#OntEd Daily Brief for Monday, December 18
ETFO members ratify collective agreement, and Ford government underfunding public services. A collection of the latest #OntEd news and updates.
Good afternoon,
Late last week ETFO members ratified their collective agreement with the provincial government by a 90% margin. The union called the agreement a win for members as they “stood firm in the face of cuts, pressed for improvements to working and learning conditions.”
The deal includes retroactive pay from Bill 124 wage suppression, as well as agreements to improve learning conditions in Ontario elementary schools.
Global News - Teacher’s union ratifies deal with Ford government
Ford Government Underfunding Public Services
An op-ed authored by OSSTF president Karen Littlewood was published in the Toronto Star, raising awareness of the consequences of chronic underfunding in the education system including shrinking school budgets and a staffing crisis in schools, and criticizing the Ford government for misleading Ontarians about its investments in the public education system.
A recent Statistics Canada report found that Ontario spent the least on public services in Canada in 2022 when compared with the other provinces.
Toronto Star - What Ontario's chronic underfunding of education looks like
The Monitor - Ontario is dead last in program spending—again
Voicing Frustration about Education Underfunding
The Ottawa Citizen published a series of Letters to the Editor from parents, advocates, and concerned citizens over the weekend calling for better government support for the public education system – especially for students with special needs – following the publication of an article about high needs students being excluded from school due to a lack of resources and support available for students.
Ottawa Citizen - Today's letters: These students need much better support in Ontario schools
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