President Hammond Meets Minister Dombrowsky

ETFO President Sam Hammond and General Secretary Gene Lewis met with the new Minister of Education, the Honourable Leona Dombrowsky, in early March. President Hammond commended the government for the positive improvements planned for the elementary report card and the commitment to reduce the number of elementary curriculum expectations. 

Most of the discussion focused on the implementation plans for the Early Learning Program, particularly the conflicts between a number of ETFO collective agreements and the government’s class size policy for the new program.

For more information on the implementation of full-day kindergarten, please see Early Learning Program: Q & A.

ETFO@UNCSW-54 in New York City

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is an annual event which provides a forum for Member States to join with representatives of International Governmental Organizations, and civil society/trade union representatives to reflect on issues affecting the rights of women and girls throughout the world.

This year the theme of the 54^th UNCSW was Beijing+15, providing an opportunity to review the goals and Platform for Action that was defined in Beijing in 1995. The 12-point action plan outlined key areas which governments must address to ensure the rights of women and girls are advanced.

This year, ETFO was represented by Susan Swackhammer, First Vice-President, Hilda Watkins and Maureen Weinberger, Vice Presidents, and Marilies Rettig, Deputy General Secretary. ETFO representatives joined with over 50 other teacher and trade union representatives from Canada.

The Canadian civil society/union delegation at UNCSW-54. Click image for large version with labels.

Although there were a number of challenges at the start of the UNCSW, trade union representatives were able to provide input into a number of key resolutions affecting women. As well, they were able to address issues of concern directly with Rachel Mayanja, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, in preparation for next year’s session which will focus on education and training.

For links to related content, videos, etc., please visit the ETFO website. 

ETFO is taking a bold step forward by developing a significant number of online AQ courses to complement our existing face-to-face courses. ETFO AQ courses deliver a superior learning experience. They are also 24% less expensive than those offered by other providers. At $650 they are a great deal!

In the March Stewards' Mailing your school will receive an ETFO AQ poster. This poster contains important information about all of ETFO's AQ courses as well as a "year-at-a-glance" calendar that will allow teachers to easily see which courses are being offered, in what format, and where face-to-face courses will be held. The poster will be posted in your staff room by your steward, and should remain up until next spring when the 2011-2012 poster is distributed.

For more detailed information about ETFO AQ courses be sure to visit the ETFO AQ website at www.etfo-aq.ca.

ETFO's campaign to dismantle the School Information Finder has been featured in the latest Little Education Report.

Support the campaign. Join our Facebook group.  And be sure to email your MPP today at http://noSIF.ca. 

• Total ETFO donations for Haitian Relief as of March 10: $132,870. For a detailed breakdown, see the President's message on the ETFO website.
  
  
• Early Learning Program: Q & A. Last week ETFO released a document answering questions about the implementation of full-day kindergarten in the province.
  
  
• Professional Relations Services Conference for Women, April 15-16, Toronto. A conference designed to inform and incorporate discussion about “real life” issues teachers face. Register by April 2^nd. For more information, contact Kathleen Loftus (kloftus@etfo.org) or visit the ETFO website.
  
  
• Women in Divorce: What about the children?, April 30-May 1, Toronto. A regional workshop for ETFO women members designed to provide knowledge and support to those experiencing the impact of divorce. Register by April 15^th. For more information, contact Diane Balanyk-McNeil (dbalanyk@etfo.org) or visit the ETFO website.
  
  

• Stay Calm and Carry On: Kingston, April 16-18; or Sudbury, April 23-25. Come and learn about ways to deal with the issues that create stress for most teachers today. For more information, contact Diane Balanyk-McNeil (dbalanyk@etfo.org) or visit the ETFO website. Registration ends April 1^st.