705-992-3836 | ac.ltoa@ofni |
ADSB will soon be contacting employees regarding recent legislation requiring all school board employees to complete a new Police Record Check every five years. Deadlines to comply will be based on the employee’s birth month.
We encourage members to wait for further information from ADSB regarding the application process and how to submit documentation to Human Resources.
Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, multilingual, and confidential support to help all young people.
They have developed a program that can be used by educators to support mental health in the classroom. Their Counsellor in the Classroom program promotes the discussion of mental health and well-being among young people.
They offer one module for elementary students, “Mental Health and Help Seeking” (Grades 4-12). The module is divided into two parts. The first includes classroom activities led by the teacher. The second includes a 45-minute phone or video call conversation between the class and one of KHP’s professional counsellors.
To learn more and register for the program, visit the Kids Help Phone website.
The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President David Mastin in response to today’s announcement about classroom supplies:
“For years, educators have spent hundreds of dollars of their own money to ensure students have what they need. If the government is finally acknowledging this reality, it’s long overdue. But let’s be clear. Educators cannot be bought, and our commitment to strong public education is not something this government can purchase with a pre‑bargaining announcement.
The real issue that needs addressing is this government’s ongoing refusal to address the chronic underfunding that forces educators to subsidize classrooms out of their own pockets in the first place.
Toronto, March 11, 2026 – Groups representing all aspects of publicly funded education in Ontario are expressing concerns about recent comments from Education Minister Paul Calandra regarding the potential elimination of elected school board trustees – a system of governance that has been in place longer than Canada has been a country.
This change, if implemented, would remove one of the most important ways that families and communities have a say in how their schools are governed. It would also mean that important decisions about education could be made without appropriate public discussion, debate, and awareness.
TORONTO, ON – This morning, local presidents of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), representing educators in school boards currently under Ontario Ministry of Education supervision, issued a joint letter to Education Minister Paul Calandra. The letter was also shared with ministry-appointed supervisors, directors of education at supervised boards, and the leadership of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association. It read as follows:
“As local presidents in supervised school boards, we are compelled to speak publicly about troubling decisions being made behind closed doors and the impact they are having on our public schools.
Since the takeovers of our boards, we have witnessed a pattern of choices imposed without transparency, meaningful consultation, or any clear connection to students’ needs. Instead, these decisions appear to be driven almost exclusively by deep cost-cutting, with little regard for fixing the long-term funding formula consequences for learning and working conditions, or for the well-being of the communities our schools serve. In some cases, however, supervisors are not achieving savings at all, instead increasing costs through high salaries and discretionary funds. This is particularly concerning given the government’s public assertion that ministry-appointed supervisors would perform better than trustees. In reality, supervisors are encountering the same systemic challenges that locally elected trustees faced, demonstrating that the issues are structural, not the result of local governance.
Our local proudly acknowledges and supports International Women’s Day as a time to recognize the achievements, leadership, and contributions of women in education and in our communities.
Occasional teachers — many of whom are women — play a vital role in supporting our students, schools, and colleagues every day, often in challenging and unpredictable circumstances. Your professionalism, resilience, and dedication matter, and they make a real difference.
As a local, we stand in solidarity with women everywhere and reaffirm our commitment to equity, respect, and inclusion in our workplaces and in our union.
Toronto, ON – L’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU), and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) have issued the following joint statement calling on the Ford government and Minister of Education Paul Calandra to start the bargaining process as soon as possible, to best support students, families, teachers, and education workers.
“Ontario’s students are our future. The bargaining process is an opportunity to work together, collaboratively and meaningfully, to secure that future – and to build on the success of our world-class publicly funded education system.
To ensure that our students have the resources and supports they need to thrive, Ontario’s teachers and education workers urge the government to come to the bargaining table as soon as possible.
Wednesday, March 25
4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Zoom
Registration Fee: $15.00
Strong classroom management is about clarity, consistency, and intentional teacher moves that set students and teachers up for success.
In this interactive virtual workshop, teachers will explore proven classroom management strategies drawn from the book Teacher Moves: What Great Teachers Do. The focus is on what works in real classrooms, on real days.
Registration is closed.
Our thoughts are with the families, students, educators, and community members who are grieving the heartbreaking loss of life in British Columbia. Our hearts are with the Tumbler Ridge community.
During difficult times like this, it is important to look after ourselves and one another. Resources are available to members through employee assistance programs. Please reach out if you need support.
Our deepest condolences to all affected by this tragic act of violence.