DECEMBER 2018 ISSUE
MAGAZINE of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association
CELEBRATING THE PRESENT, PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE IN THIS ISSUE:
A MESSAGE TO CATHOLIC TEACHERS FROM CARDINAL THOMAS COLLINS THE LATEST FROM QUEEN’S PARK THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN OECTA PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
CO NT E NT S/D EC 2018
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INBOX 4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 5
EVENTS
6 CALENDAR / EVENTS 7 UP FRONT
FEATURES 8 A WOMAN’S PLACE IN OECTA By Carley Desjardins
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DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
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MEMBER ENGAGEMENT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Government using familiar strategy to lay groundwork for reform By Adam Lemieux By Cynthia Bifolchi
16 MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE Proposed changes under Bill 48 more extensive than reported By Mark Tagliaferri 17 A MESSAGE TO CATHOLIC TEACHERS By Cardinal Thomas Collins
TEACHERS AID 18 LEGAL BRIEF Queen’s Park primer By Charlene Theodore
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20 INSIGHT Great expectations By Michelle Despault 22 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Assessment in the modern classroom: begin with understanding By Anthony Carabache 23 TEACHER ADVISOR What you need to know about when to cancel your LTD coverage By Mary Lachapelle 24 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Shoot for the edit By Anthony Perrotta 25 CATHOLIC CONNECTION For nothing is impossible to God By Shannon Hogan
PEOPLE WORTH WATCHING
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26 PROJECT OVERSEAS Building community in Grenada By Meg Myers 28 COOKING UP CONNECTIONS Award-winning Catholic teacher Jeff White draws on life experience
to reach students
By Adam Lemieux
VIEWPOINT 29 WOMEN NEED EACH OTHER FOR SUPPORT By Carley Desjardins 30 “LAST POST” FOR FIRST PAST THE POST? By Peter MacDonald 32 DOLLARS AND SENSE Doug Ford’s stance on workers is not just wrong, it entirely misses the point By Mark Tagliaferri
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34 FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH The times they are a-changin’ By Gian Marcon
INBOX
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Welcome to the Christmas edition of Catholic Teacher! We have had a fast few months at the Provincial Office. Since our last issue of Catholic Teacher, we have hosted everything from our Grievance Officers’ seminar, Health and Safety regional workshops, Beginning Teachers’ Conference, and our inaugural women’s leadership conference, Fempower. Meanwhile, we have also been preparing for the next round of provincial bargaining and keeping pace with the slew of announcements from the new Conservative government. There have been many legislative changes in our province since the Ford government took office, but there is one, in particular, that I would like to focus on. In November 2017, the Liberal government passed Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 to amend the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act. This is the workers’ rights act, which among other things, raised the minimum wage to $14 per hour on January 1, 2018, and was set to raise it again to $15 per hour on January 1, 2019. That is until the Conservative government went back to the future with the introduction of Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018, thereby gutting Bill 148 workplace reforms. Through Bill 47, the government “For the People” has not only frozen minimum wage at $14 an hour for 33 months; they have eliminated Personal Emergency Leave days; stripped away equal pay for equal work provisions for temporary, part-time, casual, and seasonal employees; and reduced fines for employers who violate the Employment Standards or Labour Relations Acts; among other changes. Once passed, the proposed act will repeal most of the labour reforms that the Wynne Liberals passed last November following its two-year review of the Employment Standards and Labour Relations Acts. Bill 47 will also make it more difficult for unions to organize by eliminating provisions that give unions access to employee lists at workplaces where 20 per cent of workers have demonstrated a desire to join a union. As Toronto Star political columnist Martin Regg Cohn explains, “These workplace reforms, implemented by the previous Liberal government last year, recognized that the precarious labour force of tomorrow – made up of today’s young people – could not continue to be treated as in the past. Just because business always did it that way, and wants to keep doing it that way, doesn’t mean it’s the right way.” But the government “For the People” has made its decision on just who the people are; a decision that comes at the expense of minimum wage earners, precarious workers, and women, to name but a few.
Michelle Despault Editor Adam Lemieux Mark Tagliaferri Associate Editors Cynthia Bifolchi Writer/Researcher Fernanda Monteiro Production Anna Anezyris Advertising
EDITORIAL BOARD Liz Stuart President Warren Grafton First Vice-President Marshall Jarvis General Secretary David Church Deputy General Secretary Carley Desjardins Communications Specialist/ Writer Catholic Teacher is published five times during the school year. Opinions and ideas expressed in Catholic Teacher are not necessarily those of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association.
Over the course of our 75-year history, the Association has achieved many of these hard-fought rights for our members across the province. But not all Ontarians are part of a strong, unionized collective like ours. As unionized workers, it is all the more important that we use our platform to stand up for those who do not have favourable rights and working conditions.
Catholic Teacher is a member of the Canadian Educational Press Association, and the Canadian Association of Labour Media.
As Catholics and educators, there is perhaps no better time than the Christmas season to pause and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. I ask that you also keep those less fortunate than us, including those impacted by Bill 47, in your hearts as you celebrate the love of God and rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ this Christmas.
Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, 65 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M4T 2Y8
May you enjoy the wonder of this season with your loved ones. Merry Christmas!
Liz Stuart
PHONE 416-925-2493 TOLL-FREE 1-800-268-7230 FAX 416-925-7764 catholicteachers.ca Publication Mail Agreement No. 0040062510 Account No. 0001681016
“When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly, with great joy.” Matthew 2:10 4 CATHOLIC TEACHER | DECEMBER 2018
Cover: Illustration by @prawny at Canstockphoto.com
INBOX
EVENTS RE-EXPERIENCE WEBEXPERIENCE
WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY
Last year, the Association offered a new and unique learning opportunity for members through WebExperience. Hundreds of members participated in the live, interactive, online professional development sessions, designed by teachers, for teachers.
More than 200 teachers in their first ten years on the job enthusiastically gathered for this year’s Beginning Teachers Conference, with the theme of “Welcome to the Community.”
Missed it the first time round? Joined one session but want to try another? We have great news! All the sessions were recorded and are archived on the Association’s website for you to watch at your leisure. There are more than 20 different math and technology sessions, and 10 Kindergarten sessions, along with a session on mental health and well-being, and a session on interview skills. The sessions were designed to offer practical, effective strategies that can be implemented into your teaching practice the very next day. You will love the convenience of being able to log in from home, whenever suits you best. Visit WebExperience at catholicteachers.ca in the For Your Career section to see the full list of session topics. Enjoy the experience!
CATHOLIC TEACHERS IN THE COMMUNITY As part of the Association’s mandate to promote Catholic values, build solidarity, and enhance the common good, financial donations are given throughout the year. Some are annual contributions, such as support for Media Literacy Week, the Aga Khan Foundation’s World Partnership Walk, or the Planet in Focus film festival. Others depend on events during the year. For example, since last January, the Association has made a substantial contribution to Médicins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders to aid the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and provided strike relief for members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3903 (York University) and Local 2424 (Carleton University). We also sponsored conferences put on by Egale Canada Human Rights Trust and the Council of Canadians. There are also smaller donations every month to provincial and national organizations – especially those working with children and/or on poverty, mental health, labour, or Indigenous issues – as well as ongoing partnerships. This year, the Provincial Executive approved renewals of the Association’s relationships with the Broadbent Institute and Frontier College (for the Lieutenant Governor’s Indigenous Summer Literacy Camps).
Elementary, secondary, and occasional teacher delegates, representing all Catholic school boards in Ontario, attended plenaries to examine the provisions of a collective agreement, discuss maintaining professional boundaries in the conduct of their duties, hear the history of our Association, and learn about what it means to be a Catholic teacher. A wide range of workshops were offered, focusing on key themes such as mental health and wellness, managing stress, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and classroom management. In addition to providing opportunities for professional development, the conference also introduced delegates to the many ways our Association supports teachers, including beginning teachers. For many, this was their first interaction with the union. Participants were able to immediately put what they learned about unionism and engagement into action by attending a rally in support of the unionized hotel workers (UNITE HERE Local 75), who have been without a contract for the past nine months. The message of the conference to every participant was clear: you are part of a community and you should never doubt your value to that community. The Association is counting on our newer teachers to forge the next 75 years of our history. The strength of our union, and our broader labour movement, lies in the potential for each member to get involved and pay it forward to the next generation.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REGIONALS The Association holds regional workshops on health and safety every fall. This year’s meetings were an opportunity for participants to discuss best practices and learn about some major developments in the area of health and safety over the past year. In total, 175 participants engaged in shared learning about what makes for an effective Joint Health and Safety Committee. They also explored the impact of a significant arbitration case won by the Association last year, which clearly defines school boards’ obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Finally, they discussed ongoing efforts to deal with violence in the workplace, including the implementation of Workplace Violence in School Boards: A Guide to the Law, the recently developed resource that helps school boards to develop policies and about violence and harassment in the workplace, and ensure that all incidents are properly reported.
These efforts are in addition to the amazing work that teachers and local OECTA units do every day in their communities. DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 5
DECEMBER
CALENDAR 2
Advent begins
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National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
International Human Rights 10 Day 24 to Christmas Break Jan 4 Provincial Office closure
F E B R UA R Y
J A N UA R Y
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27
Epiphany
Family Literacy Day
27 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of the Holocaust
INBOX
EVENTS RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING CATHOLIC EDUCATION The annual Father Patrick Fogarty Awards Dinner, hosted by the Catholic Education Foundation of Ontario (CEFO), is an evening of celebration of the publicly funded Catholic education system. Held in October, this year’s event once again recognized outstanding examples of Catholic schools, students, and leaders who are demonstrating our values. The Association co-sponsors the Michael Monk Award, which honours a school that has displayed a sustained commitment to student engagement and the implementation of innovative programs to improve student learning. This year’s recipient was Father Patrick Fogarty Secondary School in Orillia, for their initiative called, “Introduction of Competitive Robotics to Intermediate Female/Indigenous Female Students in Orillia, and Surrounding Area.” As the title of the initiative suggests, the program was designed to increase female interest and involvement, especially among Indigenous students, in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), by engaging them in a hands-on, sustainable, and affordable curriculum-linked robotics technology program. Under the guidance of project lead Mike Milliard, participants design, build, and program robots to compete in the VEX IQ local competitions, with the hopes of advancing to the world championships. The $4,000 cash prize from the Michael Monk Award will be used to purchase required equipment and technology. Eight other Catholic schools across the province received the Michael Carty Award, which recognizes initiatives to improve, develop, and enhance aspects of Catholic education that contribute to the whole person. This year’s recipients are: St. Benedict Catholic School (Sudbury) – “Raise Your Flag if You’re Proud” Assumption College School (Brant Haldimand Norfolk) – “Medicine Walk”
30 to Winter Council of Presidents Feb 1 meeting
Bishop Allen Academy (Toronto) – “Bishop Allen Servant Leaders and Mentors (SLAM)”
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Holy Angels Catholic School (Toronto) – “School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Program: ‘Bucket Filling’”
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Deadline to submit Young Authors award entries
Corpus Christi Catholic School (Hamilton-Wentworth) – “Promoting Wellbeing in Our Catholic Students: Mind, Body, Spirit”
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Lunar New Year
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1 Billion Rising
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Family Day
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World Day of Social Justice
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Pink Shirt Day
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School (Simcoe Muskoka) – “Urban Gardening in the Learning Commons”
Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School (Toronto) – “What Would Jesus Do?” St. Joseph’s College School (Toronto) – “Sisters of St. Joseph Art Installation” Awards are given annually, with applications accepted in the spring. For more details, visit cefontario.ca
INBOX
UP FRONT HELP DIRECT THE FUTURE OF THE ASSOCIATION The AGM Resolutions and Nominations booklet will be available in the Members’ Area of the website in the New Year, prior to AGM. This booklet includes all proposed policy, procedural, and by-law changes to be debated at this year’s AGM, as well as the profiles of declared candidates running for positions on the Provincial Executive for 2019-20. Contact your local unit office to find out when local meetings are happening so you can provide input regarding the AGM resolutions. SEARCHING FOR YOUNG AUTHORS OECTA is once again proud sponsor of the annual Young Authors Awards/Prix Jeunes Écrivains. The awards celebrate the writing talents of students who submit short stories, poems, non-fiction articles, and reports in both English and French. The first place winners at the school level advance to the unit level, and then to the provincial competition. A collection of the winning entries is published in book form.
Teachers must submit their class entries to their school’s Association representative by February 4, 2019. ACKNOWLEDGE A GREAT TEACHER Do you know an outstanding teacher? Why not nominate them for an OTIP/OTF Teaching award? These awards recognize teachers who inspire students, colleagues, and parents in Ontario’s publicly funded education system. Anyone can nominate a teacher in one of three categories: elementary, secondary, or a beginning teacher in their first five years of teaching.
Winners receive $1,000 and a Certificate of Recognition for both themselves and their schools. Nominations open January 7 and close March 31, 2019. Visit teachingawards.ca for more information. DESIGN THE OECTA CHRISTMAS CARD Do you have an artistic side? OECTA is looking for seasonthemed art to use for our 2019 Christmas card. The winning entry will also grace the cover of Catholic Teacher magazine next December and be the official card sent out by the Association to stakeholders. Submit an original, two-dimensional piece of finished art (photograph, sketch, collage, or painting) to OECTA’s Communications department by April 1, 2019. Entries can be received in hard copy or digitally (at least 300dpi). Send your submission to OECTA, 65 St. Clair East, Suite 400, Toronto, M4T 2Y8, attention: Communications Department, or by email to communications@catholicteachers.ca Please include your unit and contact information with your entry.
CLASSIFIED ADS Ontario high school in China requires qualified administrators/ teachers for September 2019. Competitive compensation ($ CDN), return airfare, private accommodation, local travel and more. Forward resume to: John Holtom, jobs@glctschool.com or Tel.: 416-763-4121. Acceptance of advertisements in @OECTA neither endorses nor warranties any products or services. We welcome ads for teacher resources, travel, and teaching overseas. Personal ads are not accepted. Rate: $50 for the first 25 words and $3 per word thereafter.
Celebrate our 75th AGM as a delegate This is a milestone year for the Association as we celebrate our 75th anniversary. The Annual General Meeting (AGM), which takes place March 9 to 11, 2019 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, will be our culminating celebration of the year. If you would like to be part of the action in Ottawa as an AGM delegate for your unit, please contact your unit president as soon as possible.
FEATURE
A WOMAN’S PLACE IN OECTA By Carley Desjardins
“Why are 300 Catholic educators sitting here on plush chairs in Toronto’s newest, poshest hotel on a sun-drenched Saturday afternoon in October, and why is that woman on stage talking about such terrible things?” It was October 1985. The educators were classroom teachers, superintendents, nuns, priests, directors of education, consultants, and support staff from all over Ontario; they represented all kinds of “who’s who” in Catholic education attending a conference on women’s issues. The conference, “Images II,” was co-sponsored by the Equal Opportunity Committee of OECTA and the Affirmative Action Committee of the Metropolitan Separate School Board (MSSB), and the woman addressing them was Maude Barlow, former senior advisor on women’s issues in the Prime Minister’s Office. According to the December 1985 issue of The Reporter, OECTA’s official publication of the time, one conference delegate explained that it was time to take a look at how society had changed in just a few short years. “The impact of broken homes, one-parent families, single-parent breadwinners and the need for more and better child care has forced people to look at how roles have changed.” The same issue of The Reporter covered a conference organized by the Ontario Advisory Council of Women’s Issues, which hosted 500 young women from high schools across the province. Former Provincial Attorney General Ian Scott, who was also the minister responsible for women’s issues at the time, explained to delegates that women of the day earned “only about 63 per cent of what men earn.” Later in his remarks, he added, “The government plans to increase child care spaces, ask industries to provide equal pay for work of equal value, and is encouraging employers to provide incentives for women.” Fast forward some 30-plus years later, and much of this sounds all too familiar. Here we are nearing the end of 2018, in the midst of the next women’s movement and on the heels of OECTA’s inaugural women’s leadership conference, Fempower, which brought together more than 200 women members and leaders from across the Association; providing a unique opportunity to meet and share concerns and experiences particular to women in the workplace, and to build capacity in a positive, safe space.
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As Catherine Marshall, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania explained in that same issue of The Reporter back in 1985, “People are motivated to achieve when they identify with others in similar positions, when they have access to relevant training, when the criteria for success are clear, when a mentor supports and trains them and when they have personal and social supports to help them endure difficult tasks as they seek their career goals.” Women make up 76 per cent of the Association’s membership, and this segment of OECTA’s history highlights some of the defining moments women have had within the Association.
FEATURE
Margaret Lynch, First President of OECTA, 1944-45
“And now that we are organized, let us march on together for union brings success.” Margaret Lynch, first president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, made an invaluable contribution to the establishment of a sound foundation for this Association. She was responsible for the Association’s first constitution, relying heavily on her legal background. She was a member of the first Board of Governors of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation and a member of the Windsor Teachers’ Council. Ms. Lynch served three terms as Director of OECTA.
The struggle by married women for a fair salary Reprint from the April 1994 edition of The Reporter
“Married women teachers have the right to the same salaries and benefits as single women and male teachers.” This was the cause that Anne Wright, the 1994 recipient of the Marion Tyrrell Award of Merit, fought for in co-operation with many of her married women colleagues in the early 1950s. Wright started her teaching career with the Toronto Separate School Board in 1948. She taught elementary school in Toronto for five years during which she was president of the Toronto Catholic Women Teachers’ Association. She retired in 1993 after a distinguished career in Ontario and California, including several years spent teaching at the Faculty of Education of the University of Toronto. In 1953, Anne Wright married. As a result, her salary was reduced to the minimum and she lost her permanent teacher status. In those days, both public and separate school boards in Ontario hired married women only when no other teachers were available. In the Toronto Separate School Board, once a female teacher married, she lost her permanent contract, was removed from the salary schedule and, if rehired, became part of the Emergency Married Women Teachers’ List. She was then given a temporary position at a salary 20 to 25 per cent below the regular teacher’s minimum. The teachers’ unions did not at first object to these policies. However, in 1953, OECTA and other affiliates approved changes eliminating such discrimination from the Ontario Teachers’ Federation’s policies. In 1954 the issue assumed crisis proportions for the OECTA executive. Some 60 married women teachers in the newly created Metropolitan Separate School Board (MSSB) advised their employer that they were going on strike within a few days unless their salaries and contracts were improved.
The married women, led by Anne Wright and Jacqueline Matte received very little support from the press, the public or OECTA. The board’s offer to the group was to raise the salaries of married women to $1,800 a year, compared to $2,400 for single female teachers, with no other improvements. On January 14, 36 members of the Toronto Catholic Married Teachers’ Association voted unanimously, with four abstentions, to notify the board that they would not report to work the following Tuesday unless they were paid according to their experience. In his new history of OECTA, Be a Teacher, Dr. Robert Dixon quotes the women as saying in a press interview, they could “get better salaries as store clerks.” OECTA’s provincial executive issued a press release stating, “The OECTA deplores the threat of a strike action by the married women teachers of the Separate Schools in Toronto and will give no support in such a procedure.” The following night, the executive sent a letter to the 67 married teachers advising them that “…if the strike threat is carried out, the OECTA Provincial Executive will immediately take disciplinary action recommending to the Department of Education the suspension of your teaching certificates.” The night before the strike Ann Wright and Jacqueline Matte were asked to appear before an in-camera session of the board to present their case. Monsignor H.J. Callahan, chairman of the board advised them that, “A strike against the board is a strike against God.” The combination of remarks such as these and the executive’s letter caused support for the strike to dissipate over the weekend. District 5 Toronto president and chief negotiator Joseph Whelan and the married women teachers agreed that the Negotiating Committee would continue bargaining on their behalf and that the strike would be “postponed.” Dixon writes in Be a Teacher that in an interview in 1993, Anne Wright remembered how no one seemed to support them. “Some of their parents asked them if they had become Communists,” he writes. DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 9
FEATURE
“Even Whelan told them that the board would not change its policy and that they knew what they were getting into when they married; they had not been forced to marry.” The crisis was over and the married women teachers ended up with almost nothing. In March, the board decided that, in view of the “generous increase” in salary to the married women and of the “unsettled situation financially” of the MSSB, there would be no further salary increase. However, the board would give contracts to the married women teachers (only annually, however) and would change its policy so that any female teacher who married during the school year would stay on the regular teacher’s contract and salary until the end of June. Only in 1959 did the board rescind its policy on married women teachers, paying them the same salaries as the single female teachers. It was not until 1961 that an important legal precedent was set in the equitable treatment of married women teachers. Mrs. Conrad Grenier who was on a permanent contract with the Cochrane Separate School Board, was asked for her resignation when she married. She asked for and received a Board of Reference. OECTA hired a lawyer to represent her, but the school board withdrew its request. This appeared to settle the matter for any similar actions by school boards in the future.
Marie Kennedy, OECTA President 1970-71; speaking at a Hamilton pension rally, April 1, 1989.
OECTA adopts policy of equal pay for equal work
In Be a Teacher, Reverend C.L. Siegried, CR, OECTA President in 1955-56, recalled, “Another area of grave concern was establishing the principle of equal pay for equal work. OTF had adopted this policy, but when it came to the floor of the OECTA annual meeting of 1956, it was a hotly-debated issue. Some men objected to the policy, arguing that as they were the breadwinners of families, they should receive more than women teachers. But other speakers pointed out that many women were also supporting relatives. Finally, we passed the resolution that, ‘OECTA adopt the policy of equal pay for equal work, except where such policy would restrict the charity of religious teachers.’”
Woman initially denied access to use sick days to undergo in vitro fertilization
In 1985, a teacher was diagnosed as being unable to conceive. She was away from school for 10 days to undergo in vitro fertilization. Ten days pay was docked and sick leave was denied. Despite arguments claiming that she had undergone medical treatment to circumvent a physiological condition preventing conception, salary was still denied. OECTA filed a grievance against the employer and achieved access to sick days for this purpose.
Province-wide maternity leave top-up
During the 2012 round of provincial bargaining, the Association successfully negotiated a province-wide top-up of Employment Insurance maternity benefits to 100 per cent of gross annual salary for the first six weeks of pregnancy; this was extended from six to eight weeks the following year. This was a major win for members across the province, as most local collective agreements were remiss of any maternity leave topup prior to 2012.
Termination due to pregnancy
Female members across the province were terminated by their respective employer due to pregnancy. This practice continued with some boards into the early 1980s.
“We regret that we must consider your request for a Leave of Absence as a termination as of December 31st, 1969. This is necessary since our Board does not yet approve maternity leaves. When you are ready to return, you should notify our office of your availability for another teaching position.�
Carley Desjardins is Communications Specialist/Writer in the Administration department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 11
FEATURE
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN Government using familiar strategy to lay groundwork for reform By Adam Lemieux
Over the past few decades, a popular tradition has emerged in Ontario politics. When a new government is elected, the first order of business is to open up the province’s financial statements, take a fresh look, and regretfully announce that the sky is falling. In 1985, when the coalition Liberal-New Democratic Party (NDP) government ended decades of Progressive Conservative (PC) rule, Premier David Peterson was quick to warn the public that things had “changed quite substantially” since the previous government had issued its budget. In reality, he said, the province’s finances were “very close to the crisis point.” In 1990, when the NDP came to power, the new government was surprised to learn that what had been reported as a small surplus in the previous fiscal year was actually a $700 million deficit. Five years later, when the Progressive Conservatives were elected again, Minister of Finance Ernie Eves warned, “The deficit outlook is significantly worse than the former government indicated.” But when the Liberals regained power in 2003 – from a PC government led by the same Ernie Eves – a specially appointed auditor still managed to uncover a “hidden” deficit of $5.6 billion. All of which is to say that some of the newly elected government’s behaviour over the past few months has been straight out of the standard playbook. Saying your predecessors have damaged the province’s fiscal health positions a new government in the role of responsible saviour, and provides useful cover for any spending cuts or other potentially unpopular measures that might be coming. Still, the rhetoric and retribution on display over the past few months have gone well beyond the norm. Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet ministers have created several forums to investigate the province’s finances, and they have gone out of their way to question the previous government’s honesty and integrity. Teachers should be paying close attention, because these efforts have provided clear signals about how the PCs intend to operate over the next four years. The first move was to strike a three-person Independent Financial Commission of Inquiry. The commissioners – as the government surely demanded they would – sharply criticized the Liberals for spending too much and adding to Ontario’s debt. They also took issue with some of the former government’s accounting practices. One example is the Fair Hydro Plan, which employed complicated borrowing and book-keeping maneuvers to lower consumers’ electricity bills in the short term. The other, which has particular relevance for teachers, is about how the government calculates pension 12 CATHOLIC TEACHER | DECEMBER 2018
assets. The former government claimed that the assets from jointly sponsored pension plans, such as the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, could be counted to balance the budget, because the government could theoretically take a “pension holiday” (i.e. stop making contributions for a period of time) if the pension fund reached a certain value. The Auditor General of Ontario vocally opposes this method, and the commissioners have recommended that the new government side with her, until a more permanent agreement on accounting practices can be reached between the government and Auditor. According to the revised numbers, Ontario will have a $15 billion deficit in the 2018-19 fiscal year. “The Liberals pursued a reckless spree of deficit-financed spending, and then deliberately deployed a series of accounting tricks to hide the resulting costs from the public,” said Victor Fedeli, Minister of Finance, when he released the commission’s report. He also issued an ominous warning: “The hole is deep and it will require everyone to make sacrifices without exception.” That weekend, at his annual Ford Fest barbeque, the Premier attacked Kathleen Wynne and presided over Trumpian chants to “lock her up!” The following Monday, calling the deficit “the biggest government scandal in a generation,” he formed a select committee of legislators with the power to call witnesses, demand documents, and name names about who from the former Liberal government is responsible for Ontario’s financial situation. There is a twofold objective at play here. The first goal, which is fairly transparent, is to tarnish the Liberals’ reputation, making it less likely for voters to consider them as a viable option in the next election. Although nothing that has been revealed about the former government’s actions has been particularly shocking to anyone who has been following along over the past few years, the new government benefits by shining more light and keeping these stories in the news for the general public to absorb. But there is also another aim, with more long-lasting, potentially devastating consequences for everyone: building the case for major reforms to Ontario’s public services. In August, the government hired business firm EY Canada to review public spending since 2003 and suggest ways to make provincial programs more “efficient.” The government tried to call it an “audit,” making repeated references to “lines of data,” but eventually they had to admit that a real audit would have been impossible in the timeline allotted. Instead, the work was undertaken by EY’s consulting arm, which no doubt came prepared with pre-packaged solutions about how to make the organization of government leaner and more market-oriented.
The report, Managing Transformation: A Modernization Action Plan for Ontario, clearly has teachers and the education sector in its sights. It points out that when adjusted for inflation, government expenditures on education have increased by 1.7 per cent since 2003, while student enrolment has declined by 0.5 per cent over the same period. Salaries for teachers now represent more than 10 per cent of total government operating expenditures. The proposed solutions have the potential to completely undermine the publicly funded education system and the collective bargaining process. Under the heading of “renewed funding models for major programs,” the report specifically points to the education sector and proposes “tying funding to the achievement of outcomes, and providing funding to individuals, who can then choose their service providers through a form of market activity and discipline.” This could be read as an endorsement of merit pay for teachers and/ or privatization and voucher-type systems. With regard to a “modern relationship with labour,” the report suggests the idea of “gains sharing,” whereby any negotiated salary increases must be offset by savings elsewhere in the budget. These ideas have long been part of conservative ideology, but they run counter to all of the evidence about the provision of equitable, accessible, high quality public services. Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy, the cabinet minister with ultimate responsibility for the public purse, has been careful to say that EY’s recommendations do not necessarily indicate the government’s preferences or plans. He has also reiterated the government’s promise that efficiencies will not be realized in the form of layoffs. But time and again this government has demonstrated its preoccupation with cutting spending, no matter how little will be saved or how big the impact will be on people’s lives. We have also seen how far they are prepared to go to satisfy their constituents in the business community, the most recent example of which was the gutting of Ontario’s new labour laws. There are, of course, other available solutions. The Liberals do bear much responsibility for Ontario’s fiscal situation, but not entirely for the reasons the PCs would have us believe. For some time, Ontario has actually had the lowest per-capita
spending on government programs of any province. The real problem is that thanks to years of personal and corporate tax cuts, the province has a structural shortage of revenue – the government simply does not take in enough money to fund the services we all depend on. Unfortunately, the PCs have committed to making the problem worse. One of their few campaign promises was to further reduce the corporate tax rate, making Ontario one of the lowest-taxed regions for business in all of the industrialized world. They also proposed a middle class income tax cut, at a cost of $2.3 billion per year, as well as a tax credit for minimum wage earners, which will cost $558 million, instead of increasing the minimum wage. To this we can add the Financial Accountability Officer’s estimate that cancelling the cap-and-trade program will take $3 billion out of the provincial treasury over the next four years. These funds had been earmarked for public transportation, school repairs, and other much needed green infrastructure investments. All told, the government plans to forgo roughly $10 billion in revenue per year. That money will have to come from somewhere. We saw what happened in the 1990s, when the last Progressive Conservative government endeavoured to find “efficiencies.” If the quick and deep cuts we have seen since June are any indication, even more damage could be done this time around. And given the tone they have set with their education consultations and changes to the Ontario College of Teachers, we already know this government has an inherent distrust of professional educators; it seems only reasonable to expect that the publicly funded education system will be a prime target as they look to reduce expenditures.
Teachers should begin preparing for what is likely to be a difficult round of contract negotiations next year, amid a more drawnout struggle to protect education and other vital public services. The sky might not be falling, but there is plenty of stormy weather on the way. Adam Lemieux is Communications Specialist in the Communications department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 13
FEATURE
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA Harnessing a powerful tool to benefit teachers, the Association, and the labour movement By Cynthia Bifolchi
You might wonder why it is necessary to think about engagement using social media; why not just carry on as we are going, safe in the knowledge our union is working for us? Well, engagement has many benefits – for the individual, the membership as a whole, and the wider labour movement. Individually, engaging within the Association can help Catholic teachers develop personally and professionally, by providing valuable opportunities to connect with peers; on an Association-wide scale, it strengthens our union and builds communication and solidarity; and in the context of the wider labour movement, engaged members are powerful agents of change, particularly in terms of advocacy and activism. Social media is an incredibly powerful tool in that it can help achieve all of the above, using minimal resources; if you have access to a computer and the internet, you can engage. Social media is convenient and democratic
We know that for some, social media is perceived as an inconvenience – another thing they have to get to grips with when they are so busy already. However, engaging in some way is becoming increasingly necessary. To a certain extent, we are now living in two worlds – the real world and the online. This is why we are hearing so much noise about “digital literacy” and “digital citizenship.” There is a massive, informationladen, communication-rich network happening online, and social media is a significant part of this space. If it helps, try reframing your thinking a little, to look at it as a positive: social media is a powerful tool to communicate, share ideas, and learn. And it is free! It is understandable that if you are new to it, social media can seem intimidating. We can look at certain people’s posts on Twitter and think, “Wow, their opinions are so well-formed!” or, “This person is unafraid to tell it as it is – I could never do that!” or a hundred other things that make us compare ourselves and lose confidence. The truth is, our voice is just as important as anyone else’s. No one “owns” social media, and the beauty of the platform is that it is a place for all of us to engage.
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Effective use of social media
Examples of engaging as a Catholic teacher and Association member • Sharing your celebratory stories, whether they are from your classroom, about your teacher colleagues, as part of a committee or fundraiser you have worked on, or any other ways you put your faith into practice, is essential to strengthen Catholic education and open dialogue between members. Be sure to tag your posts with #CatholicTeachers and #lessonsforlife! • Sharing photos of unit meetings, committee meetings, conferences, Additional Qualification (AQ) courses you are doing or have instructed, and sharing or commenting on Provincial Office’s posts are just some of the ways you can engage as a member. Examples of engaging as a supportive Association member • With the rollback of Ontario’s labour laws, there is ample opportunity to share your thoughts on a fair minimum wage and worker protections. Engagement can come in the form of retweets, article tweeting, attending a rally and posting about it, etc. • Post messages of solidarity: tagging our brothers and sisters
engaging in strikes, lockouts, etc. with messages of support goes a long way.
PHOTO: @Tero Vesalainen / Shutterstock.com
What exactly is “member engagement”? Simply put, it means engaging with your union in some way. For example, attending a conference, representing the Association at a rally or on a picket line, or serving on an OECTA committee. Believe it or not, you can also engage using social media.
So you have an idea about what you want to post about – now here are some tips to get you started!
Hashtag Glossary – screenshot and keep in your camera roll!
Use hashtags and @mentions
Tagging your photos with #CatholicTeachers or #OECTA, or any number of other relevant hashtags (check out the handy glossary!) means your tweets can be searched and retweeted or commented on. Mentioning a person or organization means including their handle in your message, so they know you have been talking about them. (E.g. “Check out this great resource from @OECTAProv!”)
#OECTA – main Association hashtag #OECTAPD – tweets to do with OECTA professional development #OECTAAQ – tweets to do with OECTA AQ courses #CatholicTeachers – a general hashtag for any tweet #lessonsforlife – tweets celebrating the great things Catholic teachers are doing
Spelling and grammar
Social media lends itself to a relaxed and informal style of communication, but spelling and grammar are still important, especially for teachers.
#OECTA75 – tweets relating to the Association’s 75 year celebrations #OECTAAGM19 – tweets to do with OECTA’s Annual General Meeting
Be authentic
If you want to build trust it is important to be authentically you. Be confident
“Newbies” to social media may feel the platform is “just for young people.” Not true! Communication is as old as time and social media is simply another tool – the age-old “rules” of communication remain the same. Start small
Start small, perhaps by linking a news story you find interesting and adding a short descriptor, e.g. “Wow, I never knew this. Such a great read.” Think before you post
#AQfallfeelings – to be used by Fall AQ course participants
#onlab / #canlab – tweets relating to labour issues
#onpoli / #canpoli – tweets relating to politics
#onted / #cnded / #edchat – tweets relating to education
Apply common sense: refrain from bad language or inappropriate topics, research your arguments using reputable sources, think twice before accusing someone of something, etc. Identify your intention
Why do you want to post this? What are you hoping to achieve? Who is it aimed at? Taking a moment to set your intention before you post helps you refine your message. Follow people you are interested in
This will offer you a stream of relevant, valuable content. But also follow people with a different world view
When we choose to only follow people who share similar world views, we can fall into a false sense of security that this is how the world is. Be engaging
Retweet, like, ask questions, add comments. Offer links to more information on the topic. Make your content interesting and colourful. Add video, photos, personality. The more you engage, the more others will engage with you!
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 15
FEATURE
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Proposed changes under Bill 48 more extensive than reported
By Mark Tagliaferri
In the final week of October, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 48, the Safe and Supportive Classrooms Act. In an official press release, the government highlighted three of the bill’s key areas, which would: mandate new teachers to successfully complete a math proficiency test before obtaining their teaching registration; require the Discipline Committees of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) to revoke an educator’s certificate of registration for any act of sexual abuse of a student; and include in the OCT’s definition of “professional misconduct” a new category, “sexual offences,” as outlined in the Criminal Code of Canada. On the issue of a math proficiency test, the Association raised questions as to how effective this testing would be, noting that if the government’s objective is to increase outcomes, a more fruitful avenue would be to ensure that teachers have the proper resources and supports to deliver math content, including funding for teacher-led professional development, such as Additional Qualification courses. With respect to the revocation of teachers’ licenses following findings of professional misconduct for acts of a sexual nature, the Association pointed out that much of this has already been implemented. In fact, we worked with the previous Liberal government in developing the Protecting Students Act, as well as amendments to the Ontario College of Teachers Act, which passed as part of the 2018 provincial budget bill. One of the amendments included the automatic revocation of a member’s teaching certificate if the member is found guilty of professional misconduct that is sexual in nature. It is not entirely clear what substantive difference will be made by enumerating additional sexual offences outlined in the Criminal Code of Canada. But the most important parts of the bill, with the greatest potential implications for teachers, were not mentioned by the government or covered by the media. Scattered throughout are a number of amendments that could radically alter the structure of the OCT, potentially transforming it from a selfregulated body into an arm of the government. Since its introduction, the Ontario College of Teachers Act has legislated the composition of the OCT Governing Council and committees, such as the Discipline Committee and the Fitness to Practice Committee. The number of members to sit on Council or a committee, as well as the proportion of elected versus appointed members, is strictly outlined – they were proposed, debated, and passed into law. In turn, Council members are responsible for a number of duties, such as setting policy direction for Additional Qualification courses, 16 CATHOLIC TEACHER | DECEMBER 2018
investigating complaints about members, as well as conducting hearings and making rulings on matters of professional misconduct. Currently, the majority of Council members – 23 of 37 – are elected by teachers who are OCT members. However, the proposed amendments could upend all of this. Two of the amendments are designed to remove all mention of the specific number of members that can sit on the OCT Governing Council and committees. Moving forward, the Act will simply read, “The prescribed number of persons.” This may seem like a minor change; however, in effect this allows the government to flip the balance, and make the majority of Council members appointed by government, rather than elected by teachers. Additional proposed amendments authorize the government to make regulations on Council and committee composition, and to appoint the Chair of the Council and define their duties. By empowering itself to make changes via regulation rather than legislation, the government will be able to enforce changes without any transparency. The potential implications of this legislation are significant. The OCT is currently a self-regulatory body, like the College of Nurses or the College of Physicians and Surgeons. After the OCT was established, teachers advocated for self-regulation to ensure that the people overseeing teachers’ professionalism are familiar with the profession and understand the unique circumstances in which teachers work. Now, the government has proposed giving itself the ability to stack the Council with appointed members, who may have no understanding of the teaching profession, and who could serve the government’s interests exclusively. The government claims it needs these broad powers to respond to a yet-to-be-released independent review of the OCT’s governance structure, but the fact that they have specifically not talked about these changes, or indicated their intentions regarding the OCT, is both conspicuous and worrisome. The OCT official website contains the following statement: “Self-regulation recognizes the maturity of a profession. It honours the special skills, knowledge and experience that a profession possesses… The granting of self-regulation acknowledges a profession’s members are capable of governing themselves.” Given the implications of Bill 48, one wonders if the teaching profession still qualifies. The Association will continue to monitor the situation, and will urge the government to work with teachers to improve our world-renowned system of publicly funded education. Mark Tagliaferri is Communications Specialist in the Communications department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
FEATURE
A MESSAGE TO CATHOLIC TEACHERS By Cardinal Thomas Collins
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:1, 14). It is no wonder that for centuries the Prologue to the Gospel of John (John 1:1-18), from which these verses are taken, was read at the end of every Mass, as “The Last Gospel.” The Prologue summarizes the meaning of the whole Gospel, and indeed of the Christian life – and certainly the meaning of Christmas. We start with God, who sets in order the whole of creation. That is probably why the ordered harmony of language is used to describe the second person of the Trinity as the “Word.” If we are to find our way through what we often experience as the incomprehensible disorder of the world outside us, and of our own hearts, superficial expedients are radically insufficient: we need to be grounded in nothing less than the providence of God, who created everything. As the troubled genius Augustine wrote in his Confessions, after he had found the way home, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Nothing less than God will suffice for us. That insight is the reason for Catholic education, since Catholic education exists only so that all who are engaged in it in any way may appreciate that only the context of divine providence will give meaning, purpose, and true joy to our earthly endeavours. The Lord God who rules the universe is not cold and distant in majesty, for the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us, and we have seen his glory. In the words of the Gospel, and in the Eucharist, we encounter him. Each of us must live, and think, and talk, and act as people who have seen the glory of God made manifest in the Word become flesh, Emmanuel, God with us: Jesus. That is why at Christmas we rejoice at the celebration of his first coming at Bethlehem, so many years ago, with his glory masked for a time in the little child, who is our Lord and God, who through his suffering, death, and resurrection calls each of us to the glory of holiness.
Cardinal Thomas Collins Archbishop of Toronto
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 17
TEACHERS AID
QUEEN’S PARK PRIMER By Charlene Theodore
E
very change in government is a reminder to re-engage with our elected officials and public servants for the benefit of our membership and the labour movement in Ontario. In my opinion, voting is just the start of this engagement process. The real work of citizens in a democracy begins after elected officials take office. Political engagement is the way to ensure a variety of perspectives are considered in policy-making. It also builds trust and bonds of common understanding. It is democracy at work, democracy in action. For those who are new to this arena, or for those who are once again dusting off your political thinking caps, here is a primer on law-making. FUN FACT: Ontario’s Legislative Assembly, otherwise known as the Parliament of Ontario, is the second largest provincial deliberative assembly in the country, second only to Quebec. Passing bills makes up the majority of work of the Legislative Assembly.
Bill: At its core, a bill is just an idea. An idea a cabinet minister,
member of provincial parliament (MPP), or standing committee think will make Ontario better in some way. If a bill passes all stages of review, called “readings,” and receives a majority vote from MPPs, it becomes law. MPPs present, debate, and vote on a proposed bill in the legislature. As part of this process, committees study bills’ associated issues, propose any necessary amendments, and report back to the legislature.
Readings: There are three readings, or stages of review, during the life of a bill. The first reading is usually a routine process in which MPPs give a short introduction to the nature of the bill. Shortly thereafter, the bill is posted in both official languages on the website for the Legislative Assembly. In the second reading, the bill is debated and voted upon by MPPs.
The bill then moves to the committee stage, an opportunity for the public to weigh in on the bill’s impact by appearing as a presenter, submitting material, or attending as a witness. After public input, the committee votes on any changes to the bill, and whether to bring it back to the legislature. Third reading is the final stage of a bill’s consideration, when MPPs decide whether the bill in its final form will pass. Once passed, the bill is reprinted and posted online. FUN FACT: You can watch the work of your legislature online anytime at ola.org/en/legislative-business/video
Act: The terms “act” and “statute” are used interchangeably.
A bill is enacted or becomes an act when it is passed by the Legislative Assembly after its third reading, and receives formal “royal assent” from the British monarchy’s representative in Ontario, the Lieutenant Governor.
FUN FACT: All Ontario acts, or laws, can be viewed at ontario.ca/laws
FUN FACT: You can review all information regarding the legislature, including bills, committee schedules, and MPP bios, at ola.org
Youth: Younger people are more likely than older people to participate in non-electoral political activities. A 2015 Statistics Canada study found that 26 per cent of youth aged 15 to 19, and 35 per cent of youth aged 20 to 24, signed a petition in the 12 months prior to the survey, compared to 22 per cent of seniors aged 65 to 74.
At the same time, youth are less likely to participate in electoral political activities and are less likely to vote. A 2013 study found that 47 per cent of youth aged 15 to 19, and 61 per cent of youth aged 20 to 24, indicated they were very likely to vote in the next federal election, compared to 84 per cent among seniors aged 65 to 74.
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That being said, the study found that education is a significant factor in increasing political participation. Across all age groups, a higher level of education is associated with an increased level of political engagement. Women: A 2018 Statistics Canada study on Canadians
and political activities found that men were slightly more likely than women to be members of a political party, with 3.6 per cent of women versus 4.9 per cent of men. Thanks to Justin Trudeau’s proclamation, “Because it’s 2015,” 50 per cent of federal cabinet ministers are women. However, here in Ontario, only 17 per cent of mayors are women and only 39 per cent of our provincial legislature is female.
LEGAL BRIEF
“The real work of citizens in a democracy begins after elected officials take office.� Notwithstanding Clause: This singular clause has taken
over the headlines lately, and with good reason. Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms contains the controversial clause. The clause functions is as an opt-out to our fundamental rights and freedoms as Canadians. When the Charter was being developed in the early 1980s, the proposal for the notwithstanding clause came from premiers who feared judges would use their powers to strike down laws passed by legislators. Some schools of thought see danger in that type of legislative supremacy, given the history of courts to advance the rights and freedoms of disenfranchised people in Western democracies. Even when the Court hands down controversial decisions, using the notwithstanding clause can be seen as a censure on the broader principles contained within the Charter.
Regulations: Regulations are often the most important part of an act. Regulations are laws that are made under the auspices of an act. They spell out the details on how an act is to be carried out. Whether an act is effective is really up to the substance of its regulations. The legislature does not write regulations, instead this authority is delegated to a minister or another government body. One important feature of regulations, which differentiates them from legislation, is that regulations can be developed without any consultation or public input. As well, the details of regulations can change without necessarily having to go back to the legislature to change the associated act. Charlene Theodore is In-house Legal Counsel at the OECTA Provincial Office.
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 19
TEACHERS AID
Great expectations By Michelle Despault
I
recently heard the adage that “the gap between how we think life should be and how life really is, is the void in which we fruitlessly struggle.” I truly believe this, and I think it is especially relevant during the holidays.
We are constantly receiving messages with an idyllic picture of the holidays as a time of love, joy, peace, and harmony. As Andy Williams put it, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” In many respects, it is! But it is also a time of year when we have greater expectations, especially of other people. When those expectations are not met, we often experience great disillusionment. We all have expectations about almost everything in our lives. Some of these are conscious and expressed. For example, I expect stores to be open when they say they will be, or for someone to arrive at the time they say they will. But most of our expectations are unexpressed – we may not even be aware of them. We have expectations or hopes about housework magically being done, or dinner being on the table when we arrive home. We have expectations around how people should treat one another, and we give it names like “common courtesy” or “common sense.” When these expectations are not met we get upset – the fact that the other person did not know of our expectations is beside the point. Now layer on top of this everything else going on during the holidays: parties, crowded shopping malls, gift-giving, and family get-togethers (to name just a few). We have a minefield of heightened expectations, stress, and anxiety just waiting to explode. And this is before we even consider other people’s expectations of us! If you have an emotional response to a situation, it is likely a response to the degree to which your expectations are being met. Disappointment or frustration are often reactions to expectations not being met. Satisfaction, happiness, and confidence are reactions to situations that have met or exceeded our expectations. If you are experiencing the negative end of the spectrum this holiday, take a look and see if the source is an unmet expectation.
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Becoming aware of our unconscious expectations is the first step toward improving our emotional experience. Firstly, we can express our expectations to others, and them to us. I can have a conversation with my spouse about housework so we can both be clear about what is expected of each of us. I can talk with my parents about my preference that after travelling hours to see them, the conversation for the evening does not focus on all my shortcomings and how they never see me anymore. I cannot change who my parents are, but I can try to set some parameters for our interactions. Once we are aware, we can choose to experience things differently. Our emotions are a guidance system, there to point out to us that something is not exactly what we would like. But this does not mean we must react every time we feel something. When someone does not hold the door open, I can be annoyed; but I can also recognize the source of the annoyance as stemming from me and not the other person, and move on. We get to choose how we are going to respond in any situation, and we do not have to respond in a way that is consistent with how we are feeling. Recognize and accept the emotion, understand the source of the emotion, but then choose to act in a way that is consistent with how you want to be feeling. Journaling or writing out your emotions and frustrations in a book can help to release them, as can sharing how you are feeling with a trusted partner or friend – not so they can judge or “fix” anything, just as a mechanism for you to release your emotion. Take a positive action to consciously and intentionally put yourself in a more positive situation or frame of mind. This can be as little as a few minutes of silence or meditation to refocus your thoughts. Choosing to take actions that are inconsistent with the way we are feeling can be the best way to move through those feelings. I often find that a night out to a movie or dancing is a sure-fire way to lift me out of any bad mood or doldrums. We are emotional beings, but the key is having our emotions guide us, not control us. Being able to choose how we respond
INSIGHT
“Expect nothing, accept everything.” and act is the source of our personal power. Of course, you can also choose to respond in a way that is consistent with your emotion, but make it your conscious choice and own it. Do not get mired in regret or remorse. Others also have expectations of us that are more often than not unexpressed. Sussing out those expectations and trying to live up to them can be more stressful than managing our own. But here is the good news: that is not your job! You are not responsible for how others feel about you. Just as it is your job to manage your expectations and responses, so it is for others. While it does not make the expectations disappear, they only have power over us if we let them. Expect nothing, accept everything, and enjoy the holidays to the fullest!
PHOTO: @Guschenkova / Shutterstock.com
Michelle Despault is Director of Communications at the OECTA Provincial Office.
“The gap between how
we think life should be and how life really is, is the void in which we fruitlessly struggle.”
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 21
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TEACHERS AID
ASSESSMENT IN THE MODERN CLASSROOM: BEGIN WITH UNDERSTANDING By Anthony Carabache
Pre-service teachers, teachers readying for the interview, and tenured teachers all tend to lower their eyes whenever I bring up the importance of assessment during a workshop. I know it is not the most attractive subject, but what gives? Are we still feeling the effects of the poor implementation of Growing Success from as far back as 2010? It is a well-written document that really empowered teachers’ professional judgment, but unfortunately it seems to have become mired in a lack of understanding. It is time to take the mystery and stigma out of assessment and reclaim our professional control.
to use assessment tools to learn about themselves, to see where they are on their learning journey. It is a way to involve students in their own diagnostics, so they can ask themselves the crucial questions: “How do I learn?” and “What do I need to keep learning?”
Pesky prepositions: for, as, and of
Here is the most important part: You can use any type of assessment for any of these purposes. A written quiz or worksheet, for example, can be used to assess for, as, or of learning. The question really is about what is most effective.
We have all heard it in one workshop or another: “You ought to design and use assessment for three purposes: for learning, as learning, and of learning.” Without over-simplifying, let us get down to what each purpose means in our classrooms.
Assessment for learning is the most powerful use of assessment for teachers. This type of assessment is given to students so that we can understand where they are in their own learning, and to help us plan for what comes next. Assessment as learning allows students
Assessment of learning occurs when teachers use assessment for accreditation or decision-making. Evidence is required to make those judgments. This is a process of culmination, one that measures how far a student’s understanding has come over the course of study.
Assigning purpose to assessment
For teachers, the most crucial aspect of assessment in the modern-day classroom is undoubtedly to ask ourselves what purpose we want the assessment to serve. When we ask that question, we are forced to commit to one of two approaches to information. One is formative, driving pedagogy and future plans (for and as
learning), while the other is summative, final, and categorized (of learning). When it comes to teaching, the more time you invest in the formative assessments, the more bountiful the results will be in the summative. The importance of planning for assessment
To begin implementing assessment strategies with purpose in your classroom, pick a unit or course of study that you are well-acquainted with, and start with the idea of assessment for learning. One very simple idea is the use of an exit card at the end of the lesson. It could have a prompt that asks: • “What did I learn today?” • “What got me stuck?” • “What do I need more of to do well on this topic?” The information gathered on these cards is only as valuable as your plan to use the information for the next class, so allot time to read your students’ thoughts on their own learning, and allot time for yourself to respond meaningfully. Anthony Carabache is a member of the Professional Development department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
PHOTO: @smolaw / Shutterstock.com
22 CATHOLIC TEACHER | DECEMBER 2018
TEACHER ADVISOR
TEACHERS AID
OECTA’S PROVINCIAL LTD PLAN What you need to know about when to cancel your long-term disability coverage By Mary Lachapelle
Most members are in a highly vulnerable financial position when they are confronted with a loss of income during a lengthy or permanent disability. The OECTA provincial long-term disability (LTD) insurance plan provides a safety net that will replace a percentage of your salary and provide pension plan protection if you are unable to work because of an illness or injury. This being said, it is possible to terminate your LTD coverage, in which case you will no longer have premiums deducted from your pay. Three scenarios
There are three scenarios in which you might be able to cancel your LTD insurance:
LTD benefits would be payable until: you recover, you become eligible for a 60 per cent unreduced service pension, or you reach the end of the month following your 65th birthday (as long as you were not receiving Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan benefits). You might have sound reasons for cancelling your LTD coverage and discontinuing your premium payments, but you should carefully consider your options. You likely do not want to be in a situation where you are unable to work and are not receiving sufficient income. Also note that coverage cannot be cancelled retroactively.
1) You are eligible for a 60 per cent unreduced service pension,
If you wish to terminate your LTD coverage, you should complete an Application for Coverage Termination. Submit the completed application to your local OECTA unit office at least two months prior to the desired cancellation date to ensure the board stops deducting LTD premiums on time. Be sure to include the required supporting documentation.
• To qualify for an unreduced pension you must have the “85 factor,” meaning your age and years of qualifying service add up to 85. • To qualify for a 60 per cent unreduced pension, you must meet the above criteria with 30 years of credited service.
Your LTD benefits plan is sponsored by OECTA Provincial and administered by the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP). Please do not call your school board for assistance; direct any questions to your local OECTA unit office.
or will be within the latter of either: the next 110 working days, or the expiration of your sick leave credits.
2) You have reached the end of the month in which you turned
65, or you will reach the end of the month in which you will turn 65 within the latter of either: the next 110 working days, or the expiration of your sick leave credits.
3) Your retirement date is within the next 110 working days, and you have notified both the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and your school board.
What is OTIP?
The Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) is a not-for-profit insurance advocate that is part of the education community. OTIP is governed, led and inspired by the four education affiliates and their local leaders. OTIP’s products and services include a full range of group and individual insurance from your group benefit plans and long-term disability coverage to individual insurance products such as your home and auto coverage.
Eligible until retirement
You should know that you are not required to terminate your LTD coverage simply because you have notified your board of your intention to retire. You are still eligible for coverage up to the date of your retirement, and you the have the right to make a claim if you become disabled prior to this date. If approved,
Mary Lachapelle is a member of the Counselling and Member Services department at the OECTA Provincial Office. n The information for this article was provided by the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan. To learn more, visit www.otip.com.
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 23
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TEACHERS AID
SHOOT FOR THE EDIT
Why embracing video production in the school setting develops media literacy, creativity, and critical thinking By Anthony Perrotta
Fade in… Most days, as I pass through the doors to enter the corridor where I teach Communications Technology at Chaminade College School in Toronto, I encounter students either sharing the small screens of their smartphones or chatting about the latest movie trailer, video game walk-through, or Netflix binge. Like most secondary teachers, I have become familiar with a landscape of students readily consuming media information. From Netflix to YouTube, and all things social media, students seem to be in a constant state of streaming input. My goal as a teacher is to empower them to move toward “output.” As a student growing up consumed by movies and media production – I am from the linear editing generation: VHS to VHS, or what is called “tape-to-tape” – I am continually motivated by the collaborative experience of production. As students make their own short films, produce graphic design artifacts, or dabble in post-production video effects, the relationship between teacher and learner is transformed. As much as I am the teacher in the classroom, I am constantly learning from students’ ability to discover new ideas and bring their voices to life. As we all cope with the streaming generation, it is important to provide media-saturated students with an opportunity to be media-literate. This means to understand media through a cultural and economic lens, while nurturing the crosscurricular digital skills to produce video and other digital media. This is at the heart of output: intentional opportunities to collaborate and create that speak to where students are in their learning, and just as importantly, who they are as people. Specifically, video is gospel with students today. As students readily have access to personal mobile technology, with the latest smartphones even shooting 4K video, they have the ability to shoot, edit, and distribute in the palm of their hands.
This is a game-changer, as they have the immediate ability to generate global output. Whether it is students shooting video of a dynamic lab experiment in science class, or creating a documentary in religion class, my hope is that all teachers leverage video as a global language that nurtures learners to be effective communicators, sharing their individual and collective voice with the world. Within a cross-curricular context, it is not the history or religion teacher’s responsibility to “teach” students to be future Steven Spielbergs or Kathleen Kennedys. Rather, there is a responsibility to ensure learning is contemporary, and that students have the skills to be active global citizens. Hence, video production is a wonderful opportunity to nurture so many skills that speak to engagement within today’s interconnected digital culture. This past summer, I had the opportunity to share “Shoot for the Edit” workshops with Catholic teachers at the 2018 Get Your Head out of Your Apps (GYHOOYA) tech conference, and as part of OECTA’s Summer Institutes program. I worked with teachers to provide them with novice transferrable shooting and editing skills, with the goal of helping them re-imagine and reframe how we look at media and understand that to produce is to be a critical learner. Shaping a scene to bring a narrative to life requires taking story, actors, setting, the technology being used, and more, into account. Output requires the ability to think and activate. The students at my school are constantly sharing their energy, whether they are in Communications Technology, the afterschool Film Club (which I moderate), or learners from other classes in need of digital tools or creative advice. This energy is contagious and acts as an emotional fountain of youth. I encourage all teachers to embrace the potential of video as a mode to allow students to show what they know, while having some good old-fashioned fun in the process. Just like the teachers I collaborated with this summer, video production promises to be creative time well spent. Visit the link below for an example of a teacher-edited video from Shoot for the Edit Summer Institutes. Warm congratulations to all who participated. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YlfDeU8HqTpXVoNUC-g9iDSCeNJflROt
Fade out!
Anthony Perrotta teaches at Chaminade College School in Toronto. He uses popular films as a powerful tool to further classroom dialogue on Catholic values and conscious media consumption.
CATHOLIC CONNECTION
TEACHERS AID
FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GOD By Shannon Hogan
PHOTO: @Gino Santa Maria / Shutterstock.com
Hold fast to stars. Hold fast to the elusive, the intangible, the never-to-be-had. For stars fall from heaven sometimes, and kings are born in barns, and miracles rise up out of little things. ANO NY M OU S
One of the most striking things about the Advent and Christmas season is how much the stories surrounding the incarnation reveal about the nature of the God of our lives. From the beginning of the narrative, an unmarried young girl from a small town has a revelation that she will conceive and bear a son. She asks the most practical question imaginable: how? The angel explains that she will conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit, and concludes with the simplest and most powerful part of the explanation: “For nothing is impossible to God.” Many years ago, as my understanding of life was growing, I remember asking my mother if God really did this, created life within Mary. My mother’s response remains with me to this day. She said, “The question you need to ask is not, did God do this, but rather, could God do this?” This exchange led us to an “of course” conversation. Of course God could create that life, just as God could part the Red Sea, set fire to a bush and not have it burn, and get a whale to spit Job out onto the shore after an appropriate time in intestinal captivity. The possibility for all is within the realm of God. Similarly, the focus of this time in the liturgical calendar is not about if God
did things, but how God did things. Consistently, God chooses the smallest, the weakest, the least expected to manifest the immensity of God’s grace in love. The prophet Micah expresses this reality beautifully: “As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the tribes of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His origin has been from antiquity, even from eternity” (Micah 5:2). In every generation we are called to answer the cry of the poor and the marginalized, in our society and in our world. With the weight of a seemingly inescapable grand narrative of the criminality and inhumanity of all those on the margins, our faith demands that we become the new prophetic voice for our age. We must counter the demands for the increased exclusion and dehumanization of all those reviled because of how they worship, where they live, or who they love. Let us proclaim to the world, as Micah does, that out of the least comes the greatest among us. Out of the smallest, the entirety of God’s love. Kings are born in barns. Shannon Hogan is a member of the Counselling and Member Services department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 25
PEOPLE WORTH WATCHING
BUILDING COMMUNITY IN By Meg Myers
Grenada
I cannot count the number of times I have flipped through Catholic Teacher and lingered over the advertisements for teaching opportunities overseas. I always talked myself out of applying for the positions that involve a lengthy commitment or an exchange of houses and jobs, but the one advertisement I continued to revisit was for Project Overseas. This summer experience, sponsored by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), seemed perfectly manageable. I finally filled in the application last autumn, and had the good fortune of being selected to represent OECTA for a team that travelled to Grenada this past summer. We were a group of six teachers hailing from different parts of Canada, each of us possessing different teaching experiences and expertise. We began by “hanging out” via Google during the winter months in preparation. In early July, we met in Ottawa for an in-person orientation, along with all the teachers from across Canada who had been recruited for various projects throughout Africa and the Caribbean. After some “creative” packing (how many highlighters, sticky notes, and markers might we need?) we were Grenada-bound! Alongside our Grenadian co-tutors, our assignment was to provide professional development in the areas of literacy, numeracy, theatre arts, computer technology, and trade unionism. The Grenada Union of Teachers is working hard to increase learning opportunities for their membership, as Grenada has one of the highest rates of untrained teachers in the eastern Caribbean. As one of our hosts pointed out, “If piloting in Grenada was like teaching, no one would want to get on an airplane.” Every morning we were dropped off at TA Marryshow College, in the parish of St. George’s. The drive to the college became a daily source of joy and laughter as we gazed out at the island’s lush landscape, framed by the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. We were so far from our Canadian reality of relentless traffic and snowy commutes! Upon arrival, I was greeted with the warm smile of my co-tutor, Rachel Mason. Together we were responsible for the numeracy section of the in-service. We had 15 teachers in our group, all of whom brought a variety of experience from pre-Kindergarten to secondary. Every day the teachers were eager to come together, participate, and share ideas, not just about pedagogy and best practices, but also life and culture in Grenada and Canada. In a short time, we managed to build community. It was heartening to see how much we had in common, and so fruitful to share common needs, challenges, and creative solutions. As a teacher in North America, I know how easy it is to become preoccupied with what is going on in my own school and my own classroom, sometimes to the point of losing perspective. Parent pressure, public pressure, government-driven agendas – it can be easy to enter the “drama,” get “bogged down,” and lose heart for what we are doing. My time in Grenada reminded me of what is truly essential about teaching and learning: ultimately it is not about content, it is about relationships. Since returning to Canada, I have been asked how this experience will change my teaching practice. I have to say that the impact of Project Overseas has more to do with a renewal in my perspective on teaching, rather than changing my specific practices. It was a gift to be part of a global endeavor for educators. I am left with an even greater appreciation of the quality of public education that exists in Canada, and the professional development opportunities we have as teachers. I am grateful for the working conditions that professional associations like OECTA have worked hard to achieve and maintain – too often these things are taken for granted. Having participated in Project Overseas, I feel I have firsthand experience to bring to my students when we discuss rights and responsibilities, or explore what it means to be a “global citizen.” The greatest lesson I will share with my colleagues and students comes from one of the “devotions” sung by our participants at the beginning of each day in Grenada: “The time to be happy is now, and the place to be happy is here, and the way to be happy is to make others happy and we’ll have a little heaven right here.” Meg Myers is an elementary teacher in Ottawa.
2018 PROJECT OVERSEAS PARTICIPANTS
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 27
PEOPLE WORTH WATCHING
COOKING UP CONNECTIONS
Award-winning Catholic teacher Jeff White draws on life experience to reach students By Adam Lemieux
After 30 years in the restaurant business, Jeff White was tired. The early mornings, long nights, and work-filled weekends were catching up with him. He was not quite ready to retire, but he was looking for a new challenge, with a slightly more predictable schedule. So he made a bold decision to go back to school and become a teacher. Excelling in teachers’ college was a new feeling for Jeff, because by his own admission he was not much of a student in his younger days. His low grades kept him out of university and college, and it was only after career attempts in football and stand-up comedy that he dedicated himself to the food industry. But with a new outlook on life, he was at the top of his class at Brock University, and quickly found a teaching job. He now teaches hospitality and tourism at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School (Halton Secondary Unit) and also coaches the senior boys’ football team. Because of his unconventional path back to school, Jeff is able to provide his students with a unique learning experience. He brings the classroom alive and gives them a glimpse of what it is like to work in and run a real restaurant. He has
assembled a team of five local restauranteurs that provide chefs, managers, and others to act as mentors. His students have even opened a restaurant in the school to serve fellow students and staff. Jeff is currently working with an Indigenous chef to create native Canadian dishes, which will be served in the student restaurant to integrate Indigenous Studies into the classroom in a meaningful way. Jeff is also a true exemplar of the value of accepting students as they are. He brought with him extensive experience working with young people from his days participating in co-operative education programs as a restauranteur, and feels he understands where many of his students are coming from. As a result, students who might otherwise feel marginalized leave his courses with courage and confidence. “I was one of those kids,” says Jeff. “In many ways, I still am one. I try to think about my students and ask myself, ‘What do I need to do to keep these kids here?’ I want to be the one telling them, ‘You can do this.’” In his teaching and his coaching, Jeff provides structure and high expectations that students are eager to work toward. He takes great pride
in watching his students grow from struggling to make omelets, to preparing and serving three-course dinners for their families. Students, parents, and colleagues recognize the joy and success Jeff brings his students, which is why he was honoured with a 2018 Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) Teaching Award. The awards, which are given in partnership with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, acknowledge educators whose commitment, creativity, and energy result in a superior experience for students. Jeff was honoured in the beginning teacher category. It is a great achievement, but one that he tries to keep in perspective. “My real reward is the relationship with the students,” he says. Of course, it has not all been easy. Jeff had the knowledge and background, but it has taken a lot of hard work to refine his skills in pedagogy, lesson planning, and the other elements of teaching practice. Nevertheless, he feels he has landed in his dream job. “This does not even feel like work,” Jeff says, “I love it!” Adam Lemieux is Communications Specialist in the Communications department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
Nominations for the 2019 OTIP Teaching Awards open January 7, 2019 and can be submitted at teachingawards.ca 28 CATHOLIC TEACHER | DECEMBER 2018
WOMEN NEED EACH OTHER FOR SUPPORT By Carley Desjardins
When I set out to write this piece, my mind buzzed with excitement; there were so many ideas that I wanted to share. My thoughts, however, kept circling back to my own stories and experiences, and I realized that just as I find it so valuable to hear and learn about the experiences of other women, mine are equally important. So here I am: an educated woman with a successful career, a proud feminist, member of the women’s movement, mother of two young boys, and self-proclaimed advocate for working mothers and the recognition that women with children are an asset to the workforce. But this is not where I started. So often, we like to talk about what success looks like, but not where it comes from. And when we choose to only talk about what success looks like, we render invisible the work behind success. I am very proud of my accomplishments, personally and professionally, but they have also led me to many realizations. For one, I tried to educate and advance my way out of the gender gap, until I realized this was not possible as a woman. No amount of academic credentials will eliminate gender bias, including the stigma associated with women and administrative work, despite the fact that this is where many of us start out. I say this because I have witnessed men advance through the ranks over the years, and I wonder if they are asked whether they are still perceived as a junior staffers with the same frequency that I am asked this question. I wonder if they are asked this question at all.
But as I come to realize the value of sharing my own stories and experiences, I begin to understand the importance of talking about what I bring to the workplace as much as I need to hear and learn from my female colleagues, in particular. When we start speaking the truth about our lives and our experiences, we discover that we have support and that we are not alone in those experiences, and that many of the problems we are experiencing are not specific to us. Like our organization, they too are part of a collective. Women’s conferences help establish that understanding of collective experience; they give us the sense that we are communicating and connecting at a time when so many of us have felt so isolated. And for many women, women’s only conferences are the first time they have been in a room with so many women at all. We cannot underestimate the power of women connecting and supporting each other at work. Men have been doing this kind of conference networking for years. They have been connecting, mentoring, and networking with each other, and we have never questioned the value or substance of those interactions. Women have the same necessity to create connections within an organization – not just those in leadership positions, but at all levels. When you create a culture of support, everyone benefits. Carley Desjardins is Communications Specialist/Writer in the Administration department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
Did I have to work harder, faster, longer to get where I am because I am a woman? I am not sure. But what I do know is that it can be a lonely experience for women in leadership positions, trying to manage career and often family with few examples of those who “look like you” around. The notion that there is no one else like me in the workplace can be overwhelming, in my case: a young woman, with a very young family, in a senior staff position. The reality is that even in an organization like OECTA, where the membership demographic is 76 per cent female, when we look around the boardroom and at the various leadership tables, it is a predominantly male environment. And even at that, it is rare to find someone with the challenge and responsibility of caring for young children holding these positions.
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 29
VIEWPOINT
“LAST POST” FOR FIRST PAST THE POST? By Peter MacDonald
In the Speech from the Throne in July, the Government of Ontario said, “Maintaining and strengthening the bond between the people and their public representatives must always be top of mind for all.”
phony majorities. Why not consider moving to some form of proportional representation, in which a party’s share of the seats would be more closely aligned with the number of votes cast for that party?
I could not agree more, which is why I would urge the government to consider consulting with the citizens of Ontario on whether Ontario should abandon the first past the post (FPTP) system of electing members of provincial parliament (MPPs) and replace it with a form of proportional representation (PR). Although it can take many specific forms, all PR electoral systems are designed so that divisions in the popular vote are somehow reflected proportionally in the number of elected representatives.
For example, putting the 2018 election results to the side, recent history shows the PCs perennially have trouble electing MPPs in Toronto. The NDP are usually not able to win seats in the 905 area code, or east of Oshawa. Prior to the 2018 debacle, when they lost seats everywhere, the Liberals have usually had particular difficulty electing representatives in central and southwestern Ontario. This does not mean the parties have failed to receive any votes from people in these areas – it just usually is not enough to win the most votes in any single riding. Under some form of PR, all three parties would be able to provide some representation to the areas where they are currently underrepresented in the legislature.
This stands in stark contrast to our current system. As most of you will know, FPTP divides the province into 124 ridings (federal elections use the same system, but Ontario only has 121 ridings at the federal level). Political parties run candidates in each of the ridings, and the candidate that wins a plurality of votes (i.e. more votes than any other candidate, but not necessarily a majority of votes) wins that riding. Generally speaking, the party that wins the most ridings forms government. This system regularly produces seemingly unfair results. For example, in the recent election, the Progressive Conservatives (PCs) won more than 60 per cent of the seats in the Ontario legislature, even though they garnered just over 40 per cent of votes cast (also known as the popular vote). The system also rewarded the Liberals when they won government over the past 15 years, routinely capturing less than 40 per cent of the popular vote, but electing the majority of MPPs. Bob Rae’s New Democratic Party (NDP) won a majority government in 1990, even though they earned only 37 per cent of the popular vote. Defending his move to slash Toronto city council from 45 to 25 seats, Premier Doug Ford cited the fact that 2.3 million Ontarians voted for his party this past June; what he neglected to mention was that 3.3 million electors voted for the other three nominally progressive parties. Small wonder, then, that voters feel their votes are being wasted and their voices are not reflected in the ranks of the elected representatives at Queen’s Park. To put it bluntly, FPTP creates
30 CATHOLIC TEACHER | DECEMBER 2018
Critics of PR often claim that you would put more politicians on the taxpayer payroll by moving to such a model. This is not necessarily the case. In a mixed-member proportional (MMP) model, such as what is currently used in Germany, two-thirds of the representatives would still be elected through FPTP. The remaining one-third of seats would be distributed regionally. So, for example, if no PCs were elected in Toronto, but the party captured 30 per cent of the votes in the region, they would likely get a PR seat or two. Including new, regional ridings while keeping the current 124-seat legislature might necessitate the redrawing of boundaries, but it is certainly workable. Returning again to the most recent election this past June, under MMP, the PCs would have elected 53 MPPs, well short of the 63 seats required to command a majority government. The NDP would have added three seats to their FPTP result of 40 MPPs. The Liberals would have gained 16 seats, for a total of 23, which more accurately reflects their 20 per cent share of the popular vote. The Green Party, who captured 4.6 per cent of the popular vote, would have attained their goal of having a bona fide caucus with four MPPs joining party leader Mike Schreiner at Queen’s Park. Currently, political parties can micro-target small slivers of the electorate, and with a shift in popular support of one percentage point can gain many more seats because of vote-splitting.
Under PR, governing parties would have to reach across the aisle to attract enough support to pass legislation. Minority governments and coalitions between parties would become the norm. Some argue this would make government unstable, but this is not necessarily the case. Instead, consensus and compromise would be required to govern, either in formal coalitions sharing power, or supply and confidence agreements such as the one currently operating in British Columbia between the NDP and Green Party. And despite Premier Ford’s claim that he commands a strong, stable majority government, chaos has been the byword over the summer and into the fall. Daily shenanigans at Queen’s Park, protesters regularly gathering on the front lawn, slashing Toronto city council in the middle of an election… I could go on, but you get the drift: our current system hardly guarantees peace, order, or good governance, the supposed guiding principles of Canadian democracy.
immensely from FPTP in 2018. But with the Liberals casting about for new ideas to attract public support, electoral reform might just be the ticket. Especially if they climb back to relevance, they would gain more seats under a PR model even if they only matched the popular support they achieved in 2018. Returning to July’s Speech from the Throne, the current government claimed that to truly be a government for the people, “it will also require us to move past the politics of division.” Reforming our electoral system by adopting some form of PR would be a strong step in this direction. A person can dream. Peter MacDonald is a member of the Government Relations department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
PR can also create a useful bulwark against unpopular legislation. The government of Mike Harris would have trouble upending the public education system, and Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government would have faced tough opposition when it sold off controlling interest in Hydro One. If electoral reform becomes a reality, cynical politics would give way to good policy development. Corrosive theatrics would be replaced by collegial and collaborative decision-making. Furthermore, voters would no longer feel they need to engage in any form of “strategic voting,” casting ballots for parties they do not really want to vote for in order to ensure another party does not win. Under PR, you vote for who you want to win and every ballot counts. To paraphrase John Lennon, you may call me a dreamer, but I am not the only one. The dream is moving closer to reality in the two most populous Canadian provinces after Ontario. That is because the newly elected Quebec Premier Francois Legault has already announced that his Coalition Avenir de Quebec government will honour the pact his party signed with the Parti Quebecois and Quebec Solidaire prior to the election, pledging to bring in proportional representation legislation within the first year of his fledgling government. And in BC, voters have until the end of November to vote on whether they want to keep the current FPTP system or move to a form of PR. At the time of writing, public opinion polls showed the majority of British Columbians favouring PR. Here in Ontario, both the Green Party and the NDP made electoral reform part of their official platforms in 2018. They have seen the research showing that in jurisdictions with PR, and there are plenty, voter turnout tends to rise by an average of 7 per cent, and legislatures become more diverse. Unfortunately, it is unlikely the current government will warm to the idea anytime soon, since they have benefitted
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 31
DOLLARS AND SENSE Doug Ford’s stance on workers is not just wrong, it entirely misses the point By Mark Tagliaferri
A
t 16 years old, I got a job at a local fast food establishment. Approximately three months in, I fell ill. It was nothing critical, but serious enough that it would have been unwise to interact with customers. On the third day of my absence I received a call from the owner, who instructed me to come into work immediately. The scheduled worker, the owner’s son, needed the day off. The owner listened as I explained my current condition and the associated health risks of coming in. After a long pause, he presented an ultimatum: “If you do not come in today, do not bother coming in again.”
but a matter of survival and basic human rights. Workplaces have changed dramatically since the introduction of the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act in the mid-1990s, and the consequences of precarious work long ago became a rallying cry of labour and anti-poverty advocates. Acknowledging this reality, in 2015 the former Liberal government launched the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR), tasked with examining “issues affecting the workplace, and [assessing] how the current labour and employment law
There was something deeply infuriating about the whole exchange. It felt inherently wrong that an employer could fire someone for being ill, or for not taking a last-minute shift. It was patently unfair, and so I did not return. What did not occur to me at the time, however, is that for other Ontarians who face similar situations, many do not have the luxury of choosing to take a principled stand against injustice. There are an estimated 1.7 million low-wage workers in Ontario – nearly a third of the entire workforce. They are adults of various ages, with bills to pay and mortgage payments to make; many are parents trying to make ends meet. The 30-something juggling multiple temporary agency jobs to pay rent does not have the option of confronting an unfair employer. The single parent with an ill child must weigh the need for a doctor’s visit against the spectre of being fired. In some cases, each week workers face questions of how they will put food on the table for themselves and their families. For these Ontarians, this is not simply a philosophical issue of equity, 32 CATHOLIC TEACHER | DECEMBER 2018
framework addresses these trends and issues.” After nearly two years of study, the CWR final report presented 173 recommendations, all on the premise that Ontario had “too many people in too many workplaces who do not receive basic rights.” The CWR also formed the basis of Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, which passed into law in November 2017. At the time, most of the headlines focused on the minimum wage, which was scheduled to increase to $15 per hour on January 1, 2019. However, the legislation also made several important changes that dealt with employee misclassification, equal pay for equal work, scheduling, unionization efforts, and Personal Emergency Leave – including dedicated leave for domestic and sexual violence. By no means was the legislation perfect: exemptions and gaps meant that almost
“What Bill 148 did was start to make our basic rights a little stronger.” two million workers were excluded from at least one basic protection. However, according to Deena Ladd of the Workers’ Action Centre, “What Bill 148 did was start to make our basic rights a little stronger.” It furthered a conversation. The election of Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives has been something of a conversation-stopper. Not that anyone was expecting Premier Ford to deliver the keynote at the Ontario Federation of Labour convention, but the speed with which his administration has attacked workers’ rights and opposed the labour movement has unsettled even the most cynical observer. The tone was set early in July when the legislature was recalled to force 3,000 striking York University contract faculty and graduate teaching assistants back to work. This, however, proved only an overture; since then the government “for the people” has frozen public sector hiring, ended the Basic Income Program pilot, cut in half the planned three per cent increase to welfare payments, and “paused” regulatory changes that would have allowed people on social assistance to keep more money from part-time jobs. In early October, Premier Ford was asked during Question Period whether the government planned to keep the two paid sick days that workers were given under Bill 148. The Premier shot back, “We’re going to tell the world that Ontario is open for business; we’re getting rid of Bill 148.”
And just like that, the PC government undid the two years of study and decades of advocacy that had led to the revised labour laws. In its stead, the proposed Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, keeps leave provisions for domestic and sexual violence, but repeals almost everything
else. The ten Personal Emergency Leave days, with two paid sick days? Now people will get eight: three sick days, two bereavement days, and three days for family responsibilities – all use-it-or-lose it, all unpaid. And the much-celebrated planned minimum wage increase? That will stay frozen at $14 per hour until October 2020, at which point future increases will be tied to inflation. In defending its proposed legislation, the government “for the people” parroted lines offered by chambers of commerce and business interests. “Bill 148 is the worst bill for the frontline hard-working people this province has ever seen,” the Premier claimed. “60,000 people lost their jobs under Bill 148,” he lied. “The previous Liberal government chose to put the burden of an abrupt and dramatic increase on the back of our small businesses! Our new law will create good-paying jobs, with benefits.” In reality, Ontario’s unemployment rate is 5.7 per cent, the lowest it has been in a generation. Between August 2017 and 2018, Ontario added 79,000 new jobs. At the announcement of the new labour legislation, the Minister of Economic Development could not name a single corporation that has left Ontario as a result of Bill 148. All of this is aligns with research out of the US, which shows that increasing the minimum wage and strengthening workers’ rights decreases employee turnover and improves organizational efficiency. This is an important corrective, but it threatens to miss a second, broader point. Debating jobs figures reduces the issue to a question in an economics textbook. Everything becomes a discussion about the bottom line. When this happens, we lose sight of the fact that society’s effectiveness cannot be determined by a series of equations. Workers are the engine of society, but they are also living, breathing human beings. Providing workers with rights and wages that allow them to meet their basic needs does not hurt business’ profitability, it recognizes workers’ humanity. To argue against
this implies that workers do not create value, or are not themselves valuable. As political science professor Charles Smith ponders, “For a business not to compensate that labour at a fair price raises the question of whether it is ethical for it to operate in the first place.” Workers who are secure – financially, socially, and otherwise – are better positioned to unleash the potential of their human capital; this benefits everyone and everything in society, businesses included. This not only improves workers’ economic choice, but also allows people to have real choices in how the fruits of their labour are realized. Much of this perspective is lost when the narrative is framed too narrowly on dollars, instead of sense. As all of this transpires around us, teachers might feel insulated in positions of relative comfort, and indeed this is true to a point. But the hostility with which the PC government has treated low-wage workers might well be refocused onto labour unions, especially as the Association enters into bargaining next year. It is vital that we remain vigilant, and continue to remember that workers’ rights are human rights. In the moments after the PC government introduced Bill 47, a picture was posted to Twitter that is seared in my mind. It is an image of the legislature; in it, every PC member can be seen smiling, highfiving, and giving themselves a standing ovation, as a group of people who earn more than $100,000 per year strip the rights of people who earn $20,000 per year. It transports me to the outrage and powerlessness I felt as a low-wage worker threatened by an unfair employer. Bill 47 returns us to that reality. It is enough to make you sick to your stomach. But be careful: paid sick days are a thing of the past. Mark Tagliaferri is Communications Specialist in the Communications department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
DECEMBER 2018 | CATHOLIC TEACHER 33
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH
VIEWPOINT
THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ By Gian Marcon
At a recent seminar, I was pulled aside by a veteran colleague who wanted to compliment me on the song lyric that is part of my email signature: “May you have a strong foundation when the winds of change shift.” The lines are from the song “Forever Young,” which Nobel Prize-winning songwriter Bob Dylan originally recorded with the Band, as a reflective and almost prayer-like closing of side one of the 1974 album Planet Waves. The colleague commented that the lyric was as inspiring a couplet as Dylan had ever written. Then we both chuckled that Dylan’s 45-year-old advice may soon prove to be particularly relevant, given the current political climate in Ontario and what may be in store for teachers and publicly funded education. If the start to Doug Ford’s premiership and the implementation of sweeping but previously unannounced cuts are any indication of what lies ahead, we can readily surmise that, to quote another Dylan song, “a hard rain’s gonna fall.” In the months and years ahead, awareness around who we are and where we have come from – our strong foundation as Ontarians, teachers, and OECTA members – will be crucial, if we are to avoid being buffeted by shifting winds of change. Without a true awareness of where we have come from, we risk what Dylan warns about in “Like a Rolling Stone,” his most-cited song: “If you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” The Ford government has signalled that it is prepared to use any means necessary, including the
“notwithstanding clause” of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to unravel progressive legislation that has improved quality of life for Ontarians. And by gutting the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, and eliminating crucial aspects of both the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and the Labour Relations Act (LRA), their true agenda has been revealed. The details of this agenda were not articulated in the recent provincial campaign, but it has produced the hasty chopping of Toronto’s city council, cuts to the university campuses in Brampton, Milton, and Markham, and many other changes. As a long-time PC supporter and fellow Brampton resident commented, “Well, I didn’t vote PC so Ford could do that!” Caveat emptor, I guess. It is clear that this crew of Ford conservatives are driven almost exclusively by a fiscal agenda. For those of us who survived the Harris years this is nothing new; in fact, it is part of the tired old mantra of modern conservative parties that all governments are wasteful and inefficient, and public servants are overpaid. Unfortunately, this ideology and the Ford government’s propensity for “efficiencies” will negatively impact our publicly funded schools, as well as the workers in them. While none of us want a return to the days of bitter public sector strikes, we have already seen the impact of cancelling the cap-and-trade program, as school boards across Ontario are suddenly short $100 million in money earmarked for repairs to facilities. No doubt further cuts are coming, and thinly disguised euphemisms
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do not alter the fact that when it comes to the public sector, “efficiencies” are synonymous with layoffs and diminished services. As teachers and OECTA members, we have a lot to lose. Our pensions, salaries, rights, working conditions, seniority, leave provisions, and job security were not achieved and maintained without sacrifice and continued vigilance. While Premier Ford sows division, we need to engage with the full appreciation that workable solutions require meaningful consultation and negotiation. The government will need to engage beyond the sphere of those with whom they agree at some point, otherwise the education system will merely reflect the grievances and insecurities of the ill-informed. The Ford agenda to date seems designed to appeal to his supporters who want to tick off and punish those with whom they disagree, regardless of the damage this may entail. Recognizing this government’s tendency to make rash and unexpected decisions that have huge impacts on the province’s citizens, OECTA members need to reflect upon what we have, why we have it, and how we are going to preserve it. Our resolve may be tested in the next year, and our vigilance will be required. As Bob Dylan wrote, “The times, they are a-changin’.”
Gian Marcon is a member of the Bargaining and Contract Services department at the OECTA Provincial Office.
