authorities across Ontario. The Association
advocates on behalf of the interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario. OPSBA
is called on by the provincial government for input and advice on legislation and the impact
of government policy directions.
L Ontario Ministry of Education
The Ontario Ministry of Education is responsible for establishing the policies and regulations
and drafting legislation which govern education in the province.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Through its policies, the Ministry establishes the curriculum that is to be taught and sets the
regulations for teacher evaluations and pupil testing. As Ministry guidelines are set, they are
communicated to the district school boards that are responsible for their implementation.
L The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT)
The Ontario College of Teachers Act gives the College the authority to regulate the profession
and govern the conduct of its members, including teachers, principals, and most supervisory
officers in the school system.
Membership in the College is a requirement for those who wish to maintain their teacher
cer-tification in Ontario.
Membership is open to anyone qualified to teach in Ontario including:
• teachers in public and private schools;
• occasional teachers;
• university professors and college instructors; and
• qualified teachers working in government, federations, and the private sector.
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All teacher and occasional teacher members must be certified with the College before they
are eligible to teach in a classroom in Ontario. Accordingly, members are required to pay an
annual fee to ensure that they remain in “good standing” with the College.
If a member fails to maintain active membership in the College, their certificate of
qualification will be suspended.
As part of its mandate, the Ontario College of Teachers investigates complaints against
members and deals with discipline and fitness to practise issues.
The College’s Professional Misconduct Regulation outlines numerous examples of conduct that
may lead to the investigation of a member. A few of these are as follows:
• failing to maintain the standards of the profession;
• abusing a student physically,
• abusing a student sexually,
• abusing a student verbally,
• abusing a student psychologically or emotionally,
• failing to keep records as required by his or her professional duties;
• failing to comply with the Education Act or the regulations made under the Act·
• conduct unbecoming a member;
• failing to co-operate in a College investigation.
It is important that all members are aware of this regulation and the impact it may have
on their professional lives. Please refer to the College website www.oct.ca to access this
regulation in its entirety.
Complaint Against You?
If you are contacted by the College and advised that a complaint has been made against you:
• listen to what the College staff is advising you about the complaint.
• ask questions to clarify, if necessary.
• DO NOT make any statement or respond to questions related to the complaint itself.
• you will receive a copy of the complaint along with the investigation procedures in the
mail after they make the telephone contact.
• contact ETFO staff in Professional Relations Services immediately.
Contemplating a Complaint Against a Teacher?
•
•
Members are advised to contact ETFO BEFORE making a complaint to the College
about another member of the College.
Every member of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation is bound by the Code of Ethics, in
particular Section 18 (1) (b) of the regulation under the Teaching Profession Act which
states that
A member shall, on making an adverse report on another member, furnish him with a
written statement of the report at the earliest possible time and not later than three days
after making the report
(Note: A member that makes an adverse report about another member respecting suspected sexual
abuse of a student by that other member need not provide him or her with a copy of the report or
with any information about the report)
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L College of Early Childhood Educators
The College of Early Childhood Educators (the College) is a professional self-regulatory body
for early childhood educators focused on quality and standards in the practice of early
childhood education. It is the first self-regulatory college for early childhood educators in
Canada.
The duties of the College of Early Childhood Educators include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Setting registration requirements to ensure that only qualified and competent
individuals are registered as members;
Maintaining a public register of early childhood educators;
Establishing a code of ethics and standards of practice for early childhood educators;
Investigating complaints from the public about the conduct of its members and, if
necessary, disciplining members;
Setting standards of practice that all early childhood educators are accountable to
meet; and
Assuring parents that members of the College will be held accountable for providing a
high standard of care and early education for children.
L Qualifications Evaluation Council of Ontario (QECO)
QECO was founded in 1969 by OECTA, ETFO and AEFO to provide, and to objectively
administer, the evaluation of teacher qualifications for salary purposes. Under Program 5,
QECO provides a consistent plan for teacher salary recognition when specific academic and
professional requirements are achieved.
The QECO program of evaluation for salary purposes is unique since it is negotiated by
teachers and their boards for inclusion in local collective agreements. Teachers’ qualifications
are assessed and a QECO Statement of Evaluation is provided. QECO Statements of Evaluation
are accepted by school boards in Ontario for salary category placement purposes. The salaries
teachers are paid is a matter which is negotiated between teacher bargaining units and their
board.
A QECO evaluation may result in one of four category placements: Category A1 through
Category A4. After receiving a QECO Statement of Evaluation, it is the teacher’s responsibility
to submit it to the school board for appropriate salary category placement. ETFO members
need to be aware of their board’s policy around QECO deadlines and to apply early for an
evaluation, since the onus is on the teacher to ensure he or she meets those deadlines.
It is important for teachers to keep QECO apprised of any additions to their qualifications. They
must do this by formally completing a QECO application. Members are also reminded to apply
regularly for upgrading advice that will assist them toward the most expedient route to reach
their next QECO salary category.
Application forms are available on the QECO website (www.qeco.on.ca). Completed applications
should be mailed to QECO and should include the following:
•
•
•
A copy of your Certification of Qualification (a copy printed from the Ontario College
of Teachers website is acceptable – www.oct.ca);
Proof of employment (e.g., pay stub, letter of employment);
Official university transcripts;
•
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Complete documentation for every course taken.
QECO can only process a request after receiving a complete application. There is an average
12-week turnaround time for QECO applications accompanied by complete and accurate
supporting documentation.
Helpful Tip
QECO applications may be processed more quickly if you ensure all documents, including
official university transcripts, are delivered in one package to QECO. While QECO accepts
official transcripts submitted directly from universities, waiting for their delivery may slow
the evaluation process.
Qualifications and Evaluation Council of Ontario
1300 Yonge Street, Suite 308
Toronto ON M4T 1X3
Toronto: (416) 323-1969
Toll Free in Ontario: 1 (800) 385-1030
Website: www.qeco.on.ca
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Other Important Information for
New Members
This section contains more details on specific topics that will be important for you to know
throughout your career in education. The information will also help you to make the transition
from new member to experienced member.
L Duties of Teachers
The Education Act is the core statute governing elementary and secondary education in the
province of Ontario. In addition to the Education Act, other statutes and regulations exist
to further expand upon the various legal requirements for educators in Ontario. Section
264 of the Education Act and Regulation 298 clearly delineate the duties of a teacher and a
temporary teacher.
Excerpts from the Education Act, Section 264
(1)It is the duty of a teacher and a temporary teacher,
a) to teach diligently and faithfully the classes or subjects assigned to the teacher by the
principal;
b) to encourage the pupils in the pursuit of learning;
c) to inculcate by precept and example respect for religion and the principles of
JudaeoChristian morality and the highest regard for truth, justice, loyalty, love of country,
humanity, benevolence, sobriety, industry, frugality, purity, temperance and all other virtues;
d) to assist in developing co-operation and co-ordination of effort among the members of the
staff of the school;
e) to maintain, under the direction of the principal, proper order and discipline in the teacher’s
classroom and while on duty in the school and on the school ground;
f) in instruction and in all communications with the pupils in regard to discipline and the
management of the school;
i) to use the English language, except where it is impractical to do so by reason of the pupil
not understanding English, and except in respect of instruction in a language other than
English when such other language is being taught as one of the subjects in the course of
study, or
ii) to use the French language in schools or classes in which French is the language
of instruction except where it is impractical to do so by reason of the pupil not
understanding French, and except in respect of instruction in a language other than
French when such other language is being taught as one of the subjects in the course of
study;
g) to conduct the teacher’s class in accordance with a timetable which shall be accessible to
pupils and to the principal and supervisory officers;
h) to participate in professional activity days as designated by the board under the regulations;
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i) to notify such person as is designated by the board if the teacher is to be absent from school
and the reason therefor;
j) to deliver the register, the school key and other school property in the teacher’s possession
to the board on demand, or when the teacher’s agreement with the board has expired, or
when for any reason the teacher’s employment has ceased; and
k) to use and permit to be used as a textbook in a class that he or she teaches in an elementary
or a secondary school,
i) in a subject area for which textbooks are approved by the Minister, only textbooks that
are approved by the Minister, and
ii) in all subject areas, only textbooks that are approved by the board.
I) to perform all duties assigned in accordance with the Act and regulations.
Excerpts from Regulation 298, Section 20
In addition to the duties assigned to the teacher under the Act and by the board, a teacher shall,
a) be responsible for effective instruction, training and evaluation of the progress of pupils in
the subjects assigned to the teacher and for the management of the class or classes, and
report to the principal on the progress of pupils on request;
b) carry out the supervisory duties and instructional program assigned to the teacher by the
principal and supply such information related thereto as the principal may require;
c) where the board has appointed teachers under section 14 or 17, co-operate fully with such
teachers and with the principal in all matters related to the instruction of pupils;
d) unless otherwise assigned by the principal, be present in the classroom or teaching area
and ensure that the classroom or teaching area is ready for the reception of pupils at least
fifteen minutes before the commencement of classes in the school in the morning and, where
applicable, five minutes before the commencement of classes in the school in the afternoon;
e) assist the principal in maintaining close co-operation with the community;
f) prepare for use in the teacher’s class or classes such teaching plans and outlines as are
required by the principal and the appropriate supervisory officer and submit the plans
and outlines to the principal or the appropriate supervisory officer, as the case may be, on
request;
g) ensure that all reasonable safety procedures are carried out in courses and activities for
which the teacher is responsible;
h) co-operate with the principal and other teachers to establish and maintain consistent
disciplinary practices in the school;
i) ensure that report cards are fully and properly completed and processed in accordance with
the guides known in English as *Guide to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 1-8 and Guide
to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 9-12, and in French as Guide d’utilisation du bulletin
scolaire de l’Ontario de la 1re à la 8e année and Guide du bulletin scolaire de l’Ontario de
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la 9e à la 12e année, as the case may be, both available electronically through a link in the
document known in English as Ontario School Record (OSR) Guideline, 2000 and in French
as Dossier scolaire de l’Ontario Guide, 2000, online at: www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/
curricul/osr/osr.html; or www.edu.gov.on.ca/fre/document/curricul/osr/osrf.html;
*Beginning in September 2010, assessment, evaluation, and reporting in Ontario schools
will be based on the policies and practices described in the document Growing Success:
Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario’s Schools, First Edition Covering Grades 1
to 12 found online at: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf
j) co-operate and assist in the administration of tests under the Education Quality and
Accountability Office Act, 1996;
k) participate in regular meetings with pupils’ parents or guardians;
I) perform duties as assigned by the principal in relation to co-operative placements of pupils;
and
m)perform duties normally associated with the graduation of pupils.
L Criminal Allegations
Legal Assistance for Members
The federation provides legal assistance to defend members against allegations that are related
to the member’s employment responsibilities.
If you are contacted by the police or the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) regarding an allegation
against you
1. DO NOT participate in or consent to an interview. Do not provide a written statement or
account of what occurred to anyone before consulting ETFO.
2. Make no statement (verbal or written) to anyone regarding the allegations/charges.
3. Say “I’m willing to co-operate but I am unable to comment until I contact the federation
and legal counsel.”
4. Call ETFO staff in professional relations (PRS) at 1-888-838-3836 (416-962-3836) and
state that your call is urgent.
“After Hours” Emergency Legal Assistance
If you require emergency legal assistance outside of ETFO office hours a voice message will
provide you with the necessary instructions to reach an operator. The operator will ask you a
few questions and will contact a criminal lawyer, if appropriate.
What is an emergency?
•
•
•
Police are on the scene or on the way.
You are at risk of being arrested/incarcerated.
You are facing criminal charges for an alleged criminal offence that arises directly from
your employment responsibilities.
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L Child Abuse
All members of ETFO have a statutory obligation under the Child and Family Services Act to
personally report to the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) when «a child is or may be in need of
protection.” Such a need may arise as a result of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or
neglect. The failure of a member to report suspected child abuse or a pattern of neglect
could result in charges under the Act with a fine, upon conviction, of up to $1,000.
It should be noted that, in addition to charges under the Act, a member may face the
possibility of legal action for failure to report suspected abuse or pattern of neglect
situations.
The Statutory Obligation to Report Suspected Child Abuse
1. Applies to every person who performs professional or official duties with respect to a
child, including teachers, principals, supervisory officers, and members of the support
staff.
2. Arises if there are «reasonable” grounds to suspect a pattern of neglect or abuse or the
risk of neglect or abuse regardless of whether one believes the information.
3. Requires a report to be made directly to the local CAS, not through the principal or
vice-principal.
4. Protects the informant from future liability.
L Parent Concerns
Parent concerns must be acknowledged and addressed at the school level. If parents believe
they have been ignored they may take further action, which could escalate the situation.
If you are made aware of a parent complaint other than an allegation of assault or abuse, you
should contact the parent directly or arrange for you, the parent, and the principal to meet to
discuss the problem.
Depending on the seriousness of the situation, the principal may wish to facilitate
the discussion between you and the parent. Every effort should be made to reach an
understanding and a positive outcome for all concerned – parent, member, and principal.
Every situation will need careful consideration of what is the most appropriate way of
dealing with the complaint. ETFO staff in professional relations can assist you with strategies
and resources for responding to parent concerns. The ETFO resource entitled Parent-Teacher
Relationships: Putting the Pieces Together addresses a variety of issues including establishing
positive relationships with parents, conflict management, parent harassment, and more. This
resource is available for purchase through shopETFO.
L The Ontario Human Rights Code
The Ontario Human Rights Code sets out every person’s right to equal treatment with respect
to employment without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour,
ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, record of
offences, marital status, same-sex partnership status, family status, or disability.
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The Code also sets out every person’s right to equal treatment without discrimination related
to prohibited grounds with respect to services, membership in a trade union, occupational
association or self-governing profession, contracts, and accommodation.
Harassment
Harassment is a form of discrimination encompassing a wide range of comment or conduct,
and is prohibited under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Section 10 of the Code defines
harassment as “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is lrnown or ought
reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.” The Code also ensures that every person who is an
employee has a right to freedom from harassment in the work place because of race, ancestry,
place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status, or disability.
Examples of behaviour that have been found to constitute harassment include:
•
•
•
•
•
remarks or jokes about race, religion, sexuality, disability, etc.;
verbal threats, intimidation, abuse;
displaying offensive pictures or posters;
subjecting an individual to pranks, practical jokes, or ridicule; and
physical assault.
It is important to distinguish between harassment on the basis of a prohibited ground and
general unpleasant treatment in the workplace. The latter is not covered by the Ontario
Human Rights Code. However, if a board policy or your collective agreement goes beyond the
prohibited grounds set out in the Code, other types of harassment may be addressed through
the grievance procedure. For example, a board policy or collective agreement could prohibit
personal harassment, or abuse of authority.
While many teachers may feel “harassed” by their principals when they are overly scrutinized
or given onerous workloads, harassment in this form is not covered by the Code and can
be more difficult to prove. Contact ETFO staff in professional relations to discuss possible
solutions for resolving these types of situations.
Duty to Accommodate
The right to equal treatment is accompanied by the “duty to accommodate” with respect to
prohibited grounds under the Code. Employers, for example, must take steps to eliminate
the consequences of any general workplace practices or rules that have the effect of being
discriminatory. In other words, an employer’s obligation to treat employees in a nondiscriminatory fashion will not necessarily mean treating them the same. Special equipment
may need to be provided for an employee with a disability. A pregnant employee may need
a temporary reassignment better suited to her physical condition. The religious beliefs of an
employee may give rise to the need for flexibility around scheduling or dress codes.
In fulfilling its duty to accommodate under the Human Rights Code, an employer must
do whatever it can, short of causing undue hardship. In assessing what constitutes undue
hardship, the cost, and health and safety requirements are factors to be considered.
However, the threshold is high, and the legal test of undue hardship means much more
than inconvenience. There must be a real question as to whether the measure taken to
accommodate would affect the viability of some or all of the employer’s business.
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If you are pursuing an accommodation, you should speak with your ETFO local to find out
more about the process in your board.
Human Rights Code Complaints
Complaints may be brought under the Ontario Human Rights Code to the Human Rights
Tribunal of Ontario as “applications” if it falls under one of the grounds in the Code. The
Tribunal may decide not to hold a hearing if they determine that a grievance has already
“appropriately dealt with the substance of an application”.
L Long Term Disability
Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage is available to members through group insurance
benefits negotiated into your local collective agreement. This benefit is meant as an income
replacement plan and protects your pension plan contributions in the event of an illness or
injury that extends beyond your sick leave protection.
Members must meet the terms of the LTD contract to qualify for benefits. If you need to file
a claim or are having difficulty getting your claim accepted, your local ETFO office or school
board personnel will be able to assist you. If you are insured with the Ontario Teachers’
Insurance Plan (OTIP), staff at OTIP can also assist you with your claim. ETFO staff may
become involved when an appeal of a denied claim has been turned down.
Please see ETFO’s resource booklet, “A Members Guide to LTD” at www.etfo.ca for additional
information. Specific guidelines have been established by the ETFO Executive that outlines the
type of assistance that may be provided by ETFO when an appeal of a denied claim has been
unsuccessful.
“Good schools, like good
families, celebrate and
cherish diversity.”
Deborah Meier
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L Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
All accidents/injuries that occur on the worksite or that arise out of and in the course of
employment, no matter how trivial, should be reported to the employer.
A WSIB claim should be filed if there is lost time or medical treatment was/is required as a
result of a workplace accident. If you are injured at work you may qualify for benefits from the
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
Please see ETFO’s resource booklet, “A Members Guide to the WSIB” at www.etfo.ca for
additional information. Specific guidelines have been established by the ETFO Executive that
outlines the type of assistance that may be provided by ETFO when a claim has been denied.
L Occupational Health and Safety
When working conditions are healthy and safe, ETFO members are free to be at their
professional best. Clean and fresh indoor air, protection from violence in the workplace, and
well maintained schools are important factors in our wellbeing.
School boards have a legal duty to provide information, instruction and training about working
safely. The school board and the principal have a duty to inform educators about potential or
actual hazards in the workplace. Both the school board and the principal are required to take
every precaution reasonable to protect educators from workplace hazards. Educators have duties
too. For example, when we know about a hazard, we must report it to our supervisor. In turn,
the school board or the principal must investigate and deal with the report. The outcome of the
investigation might result in a new safety plan, an improved procedure, or additional training.
These duties are among many prescribed in Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act,
(OHSA). The main purpose of the Act is to protect everyone in the workplace from health and
safety hazards on the job. The Act sets out the duties for school boards, supervisors such as
the principal, and everyone who works for the school board. Some of these duties include
requirements for programs and policies on subjects such as workplace violence and harassment.
The Act sets out rules for enforcement of the law when duties are not met. Also described are the
duties and powers of the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC). The JHSC is where worker and
management representatives meet to deal with workplace risks and hazards.
The OHSA is the cornerstone of the legal framework that protects educators in the workplace.
The Education Act and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act are two examples of laws that
also contribute to educator safety. There are also number of legal regulations that affect our
working conditions on subjects such as construction, asbestos and other hazardous materials.
Sometimes, reporting workplace hazards or trying to get more information about concerns can be
a lot of hard work. As a first step, it’s important to report potential or actual hazards and concerns
to your principal. Activate ETFO’s health and safety network to support you. Get support from
your ETFO Local health and safety representative and your steward. Get advice from your ETFO
Local president. Your president can contact ETFO Provincial for expert health and safety advice.
If you would like to become more involved in occupational health and safety, there are
plenty of opportunities. You could consider being a health and safety representative in your
school. Maybe you would like to serve on a Joint Health and Safety Committee. Even if you
would simply like to know more about your rights and duties, ETFO offers health and safety
workshops, training and resources to meet your needs.
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L Pensions
ETFO members with teacher qualifications are members of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
(OTPP). Other ETFO members become members of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement
System (OMERS) when eligible. You are never too young to care about your pension plan or to
learn what benefits accrue to you.
ETFO, through OTF, participates in the joint sponsorship of the OTPP with the Ontario
government. Through that partnership ETFO works to ensure that the interests of our
members are protected as the plan is administered, and when plan changes are negotiated.
Both OTPP and OMERS provide members with secure online access to their pension
information. Instructions can be found on their websites. OTPP calls this iAccess Web, OMERS
calls it myOMERS.
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP)
5650 Yonge Street, Suite 300
Toronto, ON, M2M 4H5
Tel:
(416) 226-2700
1-800-668-0105 (toll free)
Fax:
(416) 730-7807
1-800-949-8208 (toll free)
E-mail:[email protected]
Website:www.otpp.com
Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS)
One University Avenue, Suite 800
Toronto, ON, M5J 2P1
Tel:
(416) 369-0813
1-800-387-0813 (toll free)
Fax:
(416) 369-9704
1-800-369-9704 (toll free)
E-mail:[email protected]
Website:www.omers.com
Have your social insurance or pension membership number available to use
when making inquiries by mail or telephone.
ETFO provides workshops through our locals about pensions and retirement planning.
L Employment Insurance
Many members (occasional teachers, educational assistants) are employed by their boards for
fewer than 12 months a year. As a result, they are laid off from their positions at different times
during the year. These members are entitled to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits
from Service Canada.
The hours that you work and for which you are paid are accumulated toward eligibility for EI
benefits. Eligibility is calculated by the information provided on the Record of Employment
(ROE) prepared by the district school board after your last day worked. It is important to
request a copy of the ROE and check the information carefully to ensure that it is accurate.
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The total hours worked is critical for determining eligibility. The Service Canada website states
that most people will need between 420 and 700 insurable hours of work within the last 52
weeks, or since the start of their last claim, whichever is shorter. The number of hours required is
also dependent on the unemployment rate in their region. However, if you are in the work force
for the first time you will require a minimum of 910 hours in the last 52 weeks to qualify. Please
check with the nearest Service Canada office to determine the specific requirements in your area.
There is a 2-week waiting period for benefits. The basic benefit rate is 55% of the claimant’s
average insured earnings to a maximum of $501 per week. Your EI payment is a taxable
income, meaning federal and provincial taxes will be deducted. Claimants may work while
on a claim for regular benefits. However, 50% of each dollar earned will be deducted from
the benefit up to a threshold of 90% of weekly insured earnings used to calculate the benefit
amount. After this, earnings are deducted on a dollar for dollar basis. The number of weeks
for which benefits are payable is based on the claimant’s hours worked and the regional
unemployment rate. The maximum is 50 weeks.
To facilitate claims, members are encouraged to apply for EI benefits online at the Service
Canada website at www.servicecanada.gc.ca.
L Employment Insurance – Maternity and Parental Benefits
In order to be eligible for maternity and parental benefits, the EI Act requires that you work
a minimum of 600 hours during the 52-week qualifying period preceding the claim. Service
Canada will provide maternity benefits to a birth mother for a period of 15 weeks after a
2-week waiting period. A claim for maternity benefits may begin up to 8 weeks before the
child is born.
Parental benefits are available to a birth or adoptive mother or spouse/partner for a period of
35 weeks. The benefits can be accessed by one parent or shared. A claim for parental benefits
must start no later than 52 weeks after the baby is born. A birth mother’s claim for parental
leave must follow her maternity leave claim.
To facilitate claims, members are encouraged to apply for EI benefits online at the Service
Canada website at www.servicecanada.gc.ca.
For more information see the Parental Rights and Benefits Guide included in this booklet or
visit your local Service Canada office for the publication Employment Insurance: Maternity,
parental and sickness benefits. You may also wish to contact your local ETFO office for a copy
of the ETFO resource Pregnancy and Parental Leave - A Guide to Rights and Responsibilities.
This bilingual resource contains helpful information for members preparing for the birth or
adoption of a child.
L Parental Rights and Benefits Guide
The chart on the following page highlights the benefits available through federal legislation
(i.e. payment of Employment Insurance) and through Ontario provincial legislation (i.e. right to
leave of absence). You should also check your collective agreement to see what other benefits
apply such as Supplementary Employment Benefits (SEB) plan payments or conditions for
extended leaves.
Teachers continue to contribute to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan during statutory leaves
unless they sign a waiver giving up this right.
105
ln Conclusion
We hope you found this introduction to ETFO, its programs, and its services a useful guide as
a new member. Remember, ETFO is your protective and professional organization. Make sure
you are in the picture.
We welcome you, we look forward to working with you, and we invite you to make the most
of your membership.
We are as close as your telephone, or your internet connection.
136 Isabella Street
Toronto, Ontario M4Y 1P6
Telephone: 416-962-3836
Toll-free: 1-888-838-3836
Fax: 416-642-2424
106
FEDERAL – EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (EI)
ONTARIO EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ACT
Maternity and Parental Benefits
Right to Leave of Absence
PREGNANCY
• 2 weeks unpaid waiting period (most
district school boards pay Supplementary
Employment Benefits (SEB) for this period)
• 15 weeks of El benefits paid
• no benefits earlier than 8 weeks before
birth or later than 17 weeks after birth
• up to 17 weeks
• may begin no earlier than 17 weeks
before expected date of delivery
• must provide employer with 2 weeks written
notice of the date the leave is to begin
• must provide a certificate from a legally qualified
practitioner stating expected birth date
PARENTAL
• 35 weeks of El benefits are available
• they may be claimed by a birth or adoptive parent
caring for a child or shared between two parents
• no benefits later than 52 weeks after birth or
after the child comes into the parent’s care
• no second waiting period if leave is
shared between two parents
• up to 35 weeks for birth mother or 37 weeks for
second birth parent or two adoptive parents
• birth mother’s leave must follow pregnancy leave
• other parents must begin leave no later than 52 weeks
after the child is born or comes into the parent’s care
CONDITIONS
Pregnancy and parental benefits are
known as Special Benefits
• must have accumulated 600 hours of
insurable earnings in the last 52 weeks
(can be with different employers)
• the average weekly earnings calculation will be based
on the 26 week period preceding the filing of the claim
• maximum of 50 weeks of combined maternity
and parental benefits in a 52 week period
• maximum of 65 weeks of combined special benefits
(i.e., maternity, parental, and sickness benefits)
• must have been employed for at least
13 weeks by the same employer
• must give 2 weeks notice before the leave
• must give 4 weeks notice to change the end
date of the leave (except in cases where there
are complications in the pregnancy)
• employers must continue to pay their share of benefits
• seniority and service credit continue
to accumulate during leave
• redundancy cannot take effect during leave
• reinstatement to position held before
leave, if it still exists (refer to collective
agreement for additional information)
• parent means a birth parent, adoptive parent, and
a person in a relationship of some permanence
with the birth or adoptive parent who intends
to treat the child as his or her own
There are exceptions to some of these rules if the expectant mother is ill or the baby is hospitalized.
107
Appendix
A Teacher’s Pledge
I am a teacher –
I am an instructor, a listener, a caregiver and a coach.
In order to give of myself, I need to value myself …
I have the responsibility, ability and power to create a safe, supportive learning environment
for my students and myself.
I am part of a universal profession that gives, shares and reaches out to the future of the
world.
I am a teacher –
I am strong and a person of worth.
My students and I have the right to a workplace that is free from discrimination and
harassment.
My working conditions should be guaranteed and fair as they are students’ learning
conditions too.
I believe in human rights and the universal right of all children to a quality education
regardless of their birthright.
I am a teacher –
I am a motivator, a mender of hurt feelings and a problem solver.
I need time to develop the skills of a teacher, as well as time for me.
Time to rejoice, renew and celebrate my professional contribution and the daily miracles I
experience in my classroom.
I need time to rejuvenate and to connect with my colleagues, my family, my friends and
myself.
I am a teacher –
I try my best to model respect, humanity, kindness and honesty.
I am not perfect, I make mistakes.
I am a human being with needs and feelings that count.
My needs, my wishes, my dreams and my hopes are important.
I have chosen my profession to make a difference in the world.
I am a teacher –
I do make a difference!
Source: Jan Moxey and Susan Thede, ETFO Staff, After the Chalk Dust Settles, 2000.
108
Glossary of Acronyms used in Education
AECEO Association of Early Childhood Educators
LTO
Long Term Occasional
Ontario
MOE
Ministry of Education
l’Association des enseignantes et des
NEA
National Education Association
enseignants franco-ontariens
NTIP
New Teacher Induction Program
ALP
Annual Learning Plan
OCBCC Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
AQ
Additional Qualification
OCT
Ontario College of Teachers
ASCD
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
OECTA
Ontario English Catholic Teachers’
AEFO
Development
Association
CAS
Children’s Aid Society
CBC
Collective Bargaining Committee
OFHSA Ontario Federation of Home and School
CEA
Canadian Education Association
OFL
Ontario Federation of Labour
CEC
Council for Exceptional Children
OHRC
Ontario Human Rights Commission
CFSA
Child and Family Services Act
OPC
Ontario Principals’ Council
CLC
Canadian Labour Congress
OPSBA Ontario Public School Boards’ Association
COQ
Certificate of Qualification
OPSEU Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union
CPP
Canada Pension Plan
OSR
Ontario Student Record
CSBA
Canadian School Boards’ Association
OSSTF
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’
CSC
Curriculum Services Canada
CTF
Canadian Teachers’ Federation
OT
Occasional Teacher
CUPE
Canadian Union of Public Employees
OTF
Ontario Teachers’ Federation
DECE
Designated Early Childhood Educator
OTIP
Ontario Teachers’ Insurance Plan
DSB
District School Board
OTPP
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
EA
Education Act
PAR
Position of added responsibility
EA
Educational Assistant
PLC
Professional Learning Community
EAP
Employee Assistance Program
PQP
Principal’s Qualification Program
ECE
Early Childhood Educator
PRS
Professional Relations Services
EI
Education International
PSP
Professional Support Personnel
EI
Employment Insurance
PTR
Pupil Teacher Ratio
ELP
Early Learning Program
QECO
Qualifications Evaluation Council of Ontario
ESP
Education Support Personnel
ROE
Record of Employment
EQAO
Education Quality and Accountability Office
RTO
Retired Teachers of Ontario
ELL
English Language Learner (formerly ESL or
SEB
Supplementary Employment Benefits
Associations
Federation
ESD)
SO
Supervisory Officer
ETFO
SOE
Superintendent of Education
FI
French Immersion
TPA
Teacher Performance Appraisal
FSL
French as a Second Language
TVO
Television Ontario
FTE
Full-time Equivalent
WHMIS Workplace Hazardous Materials Information
IEP
Individual Education Plan
IPs
Individual Plans (for students with
anaphylactic allergies)
IPRC
Identification, Placement, and Review
Committee
LEAF
Legal Education and Action Fund
LNS
Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat
LTD
Long Term Disability
System
WSIB
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
Notes
109

Welcome To ETFO - KPR Occasional Teachers` Local

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