To mark the start of Pride Month, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) expresses solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community and reaffirms its commitment to creating learning and working environments where 2SLGBTQ+ members, students, families, and allies feel safe, respected, and fully supported. 

Amidst a social landscape where some politicians and voices in the media seek to normalize homophobia and transphobia, ETFO members from the 2SLGBTQ+ continue to support students and work in learning communities that may not always be safe for them. Pride and Solidarity represents our union’s continued commitment to advocating for members, students, and communities.

TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is raising urgent concerns following the release of the Auditor General of Ontario’s Special Report on Special Education Needs, which confirms that the provincial government has chronically underfunded special education and neglected the needs of students with disabilities.

“This report is another damning indictment of a government that has abandoned its responsibility to Ontario’s most vulnerable learners,” says ETFO President David Mastin. “After more than a decade of chronic underfunding and policy decisions that have stripped supports out of classrooms, school boards simply cannot meet the needs of children with disabilities. The system isn’t just strained; it’s fundamentally ableist.”

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is celebrating Education Week, May 4 to 8, by recognizing the dedication and professionalism of Ontario’s public elementary educators who deliver high-quality learning experiences despite mounting pressures and challenges.

“ETFO members bring skill, dedication, and unwavering care to their students every day,” says ETFO President David Mastin. “Whether they are teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators, or education and professional support personnel, their work is the heart of Ontario’s public education system. But that system cannot function on our members’ dedication alone. It requires real, sustained investment and a clear commitment by the Ford government to supporting the people who make public education work.”

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) issue the following statement ahead of this Wednesday’s Provincial Day of Action: 

“On April 29, more than 255,000 AEFO, ETFO, OECTA, CUPE-OSBCU, and OSSTF/FEESO members will participate in a Province-wide Day of Action. This coordinated effort represents a powerful show of unity among Ontario’s teachers and education workers at a time when publicly funded education continues to face significant challenges.

Ontario’s publicly funded education system is facing mounting pressures, and none of those pressures were eased in the most recent provincial budget. Chronic underfunding continues to shape daily realities in schools, where large class sizes, rising incidents of school violence, insufficient supports for students with special education needs, ongoing challenges in retaining and recruiting teachers and education workers, and aging, deteriorating buildings all converge to create significant strain. In the post-secondary sector, years of underfunding, combined with recent cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), are undermining access for students and putting the province’s future workforce at risk.

Teachers and education workers see these realities every day. They understand the impact on learning environments, and on student achievement and well-being. They also know that students and their families deserve a stable, well-resourced system that meets their needs and prepares them for the future.

On April 29, 255,000‑plus members across Ontario will come together to visually signal their support and demand for investments in publicly funded education. Across Ontario, union members will wear red and purple as part of the Red for Ed and Power of Purple movements. This collective action will demonstrate that teachers and education workers are united in calling for improved learning and working conditions in our schools and universities. Under the banner of ‘Stronger Together,’ the five unions are prepared for the next round of central bargaining and ready to demand more for students from a government that has neglected them since taking office in 2018.

Momentum is building. Our members are engaged, informed, and committed to defending and strengthening our publicly funded education system. That shared commitment is our greatest source of strength. Together, we will continue to advocate for the high-quality, fully funded system that every student in Ontario deserves. We invite families and other community allies to join us in calling for meaningful investment and a genuine commitment to student success and well-being.”

Martha Hradowy, OSSTF/FEESO President
René Jansen in de Wal, OECTA President
Gabrielle Lemieux, AEFO President
David Mastin, ETFO President
Joe Tigani, CUPE – OSBCU President 

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is rejecting the provincial government’s proposed education bill, the Putting Student Achievement First Act, which unnecessarily restructures school board governance and leadership roles, limits the core responsibilities of trustees, and unilaterally interferes with central and local bargaining. 

“While the Ford government ultimately rejected Minister Calandra’s initial plan to eliminate all democratically elected trustees — a reversal achieved through months of sustained advocacy by ETFO and its education partners — this legislation removes the essential powers trustees need to genuinely represent families and students,” says ETFO President David Mastin. “Retaining trustees, except for some in the Toronto District School Board, is just another example of Premier Ford’s unhealthy obsession with Toronto. This government should focus on what is in the best interests of students and not on political manoeuvres that weaken democratic oversight.”

Today, the provincial government announced changes to Ontario’s teacher education program. These changes will not fully address the teacher retention and recruitment crisis in this province. 

“While reducing teacher education programs to one year may make it easier for people to enter the profession, easing some recruitment challenges, it does nothing to confront the real crisis driving educators out of Ontario’s classrooms: the chronic underfunding of the system by the Ford government,” said Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President David Mastin. 

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) issue the following joint statement in response to Ontario’s budget announcement: 

“Ontario families, teachers, and education workers continue to hear the Ford government claim that publicly funded education is benefiting from unprecedented investment. Inside schools, however, the reality is stark: our system is in crisis and the government’s proposed budget, which fails students, teachers, and education workers yet again, will only exacerbate the situation.

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.