Sylvia van Campen, a teacher and president of the Upper Canada Occasional Teacher Local, has been re-elected to the provincial Executive of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO). She was first elected to the ETFO provincial Executive in 2019.

"Public education is at a crossroads,” says van Campen. “We are facing unprecedented challenges—staffing retention issues, underfunding, classroom violence, rising workloads, and a government committed to privatization. In these times, educators need more than representation; they need bold leadership grounded in values, action, and hope, which I am committed to delivering."

She began her teaching career in 1995 after graduating from University of Toronto with a bachelor of education. Van Campen was a special education teacher at the Centre for Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation and at Neurolink Educational Services before teaching in Kawartha Pine Ridge. She then became an occasional teacher with the Upper Canada District School Board.

Van Campen was elected treasurer of the ETFO Upper Canada Occasional Teacher Local in 2001, vice president in 2007, and president in 2018. She has served as chief negotiator and grievance officer for the local, and is currently the ETFO representative on the Joint Health and Safety Committee at her school board. 

At the provincial level, van Campen has been a member of the Budget Committee, Teacher Education Liaison Committee, Special Education Committee, and has served on the ETFO Provincial Task Force on Equity. 

ETFO represents approximately 84,000 members, including public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel. Visit BuildingBetterSchools.ca.