WE WON’T BACK DOWN By Anthony Perrotta

WE WON’T BACK DOWN

By Anthony Perrotta

On Tuesday, January 21, I walked the picket line as part of OECTA’s first fullday withdrawal of service - the first time all members were out of their classrooms since the political protest of 1997. Like many Catholic teachers, this was the first time I found myself entrenched in such job action. As I readied for the day as my school’s Strike Captain, I found a surge of energy from the support of my colleagues at Chaminade College School, and from President Liz Stuart, who walked with us. I also felt energized from being part of democracy in action: this idea of the collective voice taking a stand empowered me to walk and chant through my megaphone.

Reflecting on all aspects of our shared fight to protect publicly funded education, I believe January 21 marked a definitive moment in my 15 years of teaching. I was reminded that my call to being a Catholic teacher is about more than me. It is about the transformational power of publicly funded Catholic education, and the promise of nurturing all students to become what God intends them to be. This is what our fight is about: providing students with what they deserve. I helped mobilize my colleagues as a fellow teacher and staff rep, but also as a parent. This made the effort deeply personal. It was not just about my students, but my own children in the publicly funded school system. Furthermore, as a constituent of our Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, it was also about standing up against an elected representative who has broken the public trust. I have no confidence in his ability to manage the education portfolio effectively or represent the average Ontarian fairly.

I wrote an open letter to Mr. Lecce and shared it on Twitter on the morning of the walkout. I expressed that being out of the classroom due to this government’s apparent disdain for publicly funded education and all stakeholders – including parents and their children – is not why I completed a Bachelors of Education back in 2004-05 at Brock University. I became a teacher because of people, and the belief in human potential. Now, the government is attacking this potential.

As someone who began his postsecondary studies in 1999 as a film production student, my journey to teaching was not accidental. It was not because of summer vacations, a pension, or benefits; but rather, the renewed passion the Ontario Liberals ignited in their education portfolio after the years of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. In fact, I was a high school student during the Harris years and walked with my teachers then. I understood as a 16-year-old student what I intimately know today: Ontario’s world-class publicly funded education system is worth fighting for.

All teachers should feel empowered and stand united against a Conservative government that is consistent in one thing: destruction. Whether it is stripping meaningful supports for autism programming, actively opposing action against climate change, or divesting from a world-class publicly funded education system, this government is a master dismantler. This government is not for the people, but rather for the select elites who can financially afford to navigate the dark aftermath of deep system cuts and lack of forward-thinking vision.

It is with all this in mind that I walked the picket line on January 21. It was a true privilege to walk with my colleagues. Our effort goes beyond education itself, and speaks to the critical need for the government to engage in fair and transparent bargaining. As Catholic teachers, we are fighting for the dignity of all. We are fighting for our livelihood, families, students, and labour partners.

As a collective, we must recognize we are in a marathon. The distance before us will continue to come with challenges. However, I am confident that with our committed solidarity, we will remind this government of our deep and unwavering resolve.

We will win the race. We will not back down.

Anthony Perrotta is a former member of the Toronto Secondary Unit. He was recently appointed Vice-Principal at Chaminade College School.