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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Preliminary Submission Meeting

An unprecedented number of Greater Essex teachers assembled at the Ciociaro Club for a presentation of the preliminary submission for this round of collective bargaining.

Outgoing President Gary Osley welcomed the crowd to the meeting and outlined the importance of closing the gap between the elementary and secondary funding received from the Ministry of Education. Provincial Chief Negotiator Harold Vigoda and Local Chief Negotiator Mario Spagnuolo walked through each section of the preliminary submission focusing on three main areas: working conditions, salary, and benefits.

Several questions and comments from the membership were entertained and stewards were entrusted with the responsibility of holding an in-school vote within the 48 hours that followed. Incoming President Adelina Cecchin outlined the importance of this round of negotiations, the seriousness of the issues, and ETFO's very clear provincial focus of closing the gap.

The Collective Bargaining Committee is very pleased to announce that 93 percent of our membership endorsed the preliminary submission. Negotiations will begin in the new school year.

Backgrounder:

What is the Gap?

Despite the growing body of research which shows how important it is to invest in the early years of student learning, there is a funding gap of more than $700 per student between elementary and secondary education.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario supports high quality, properly-funded education services for our secondary students. They are our future, and they deserve the very best. But we also understand that younger students, those from Junior Kindergarten through Grade Eight, deserve the very best as well. Research demonstrates that money invested in younger children pays off in later years when these children grow into well-educated, productive citizens.

How does this funding gap affect the schools our children attend every day?

The funding gap has an impact on the conditions under which teachers teach, which are the conditions under which children learn. The gap means:

--- not enough textbooks, not enough computers, and not enough musical instruments;

--- fewer specialist teachers providing programs in music, physical and health education, and art, programs that provide a balanced program for elementary students and expose them to a range of experiences;

--- fewer elementary schools staffed with a teacher-librarian, a key requirement for improving student literacy (funding grants provide only one teacher-librarian for every 750 students);

--- fewer elementary schools staffed with a guidance specialist (funding grants provide only one guidance teacher for every 5,000 students);

--- virtually no design and technology and family studies programs. These programs are particularly important for students at risk of dropping out of school and who thrive with hands-on learning as opposed to more academic programs. This is key to improving high school retention and graduation rates; and

--- larger class sizes (particularly in grades 4 to 8) and less opportunity for teachers to provide support and teaching strategies targeted to individual students.

An Unjustifiable Difference

An ETFO survey of a representative sample of adult Ontarians conducted in February 2007 found that fewer than one in three Ontarians is aware that elementary students are funded at a lower amount per capita than secondary students. When told of this disparity, Ontarians did not feel the funding gap is justified.

Measures such as capping primary class sizes and funding new specialist teachers have made an important difference. But per-pupil funding levels for elementary students are still significantly lower than those for secondary students.

Improved Academic Performance is Dependent on Closing the Gap

The 73,000 members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) know the importance of ensuring an excellent start to every student’s education. ETFO members teach almost one million students in 2,600 schools across Ontario, and are committed to the goal of giving all students the very best education possible.

Elementary teachers believe the government will not achieve its goals of improved academic performance and a reduced high school drop out rate if it fails to address the continued underfunding of elementary education.

In short, the funding gap makes it harder for teachers to help children achieve the kind of success they deserve. It's time to close the gap.

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