Elementary Teachers Say It’s Time to Close the Gap
February 19, 2007
Public campaign focuses on positive steps by teachers to improve education
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) believes parents are tired of seeing and hearing negative reports on student achievement. In response, ETFO has launched a public campaign – Closing the Gap - that focuses on the positive steps its members are taking to improve elementary education in Ontario.
Beginning today, 250 billboards and transit shelter ads sponsored by ETFO will be appearing in locations across Ontario. The billboards and ads feature real elementary teachers and the message ‘Closing the Gap – Teachers working with students and parents’. In mid-March, magazine ads – Closing the Gap – will appear in Chatelaine, Maclean’s, Canadian Living, and Today’s Parent. A companion website (www.closethegap.ca) will provide information about ETFO members, their work, ETFO positions, and ETFO submissions to the government.
According to ETFO President Emily Noble, the ‘Closing the Gap’ message focuses on a positive outcome for elementary education rather than the ‘win/lose’ outcomes often profiled in the media.
“As one example, the recent Fraser Institute Report Card on Elementary Schools took a ‘win/lose’ approach to elementary education by ranking schools. We believe our billboards and ads offer a more positive message, that elementary teachers are working with students, parents and the community to ensure that student achievement equals student potential. This outcome is extremely important, given that the skills and knowledge that a child acquires in elementary school lay the foundation for a lifetime of educational success and personal fulfillment.
“We know that the real gap in education is the gap between a student’s potential and a student’s achievement. Working to close that gap is what teachers do every day in elementary public school classrooms across Ontario,” said Noble.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario represents more than 70,000 public elementary school teachers and education workers across Ontario and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.
ETFO Campaign Backgrounder
- Billboard and transit shelter ads appear February 19, 2007 and run for six weeks.
A total of 250 billboards and shelter ads carrying the ‘Closing the Gap’ message have been posted in Barrie, Orillia, Central Ontario, Brantford, Cornwall, Hamilton, Burlington, Kingston, Belleville, Brockville, Kitchener & District, London & District, Ottawa & District, Owen Sound, Collingwood & District, Pembroke & District, Peterborough, Lindsay & District, St. Catharines, Niagara, Sarnia, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Timmins & District, Toronto & GTA, Windsor, Chatham & District, Woodstock.
- 25% of the Ontario population will see the ETFO message each day
- 70 - 86% of the Ontario population will see the ETFO message over six weeks
- The magazine ad buy includes:
- Canadian Living: March 5
- Chatelaine: March 12
- Today’s Parent: March 19
- Maclean’s: March 26
- The website www.closethegap.ca is online February 19, 2007.
Closing the Gap billboards can be viewed by clicking on the following link: www.closethegap.ca/media/ETFObillboards.pdf
Closing the Gap transit shelter ads can be viewed by clicking on the following link: www.closethegap.ca/media/ETFOtransits.pdf