schools

Thursday August 27, 2020

August 27, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 27, 2020

Doug Ford praises appointment of ‘amazing’ Chrystia Freeland as federal finance minister

“Amazing.”

“Incredible.”

November 21, 2019

Those were just two of the adjectives the Progressive Conservative premier of Ontario used to hail the new federal Liberal finance minister.

“I absolutely love Chrystia Freeland. She’s amazing. I’ll have her back, I’ll help her any way we can,” an elated Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday.

As first revealed by the Star’s Susan Delacourt in April, the COVID-19 pandemic has forged a close friendship between Ford and the deputy prime minister.

The premier was visibly delighted that Freeland, who represents University-Rosedale in the House of Commons, is succeeding departing Toronto Centre MP Bill Morneau as federal treasurer.

December 11, 2019

“I want to congratulate my good friend Chrystia Freeland. An amazing person. I actually texted her this morning to say congratulations. I don’t know how she’s going to do it. She’s working around the clock now,” Ford told CityNews’s Jamie Tumelty in Scarborough.

“There’s no one that would be better in that role than Chrystia Freeland,” he said, pointedly declining to comment on the WE Charity scandal that triggered Morneau’s resignation.

“I’m not going to get into that federal politics. That’s up to the prime minister to deal with. We’ve been working very collaboratively together.”

The premier predicted Freeland would be a good partner for Queen’s Park, which is seeking additional federal funding for infrastructure projects.

“If there was one person, I have confidence in, it is Chrystia Freeland. She’s going to do an incredible job,” said Ford. (Toronto Star) 

March 27, 2020

Now this just in: With less than two weeks to go before most schools are set to welcome back students for the fall term, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced more than $2 billion in funding to help provinces and territories re-open their schools and economies safely.

The announcement comes as some provinces are reporting increases in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The funding is meant to allow provinces and territories to work with local school boards to implement measures to protect students and staff from COVID-19. The money can be used to help adapt learning spaces, improve air ventilation, increase hand sanitation and hygiene and buy extra personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies. (CBC) 

Saturday February 25, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 25, 2018

President Trump at CPAC Insists Arming Teachers, Not Gun Control, Will Keep Schools Safe

President Donald Trump reiterated his support for arming teachers during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday morning, saying that keeping guns out of schools makes them targets for mass shooters.

January 17, 2013

“When we declare our schools to be gun free zones, it just puts our students in far more danger,” said Trump. “People that are adept with weaponry and with guns — they teach. I don’t want to have 100 guards with rifles standing all over the school. You do a concealed carry permit.”

Other than one mention of “strengthening” background checks, Trump did not talk about the ideas for tighter gun control that he has floated in the last week – including raising the age of purchasing some weapons and banning bump stocks. The National Rifle Association, which was an early backer of Trump’s and channeled over $30 million towards supporting his campaign, opposes raising the age limit.

July 25, 2015

The speech seemed in line with many of the talking points of NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, who went on the offensive on Thursday on the same CPAC stage, accusing gun control advocates of exploiting last week’s Florida school shooting tragedy.

Nikolas Cruz, 19, allegedly opened fire with an AR-15 rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, killing 17 people. In the days following, Trump pledged to take action to help prevent more school shootings in America, inviting those who have experienced school shootings to the White House. He reiterated his call to action on Friday, telling the audience, “We will act. We will do something.” (Source: TIME) 

 

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)

 

Thursday May 31, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday May 31, 2012

McGuinty tells Catholic church he’s in charge of schools

The provincial government — not the Catholic church — is the higher power when it comes to running Ontario schools, says Premier Dalton McGuinty.

The reminder came a day after Cardinal Thomas Collins, archbishop of Toronto, accused the minority Liberal government of making “religious freedom . . . a second-class right” with a controversial amendment to an anti-bullying bill.

McGuinty, a Catholic whose wife Terri teaches in the separate school system that gets $7 billion annually in taxpayer funding, acknowledged Collins has responsibilities to exercise in his position.

“I have a different set of responsibilities,” McGuinty said Tuesday at the Bombardier factory in Downsview.

“I’m accountable to all faiths, I’m accountable to people of no faith. I’m accountable to all parents.”

Under the amendment supported by the New Democrats and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, Catholic schools must let students call anti-homophobia support groups “gay” clubs or words to that effect if teens so desire.

That means all children “will be accepted and respected for who they are,” the premier said, arguing it is one of Ontario’s “fundamental values that transcend any one faith.”

Collins questioned why the government would be “rigid” in giving students more power than school principals and trustees in naming clubs.

“Any student apparently can sort of override the people who have a serious responsibility to care for all the kids in the school,” Collins, also president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, told Newstalk 1010. (Source: Toronto Star)