elementary

Friday January 25, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday January 25, 2019

Ontario education minister says no decisions made yet on removing class size caps

Ontario teacher and education worker groups raised concerns Thursday that the government’s consideration of removing kindergarten and primary class size caps sets the stage for vast cuts.

The Progressive Conservative government met with education partners Wednesday to launch consultations on class sizes and teacher hiring practices.

A government consultation document poses questions such as whether hard caps on class sizes should continue, and if they were removed, what would be an appropriate way to set effective class sizes.

Ontario teacher and education worker groups raised concerns Thursday that the government’s consideration of removing kindergarten and primary class size caps sets the stage for vast cuts.

The Progressive Conservative government met with education partners Wednesday to launch consultations on class sizes and teacher hiring practices.

A government consultation document poses questions such as whether hard caps on class sizes should continue, and if they were removed, what would be an appropriate way to set effective class sizes. (Source: Global News)

 

Friday August 21, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday August 21, 2015 Elementary teachers will do extracurriculars as work-to-rule escalates Ontario's elementary public school teachers plan to ramp up their work-to-rule campaign when classes begin in less than three weeks Ð but they will still take part in extracurricular activities. Teachers won't take part in any field trips, fundraising campaigns or professional development activities, Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, announced on Thursday morning. However, the union won't be asking teachers to stop voluntary extracurricular activities unless things get worse in contract talks, Hammond said. Teachers won't participate in professional development activities or respond to electronic messages outside of instructional hours, unless student safety is at issue, Hammond said. The 78,000 teachers in the ETFO also are urged not to take on any duties normally performed by principals, Hammond said. Bargaining is set to resume Sept. 1. "We will be prepared for anything and everything on Sept. 1," Hammond said. Hammond repeated a warning he issued earlier in the week that the Ontario government and school boards are "in for the fight of their lives" if they push proposals that might "undermine" public education or increase class sizes. He dismissed suggestions that he lacks support of the union's membership. "Anyone who says I control you needs to be here," he said. He made his comments dressed in a red T-shirt that read, "Bargaining for the future, respecting our past." Meanwhile, there's 60 days left until the federal election with a lot of seats up for grabs for Premier Wynne's preferred next Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. He made no mention of wages or benefits in his address. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5806753-elementary-teachers-will-do-extracurriculars-as-work-to-rule-escalates/ Ontario, Sam Hammond, ETFO, Elem

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday August 21, 2015

Elementary teachers will do extracurriculars as work-to-rule escalates

Ontario’s elementary public school teachers plan to ramp up their work-to-rule campaign when classes begin in less than three weeks – but they will still take part in extracurricular activities.

Thursday June 25, 2015Teachers won’t take part in any field trips, fundraising campaigns or professional development activities, Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, announced on Thursday morning.

However, the union won’t be asking teachers to stop voluntary extracurricular activities unless things get worse in contract talks, Hammond said.

Teachers won’t participate in professional development activities or respond to electronic messages outside of instructional hours, unless student safety is at issue, Hammond said.

The 78,000 teachers in the ETFO also are urged not to take on any duties normally performed by principals, Hammond said.

Bargaining is set to resume Sept. 1.

“We will be prepared for anything and everything on Sept. 1,” Hammond said.

Hammond repeated a warning he issued earlier in the week that the Ontario government and school boards are “in for the fight of their lives” if they push proposals that might “undermine” public education or increase class sizes.

He dismissed suggestions that he lacks support of the union’s membership.

“Anyone who says I control you needs to be here,” he said.

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday August 5, 2015 Kathleen Wynne urges voters to turf Harper government Voters should turf Prime Minister Stephen Harper for showing Ontario Òblatant disrespect,Ó Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne urged Sunday in one of her strongest attacks yet on the federal Conservatives. Wynne accused the Harper administration of naked partisanship over refusals to smooth a path for her Ontario Retirement Pension Plan and for not doing more to help develop the rich Ring of Fire mineral deposit in northwestern Ontario. She zeroed in on the pension plan, noting HarperÕs government allows the Canada Revenue Agency to provide services to provincial pension plans in Quebec and Saskatchewan. ÒFor him to then turn around and say, ÔYeah, well, we have agreement with other provinces through the CRA and weÕre not going to do that for youÕ É itÕs blatant disrespect for the people of Ontario,Ó Wynne said. ÒThat has to stop.Ó The federal government has joined business groups like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in saying the premiums that employers would have to pay under WynneÕs pension plan would put jobs in peril. ÒNo matter what the prime minister thinks about the ORPP, he may not be worried about people in Ontario who are anxious about their retirement, but I am,Ó Wynne said. Her push for enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan to boost retirement incomes was brushed aside by Ottawa, prompting her to launch the Ontario plan in 2017. The province wants the CRA to do back-office administration for the pension plan, cutting down on costs and unnecessary duplication. (Source: Toronto Star) http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/08/02/kathleen-wynne-urges-voters-to-turf-harper-government.html Ontario, Canada, Kathleen Wynne, Justin Trudeau, Stephen Harper, fire, attack, election 2015, campaign, criticism, diplomacy

He made his comments dressed in a red T-shirt that read, “Bargaining for the future, respecting our past.”

Meanwhile, there’s 60 days left until the federal election with a lot of seats up for grabs for Premier Wynne’s preferred next Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

He made no mention of wages or benefits in his address. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Wednesday May 6, 2015

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday May 6, 2015 Ontario elementary teachers plan job action Monday OntarioÕs 73,000 public elementary teachers will begin job action on Monday, when they are in a legal strike position. While a strike is not anticipated Ñ local union districts have been given details about a work-to-rule Ñ it remains one of the options available, says Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary TeachersÕ Federation of Ontario. In a statement released Tuesday morning, ETFO said its members would be taking unspecified Òcentral strike actionÓ in 32 school boards across the province Monday. According to an ETFO bulletin obtained by the Star, titled ÒStrike Protocol: Work-to-Rule Ñ Phase 1,Ó and sent out to its Toronto members late Monday night, teachers will not take part in any EQAO (standardized testing), write report cards, fill in for absent principals or Òconduct any reading, writing or mathematics assessments other than those that the teacher deems necessary to report on student progress.Ó Hammond has told the Star that the recent offer on the table from the government and the school boardsÕ association was ÒoffensiveÓ and contained concessions the union would not consider. He said if the concessions remained, the union would be Òlooking at all the options.Ó ÒWe are hoping on, or prior to, May 10 that we get substantial movement at the table and we wonÕt have to move in a direction nobody wants to move in,Ó he has previously said. While talks have continued with the help of a mediator, they recently broke off. A union spokesperson said Monday that ÒETFO is eagerly awaiting a call from the government that it, and the Ontario Public School BoardsÕ Association, are ready to engage in meaningful and substantive bargaining.Ó ETFO is the countryÕs largest teacher union. A strike or job action would affect more than 817,000 elementary school students across the province. (Source: Toronto Star) http://www.thestar.co

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday May 6, 2015

Ontario elementary teachers plan job action Monday

Ontario’s 73,000 public elementary teachers will begin job action on Monday, when they are in a legal strike position.

While a strike is not anticipated — local union districts have been given details about a work-to-rule — it remains one of the options available, says Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, ETFO said its members would be taking unspecified “central strike action” in 32 school boards across the province Monday.

According to an ETFO bulletin obtained by the Star, titled “Strike Protocol: Work-to-Rule — Phase 1,” and sent out to its Toronto members late Monday night, teachers will not take part in any EQAO (standardized testing), write report cards, fill in for absent principals or “conduct any reading, writing or mathematics assessments other than those that the teacher deems necessary to report on student progress.”

Hammond has told the Star that the recent offer on the table from the government and the school boards’ association was “offensive” and contained concessions the union would not consider.

He said if the concessions remained, the union would be “looking at all the options.”

“We are hoping on, or prior to, May 10 that we get substantial movement at the table and we won’t have to move in a direction nobody wants to move in,” he has previously said.

While talks have continued with the help of a mediator, they recently broke off. A union spokesperson said Monday that “ETFO is eagerly awaiting a call from the government that it, and the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, are ready to engage in meaningful and substantive bargaining.”

ETFO is the country’s largest teacher union. A strike or job action would affect more than 817,000 elementary school students across the province. (Source: Toronto Star)