@OECTA February 2015 Issue

february 2015

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS

OUR NEED FOR AN EXTENSIVE, PUBLICLY SUPPORTED CHILD CARE SYSTEM

THE BALLOT BOX

WHAT THE HARPER CONSERVATIVES FEAR THE MOST

WHO’S SORRY NOW?

THE DELICATE (AND DIFFICULT) SEMANTICS OF APOLOGIES

PLUS:

High-Conflict Personalities Schools as Community Hubs OECTA’s AQ Modules

E B D L U O C YOU T U O G N MISSI . . .

0 0 0 , 0 ON $17 s Q A A T C E O HELP YOU .

E R E H T GET rses u o c Q A OECTA can s e l u d o and m A4! o t t e g help yo u

chers. a e t l l a open to e r a s e s r Co u

2015 COURSE REGISTRATION SPRING March 23 to June 5, 2015 Opens December 2, 2014 Closes March 4, 2015 SUMMER July 6 to July 31, 2015 Opens April 8, 2015 Closes June 5, 2015 Closing dates will be extended if spaces are still available.

oecta.on.ca 2 @ OECTA | FEBRUARY 2015

Potential loss of salary over 30-year teaching career at A3.

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2015

INBOX 4

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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HIGHLIGHTS

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@OECTA

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CALENDAR

7 SCHOOLS AS COMMUNITY HUBS Innovative use of school facilities could

prevent closures and improve social services.

By Adam Lemieux

8 YOUR VOTE It’s what the Harper Conservatives fear the most.

By Duncan Cameron

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9 RESPONDING TO HIGH-CONFLICT PERSONALITIES Effective strategies for managing interactions with

people who just won’t collaborate.

By Judy Beranger 11 COLLEGE COUNCIL ELECTION 2015 Take the opportunity to help shape the new council.

By Malisa Mezenberg

TEACHERS AID 12 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Take a module with OECTA and learn at

your own pace.

By Anthony Carabache 13 PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT When is saying “I’m sorry” not a genuine regret?

By Doug McCarthy

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14 TEACHER ADVISOR What you need to know about restraint training certification.

By Joe Pece 15 LEGAL BRIEF 2015 brings with it new legal protections for Ontario workers.

By Charlene Theodore 17

OECTA’S INDEX

PEOPLE WORTH WATCHING 18 ONE MAN, THREE LIVELIHOODS William Hoch: educator, political activist and social media aficionado.

By Janine Druery

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19 NEW COUNCILLOR: FRANCIS BRIÈRE

OECTA member sets his sights on making changes.

By Janine Druery 19 MOSES PRATT RECEIVES VOLUNTEER HONOUR

Planet Africa award recipient has a long history of giving back.

By Janine Druery

VIEWPOINT 21 RISE UP AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

On February 14, join the global One Billion Rising campaign.

By Janine Druery 22 THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A FAIR SOCIETY

Child care is a worthy public investment.

By Adam Lemieux

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INBOX PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Carley Desjardins Editor Janine Druery Associate Editor

OECTA’s leaders gathered in Toronto the first week after the Christmas break to take stock of our progress in collective negotiations and to chart our course over the next few months. The provincial strike vote was uppermost on the minds of everyone attending the special meeting of the Council of Presidents. How to mobilize members for that vote was the subject of lengthy discussion.

Make no mistake, a province-wide strike vote is what’s needed to support OECTA’s provincial bargaining team as it confronts an immovable employer’s side. That is why, in your local units, you have begun to hear details about the why and the how of the provincial strike vote.

Adam Lemieux Writer/Researcher Natalia Ivashchenko Production Delia Tavares Advertising

James Ryan

Your representatives weighed many factors when opting for this vote. They looked at what’s happening elsewhere in public sector bargaining, where unions are agreeing to contract strips in exchange for minimal gains. The province’s college faculty signed a three-year deal with annual salary increases, but the catch is a longer contract day, longer probationary periods, benefit losses and potential job losses. The union representing management, administrative and professional employees (AMAPCEO) agreed to a four-year contract with a salary increase in the third and fourth years, but in return accepted a three per cent reduction in minimum salaries — greater than the total increases in the last two years of the contract. Another provision in the AMAPCEO deal will see sick leave reduced to six days at 100 per cent, followed by 130 days at 75 per cent of pay. Thousands of members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) face similar government demands.

Members of council also reviewed government’s stated intentions in its budget documents, which froze the salaries of teachers at the top of the grid this year, delayed grid payments, and call for future savings from the education system. We expect the employer side will provide us with their complete proposal before the strike vote and we will share it with you before the vote. Everything we have seen in the past three years tells us that we are confronting determined opponents, trustees and the province, and must have the tools to effectively protect OECTA members.

Yes, it is unsettling to think of a strike, but the Association needs a strong mandate from you in order to send a clear and unequivocal message to government and the employer group if they pursue a similar approach.

The last time OECTA members took strike action was in 2005, when the Windsor-Essex Occasionals undertook a one-day rotating strike quickly countered by the employer with a five-day lockout. Because we’ve known mainly labour peace since then, we’re unaccustomed to thinking beyond our professional classroom duties. But times have changed. It’s the solidarity expressed by all OECTA members in a provincial strike mandate that will make all the difference in current bargaining.

EDITORIAL BOARD James Ryan President Ann Hawkins First Vice-President Marshall Jarvis General Secretary David Church Deputy General Secretary Pat McKeown Executive Resource Assistant

@OECTA is published five times during the school year. Opinions and ideas expressed in @OECTA are not necessarily those of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association. @OECTA is a member of the Canadian Educational Press Association, and the Canadian Association of Labour Media.

Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, 65 St. Clair Avenue East, Toronto, ON M4T 2Y8 PHONE 416-925-2493 TOLL-FREE 1-800-268-7230 FAX 416-925-7764 www.oecta.on.ca Publication Mail Agreement No. 0040062510 Account No. 0001681016

Follow me @OECTAPrez

READ MY WEEKLY BLOG www.oecta.on.ca

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INBOX HIGHLIGHTS KEEP THE PROMISE TOWN HALL ON CHILD POVERTY Students and educators from across Canada met with parliamentarians and NGO representatives at a Keep the Promise (KTP) Town Hall in Ottawa last November 18.

Participants met to reignite the public commitment to the 1989 unanimous motion in the House of Commons to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) says the Town Hall featured student presentations that dealt with solving child poverty, priority issues and promising paths of action. For more information and resource materials, visit keepthepromise.ca.

CLC SURVEY ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THE WORKPLACE The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) recently partnered with researchers at the University of Western Ontario and conducted the first Canadian survey on domestic violence in the workplace. The CLC did this because there is almost no data on this issue in Canada and it is known that women with a history of domestic violence have a more disrupted work history, have lower personal incomes, have had to change jobs more often, and more often work in casual and part-time roles than women who have not experienced violence. To view the survey findings, visit canadianlabour.ca/issues/domesticviolence-work.

LIGHTING THE NIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE December 6, 2014 marked the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, commemorating the murder of 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989.

On the 25th anniversary of the massacre, OECTA took part in the YWCA Rose Campaign’s “Light the Night Against Violence,” which works to reduce violence against women, increase public awareness and prevent violence before it starts. As part of the Light the Night campaign the OECTA Provincial Office, and many of our local units, joined organizations and communities in lighting buildings, monuments and landmarks in red.

Experiences were shared using the hashtag #shinethelight.

PROVINCIAL BARGAINING CONTINUES OECTA continues to meet with the employer side, which includes representatives from the government and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA).

Information on meeting dates and outcomes is sent regularly by email to OECTA members who have registered their personal email address with OECTA for the purposes of provincial bargaining.

Members can also access bargaining updates, FAQs and videos in the Provincial Bargaining Updates section of the Members’ Centre at www.oecta.on.ca. Members will need an OECTA membership number to log in and access this information. Given the confidential nature of negotiations, it is important that updates are posted in a secure location for members only.

Provincial Bargaining

U PDATE

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Have you registered your personal email address?

With provincial bargaining underway, the quickest and easiest way to stay informed and be notified of important updates, including strike votes or voting on a proposed agreement, is to provide a personal email address (not the email address provided by your school board). If you have not already done so, please register your personal email address at www.surveymonkey.com/s/OECTACollector2, so that you are registered to receive provincial bargaining information and to vote online for the new agreement.

OECTA members are also encouraged to sign in to the Members’ Centre of www.oecta.on.ca to receive @OECTA, the Association’s e-newsletter providing timely OECTA news, legislation updates and professional development opportunities.

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INBOX @OECTA COMMUNICATIONS AWARDS 2015 The Communications Awards honour achievement by OECTA units for communication projects and publications created between AGM 2014 and AGM 2015. Share your successes for everything from your website and feature articles to photographs and Catholic-focused activities.

Details are available at www.oecta.on.ca in the Awards section. Entries are due April 1, 2015 by 5:00 p.m.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION (AQ) COURSE REGISTRATION You could be missing out on $170,000.

OECTA AQ courses and modules can help you get to A4. Courses are open to all teachers.

Spring registration closes March 4, 2015 and summer registration begins April 8, 2015. To register, visit the courses section at www.oecta.on.ca.

LTP

LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM 2014-15

OECTA will offer its Specialized Leadership Training Program in 2014-15. Anyone who has completed the foundational program is eligible for the specialized program. The Foundational Leadership Training Program will run in 2015-16.

DESIGN THE 2015 OECTA CHRISTMAS CARD OECTA is looking for Christmasthemed art from OECTA members to use on its 2015 Christmas card. Submit your original piece of art by April 1, 2015. All entries must be two-dimensional finished art, whether a photograph, sketch, collage, painting, etc. Submit your entry to Carley Desjardins, Acting Director of Communications, OECTA, 65 St. Clair Ave. E., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M4T 2Y8. Include your contact information with your entry.

CELEBRATE THE CREATIVITY OF YOUR STUDENTS The 2015 Young Authors’ Awards showcase the writing talents of students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 – and the teaching talents of their teachers. Categories range from poems and short stories to plays and non-fiction in both English and French. The deadline to submit entries to your school’s OECTA representative is February 13, 2015.

JOIN A PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE OECTA standing committees provide opportunities for teachers to contribute their expertise, be creative and develop new interests, while serving the needs of Association members. New teachers, in particular, are encouraged to get involved. Small teams work on projects of their choice that can be completed within the school year.

The standing committees are: Awards, Beginning Teachers, Catholic Education, Collective Bargaining, Communications and Public Relations, Continuing Education, Educational Aid, Elementary Schools, Finance, Health and Safety, Human Rights, Legislation, Occasional Teachers, Political Advisory, Professional Development, Program and Structures, Secondary Schools, Status of Women and Teacher Education Network. Applications will be accepted online at www.oecta.on.ca from March 1 – May 1, 2015. Committee appointments, made by the Provincial Executive, take effect on July 1, 2015.

SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS AND BURSARIES OECTA provides financial assistance for teachers taking undergraduate courses that lead to a first degree, post-graduate courses and professional development to support lifelong learning. Three post-graduate scholarships – two religious education fellowships and one labour studies fellowship of up to $10,000 — are available. Individual bursaries for study in any subject are valued up to $1,000. Programs and courses must be taken between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016. Deadlines to apply are: April 1 for scholarships and May 1 for bursaries. Applications are available at www.oecta.on.ca in the Members’ Centre under Career Development.

TRADE PLACES AND TEACH IN AUSTRALIA Do you want to trade places for a year with a teacher in an Australian Catholic school? You can, as part of an exchange program organized by the Canadian Education Exchange Foundation (CEEF), a non-profit charitable organization that provides national and international exchange programs and services for teachers and educators. Visit www.oecta.on.ca in the Teaching Opportunities section under Career Development in the Members’ Centre for more information. To register, contact Carol Wilkins, Teacher Exchange Coordinator, via email at cwilk@ceef.ca or phone at 705-739-7596.

Visit www.oecta.on.ca for more information 6 @ OECTA | FEBRUARY 2015

CALENDAR FEBRUARY Provincial Executive Meeting February 3-4 Council of Presidents’ Meeting February 4-6 One Billion Rising Revolution February 14 Family Day February 16 Ash Wednesday February 18 Provincial Executive Meeting February 26-27

MARCH College of Teachers’ Elections: e-voting begins March 2 Spring AQ Registration Closes March 4 International Women’s Day March 8 Provincial Executive Meeting March 13 Annual General Meeting March 14-16 Bottled Water Free Day March 16 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination March 21 Spring AQ Courses Begin March 23

APRIL Good Friday April 3 Easter Sunday April 5 Easter Monday April 6 Summer AQ Registration Opens April 8 Day of Pink April 9 Election Results Posted on OCT Website April 9 Earth Day April 22

INBOX

SCHOOLS AS COMMUNITY HUBS Innovative use of school facilities could prevent closures and improve social services.

[T]HE CONCEPTION OF THE SCHOOL AS A “SOCIAL CENTRE IS BORN OF OUR ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT… TO EXTEND THE RANGE AND THE FULLNESS OF SHARING IN THE INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL RESOURCES OF THE COMMUNITY IS THE VERY MEANING OF THE COMMUNITY.

By Adam Lemieux

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- JOHN DEWEY,

American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer

The government’s education agenda has become preoccupied with finding “efficiencies.” However, many of our students continue to struggle with poverty, ill-health, and other stresses that impact their ability to learn. They need ongoing investments and supports.

The predicament seems intractable, but there is a novel approach that might actually help to reconcile these competing interests. For several years, OECTA has been advocating for the use of school facilities as “community hubs.” The idea is to move certain social services to school buildings and integrate them more fully into students’ daily lives, lowering costs while at the same time reducing isolation and removing barriers to learning. Examples of services that could be offered in schools include fitness and recreation programs, family counselling, paediatric services, and mental health supports.

The “community schools” movement is well established in the United States. It has drawn inspiration from early 20th-century thinkers such as Jane Addams as well as Depression-era schools that brought together diverse interests to accomplish shared goals. The Coalition for Community Schools was formed in 1997, with support from an assortment of groups including the American Federation of Teachers and the National Association of State Boards of Education. Although studies of the impact of these schools are somewhat rare, the available research shows that the supplemental programs are used by the vast majority of students, and gains are realized in areas such as language skills and positive attitudes about school.

Creative, collaborative use of school space would also be a solution to the challenge posed by declining enrolment. It is an inescapable fact that some schools in Ontario are not being used to their full capacity. However, particularly in rural and remote boards, the closing of a school can be highly disruptive to students and the community. Finding new ways to use school buildings will ensure that smaller communities do not lose vital resources just because they now have fewer children. And while underutilized schools are actually more prevalent in public boards, the community hub model would undermine one of the more popular arguments for dismantling the publicly funded Catholic education system.

The Ministry of Education grants some funding to enable non-profit organizations to use school space at low cost, but we do not have a policy that weaves community services into the fabric of school life. The arrangements usually only amount to community groups renting school space outside of school hours.

PHOTO: © Jannis Tobias Werner / Shutterstock.com

There are signs that change might be on the horizon. The Ontario Liberal Party campaign platform included a commitment to develop school-community hubs that would promote ties between organizations and ensure that “viable” schools remain open. Since the election, the premier has instructed the ministers of education, health and municipal affairs to further investigate the concept.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia’s School Review Process Study has listed the “hub school model” as a way to prevent school closures, and the Alberta Commission on Learning has agreed there is “much to be said” for the school becoming a centre for a wide range of services.

The public administration theories of path dependency and public choice tell us it can be incredibly difficult to fundamentally alter the workings of ministries and institutions. Ways of doing things become entrenched, and the public servants within respective ministries tend to be rather possessive about their control over policies, decisions and budgets. This is why proponents of community hubs often talk about “breaking down the silos.”

As the idea gains attention, OECTA will press the government to connect stakeholders and formulate a comprehensive, substantial strategy. Schools that function as genuine community hubs could make productive, efficient use of public assets while providing improved service and better outcomes.

It is a true win-win if ever there was one.

Adam Lemieux is the Writer/Researcher in the Communications and Government Relations departments at OECTA Provincial Office.

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INBOX

employing updated versions of similar tactics.

YOUR VOTE: IT’S WHAT THE HARPER CONSERVATIVES FEAR THE MOST

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By Duncan Cameron

ess than a year from now, on October 19, 2015, Canadians will vote, or not, in the next federal election.

If the next election is like four of the last five contests, about 40 per cent of Canadians will not cast a ballot on Election Day.

Choosing not to vote is as good as voting Conservative. If you did not vote in the last election, you put Stephen Harper in the prime minister’s office with a majority government.

The 25/60 rule says that if one Canadian party can get 25 per cent of the population to come out and vote for it, that party can win a majority government so long as only 60 per cent of eligible voters turn up to vote.

For Stephen Harper to lose power, either the Conservative voter base must decline or more people need to turn up and vote.

The government busily changing Canada out of recognition was elected by fewer than 24 per cent of those Canadians registered to vote. It was enough to give the Conservatives 54 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons because only 60 per cent of Canadians eligible to vote thought it was important to cast a ballot.

Despite not leading in current public opinion polling, the Conservatives stand a good chance of being re-elected unless Canadians turn out to vote in increasing numbers.

With no increase in voter turnout, all the Conservatives need for re-election is to maintain their base, which is why the government feeds it raw meat on a regular basis, including joining the American war party in Iraq.

To activate its base, the Harper forces can count on their shock troops, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and the National Citizens Coalition, whose pronouncements are faithfully reported in the mainstream media as news.

The Harper Conservatives’ game plan was successful in 2011. The prime minister plans to win again in 2015

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First, the Harper Cons aim to suppress the Liberal party, vote by demonizing its leader Justin Trudeau, implanting the idea he is “just not up to the job” of being prime minister.

This strategy worked against Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff, and Harper thinks it will work again. With over half of intended Liberal voters saying the NDP is their second choice, expect the NDP to go negative on Trudeau as well.

The government has let it be known it is prepared to pirate news reports for use in its characteristic negative political advertising, infringing copyright and blurring the lines between independent media coverage, and partisan propaganda. As Aaron Wherry reports for Maclean’s, news reports feature in the latest Con ads targeting Justin Trudeau.

To keep it low, the recent Conservative electoral law denies Elections Canada any role in promoting voter turnout. The unfair “Fair Elections Act” ends the practice of educating the public about the importance of voting in a democracy. Under the new electoral law, voting is treated as if it were a personal matter, without consequences for the workings of democracy.

The Harper Conservatives rely on mainstream coverage of politics as a hotbed of corruption and wrongdoing to make people believe all politicians are the same.

If all politicians are the same, why vote indeed? Double nonsense. All politicians and the parties they represent are far from the same. Candidates for office come from widely divergent backgrounds, and offer varying talents and abilities. New Democrats,

FEDERAL ELECTION 2015

There will be a federal election on or before October 19, 2015. The exact date is yet to be determined by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Many see this election as a priority because of such highly charged issues as the treatment of veterans, the environment, growing income inequality, child care, and democratic rights, to name a few.

Emotions are running high. You may see attack ads not only by the political parties, but by newly formed coalitions.

But you won’t see any negative ads from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). The CLC’s “Fairness Works” campaign was developed from thorough research and designed by a highly respected ad agency. It promotes the idea that fairness in the workplace, and for all Canadians, is important. The unspoken message is that unions play a key role in building a fairer society, not just for their members, but for everyone.

The ads do not expressly attack the Harper Conservatives, but they do attack Harper’s agenda. The ads will be successful if they spark a conversation about the need for clean water, decent pensions, mental health services and decent paying jobs. Let’s hope we will all reflect upon the importance of these and other issues before we head to the polls.

PHOTO: © Digital Storm / Shutterstock.com

“IN A GENERATION, VOTER TURNOUT IN CANADA HAS DECLINED FROM THE 80 PER CENT OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS RANGE TO THE 60 PER CENT RANGE.” includes tactics of voter suppression, recognized by the courts in a significant case brought by the Council of Canadians, though the presiding judge declined to overturn election results.

Spending extravagant amounts of public dollars to promote itself has been standard practice for this government since it took office nine years ago.

The Conservatives lead the other parties in fundraising by a wide margin, raising 120 per cent more than the NDP Official Opposition, and 50 per cent more than the third-party Liberals.

Greens, the Bloc Québecois, and Liberals are strikingly different from each other and from Conservatives. Serious differences exist on important issues facing Canadians.

The Conservatives have shown a willingness to do anything to win an election. For the 2015 election, 30 new seats will be added to the House of Commons; 15 in Ontario, six in Alberta, six in B.C., and three in Quebec. The Conservatives are expected to have an outright advantage in well over half of the new ridings.

After the last election, Elections Canada received multiple complaints about misleading information being provided to voters about changes to polling places. Government practice

In a generation, voter turnout in Canada has declined from the 80 per cent of eligible voters range to the 60 per cent range.

Inequalities of wealth and income have increased over the same period.

Weak democratic participation opens the door to control of politics by well-funded corporations and political figures eager for their approval. Higher turnout rates force political parties to express voter aspirations, and parliamentarians to defend the Canadian quality of life.

Duncan Cameron is the president of rabble.ca and writes a weekly column on politics and current affairs. With permission, this article was reprinted from rabble.ca, October 21, 2014.

INBOX

RESPONDING TO HIGH-CONFLICT PERSONALITIES How to be mindful of your strategies

By Judy Beranger

What percentage of your life have you invested in conflict? How much energy and attention have you lost to it?

Unresolved conflict can come with a high price tag. It can have a significant, detrimental effect on your attitude and performance as a teacher or administrator.

Such conflict spreads negative energy, which weakens your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health.

Recognizing “high conflict personality types” and learning ways to work with them can reduce stress.

Getting along with colleagues and students,

and the ability to be able to effectively manage conflict in our schools, is a widely accepted expectation. The occurrence of conflict is recognized as a necessary part of a dynamic, creative and competitive working environment. In their book, Toxic Coworkers: How to Deal with Dysfunctional People on the Job, Alan Cavaiola and Neil Lavender review one study where more than 80 per cent of employees reported that at least one person in their workplace caused them stress. In a 2006 study, J. Hudson stated that the number one worklife stressor was “people problems.”

Bill Eddy, a recognized researcher and founder of the high-conflict Institute, defines high-conflict people (HCP) as people who act in self-defeating ways while being unaware that their own behaviour is the cause of many of their problems. HCP would clearly benefit from changing or stopping their self-defeating behavior, but

they are highly resistant to self-reflection and change. These people tend to increase their relationship conflicts rather than manage or resolve them.

Fortunately they agree that there are effective strategies for managing interactions with people who simply will not engage in collaborative, conflict resolution efforts. You can’t “fix” people, but you can find ways to manage the situation or, if need be, move away from it.

Managing Situations

Eddy suggests that skills to manage highconflict situations are often different from ordinary conflict resolution methods. His research identifies the following patterns of behaviour that can be exhibited by people with high-conflict personalities:

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INBOX

• All-or-nothing thinking; • Preoccupation with blaming others; • Draining energy, time and resources; • Rigid and uncompromising; • Unable to accept loss or heal from a loss; • Negative emotions dominate their thinking; • Unable to reflect on their own behavior; • Difficulty empathizing with others; • Avoids responsibility for the problem or the solution.

In her 2006 research in Generation Me, Jean Twenge suggests the emphasis during the past 30 years was for parents and teachers to focus on building children’s self esteem. She says this has actually spiraled into some of today’s young adults being more narcissistic, anxious and depressed than ever before. Twenge says: “Twothirds of college students score high on narcissism. The average college student in 2006 scored higher in narcissism than 65 per cent of students in 1987.” Twenge further suggests this generation is more assertive and entitled and has less empathy and less successful relationships. They are more impulsive and aggressive when they feel insulted or threatened.

Narcissistic personalities (ones who act very superior, are absorbed in themselves, take advantage of relationships, lack empathy for others) are present in a large number of high-conflict cases. People with narcissistic personalities would say they have high self-esteem while, in reality, they are easily triggered by anything that might threaten their self-images.

Adopting Strategies

In Eddy’s book, It’s All Your Fault: 12 Tips for Managing People Who Blame Others for Everything, he challenges us to be mindful of our strategies. Some of the tips include:

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• Do not take attacks personally. People with high-conflict personalities blame others, distort information and do not reflect on or change their own inappropriate behaviour; • Do not give negative feedback. HCPs tend to defend themselves by going on the attack; • Set limits as to how much time you give to this conflict. HCPs lack awareness of their own behaviours and the effects on others; • Do the opposite of what you would like to do. Show the person you recognize and are trying to understand what they are experiencing; • Use an EAR (empathy, attention and respect) approach. Remember that it is a waste of time to attack or criticize.

Teaching assignment changes are common at the start of each school year. Whether you are an administrator trying to tell a teacher the importance of taking on new courses, or a teacher trying to tell an administrator how these new courses are going to create more stress in life, there are ways to talk about it that can help. If either of the people involved have a highconflict personality, it is helpful to move immediately to EAR conversations.

Examples of EAR statements include: I can understand your frustration at having to take on new courses, this is a very important decision and a difficult one to make. I will pay full attention to your concerns and any ideas you want to suggest. I have a lot of respect for your commitment to working on a solution to

accommodate our needs, the schedule, our students and our school. I want to do the best we can for everyone as well.

By practicing the use of statements similar to these, you manage to avoid agreeing with content or fixing things. This allows you to be honest, stay at arm’s length from the situation and practice the act of paying attention, while moving from rigidity to flexibility.

Reflective Practice

Transformation occurs when you decide to use strategies and skills that keep you at arm’s length from that which you cannot change. How much time are you prepared to invest in conversations over expectations that will never be met, discussions that will never go anywhere, with people you do not like or trust?

Understanding high-conflict personalities and the importance of responding with empathy, attention and respect (followed by letting go), will help you develop the habits and disciplines necessary for reflective practice.

Judy Beranger is a Wellness and Employee Assistance Coordinator with the EAP for Teachers.

With permission, this article was reprinted, in part, from Sept./Oct. 2014 edition of The Bulletin, the publication of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association.

PHOTO: © doglikehorse / Shutterstock.com

“IT IS OF CRITICAL

INBOX

COLLEGE COUNCIL ELECTION 2015 Your opportunity to shape the Council

By Malisa Mezenberg

Electronic voting to elect the seventh governing Council of the Ontario College of Teachers will be held from March 2 to April 7, 2015. This is your opportunity to shape the Council that will make decisions affecting the professional life of Ontario teachers over the next three years.

Who makes up council?

College members elect 23 of the 37 Council members. Of the 23 elected positions, 19 are held and voted for by teachers and are elected from the English, French, Catholic, public, elementary and secondary school systems in all regions of the province. Principals and viceprincipals, supervisory officers, private schools and faculties of education elect Council members to four of the 23 positions. The provincial government appoints the remaining 14 members of Council, a group made up of parents, those in various professions and the general public.

Of the 19 positions filled by teachers, seven are system positions and 12 are regional positions. You can vote for all system positions, but only for two of the regional positions (both from the region in which you reside).

The vote

Since 2003, the college has been conducting elections electronically. As a college member in good standing as of February 25, 2015, you will be eligible to vote electronically beginning March 2, 2015. You can access your personalized ballot by logging into your account in the members’ section of the college website during the voting period. Your ballot will appear with all contested positions for which you can vote.

Why vote?

The Council is the main governing body of the College of Teachers. Successful candidates play a significant decision-making role in the teaching profession as members of Council and serve on at least two committees.

As members of Council, colleagues you elect might serve on the Accreditation Committee and influence the classroom-readiness of new teachers who will work alongside you for years to come via decisions that affect the preparation they receive in pre-

IMPORTANCE THAT STRONG TEACHER VOICES ARE AROUND THE COUNCIL TABLE TO SERVE THE PROFESSION WITH INSIGHT AND INTEGRITY.” service programs. They might serve on an Investigation, Discipline or Fitness to Practice committee and be key figures in how the college responds to complaints about individual members. The Investigation Committee determines how the college responds to the 150-plus complaints it receives annually. Discipline Committee or Fitness to Practice Committee panels hear allegations about 80 to 100 members per year and determine if they will be allowed to continue in the profession. Council members serving on the Standards of Practice and Education Committee are responsible for ensuring ethical and practice standards that influence the quality of teaching in Ontario.

The Editorial Board reviews the content for each issue of the Professionally Speaking magazine and determines what is published.

Council plays an active role in reviewing the content of Additional Qualification courses and issues concerning teachers’ qualifications.

Council also decides on the annual budget and the membership fee that supports the college’s work and participates in decisions on issues such as the transparency of the college’s processes.

These are important topics for every college member. The successful candidates will serve a three-year term from July 1, 2015 until June 30, 2018. It is of critical importance that strong teacher voices are around the Council table to serve the profession with insight and integrity.

Find out more

Detailed biographies for each candidate will be published in the March 2015 issue of Professionally Speaking and posted to the college’s website by February 20. To find out more about your candidates, visit the candidate blogs in the members’ section of the Ontario College of Teachers website (www.oct.ca) and online voter forum where members can post questions and comments.

Malisa Mezenberg is a secretariat member in the Counselling and Member Services Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

PHOTO: © xtock / Shutterstock.com

FEBRUARY 2015 | @ OECTA 11

TEACHERS AID

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Modules: The Best Fit for Anyone

By Anthony Carabache These are Busy Times

The term “busy” doesn’t seem to cover it anymore. With the constant barrage of new technologies, split-second decisionmaking, and growing access to the flow of information, the meaning of the word “busy” has morphed beyond the once healthy hum and rhythm of life. Whether you are a teacher of 25 years or newly hired, a young parent with children or an empty-nester, self-directed time is at a premium and, many say, the most valuable currency. Despite these demands, when it comes to professional development teachers always find a way to fit PD in to their schedules.

The drive to continue to learn and apply new information to the classroom embodies teachers as life-long learners in every sense. AQ providers have rarely acknowledged the need to mitigate stress and promote the well-being of teachers – until now.

OECTA always seeks to improve the teacher experience, which has led the Association to disrupt the typical AQ pathway by offering modular AQs. For more information

or to register for ModularIntroducing LearningOECTA Modules for Additional Qualifications go to the COURSES tab at or Professional Learning oecta.on.ca In a world that’s continuously accelerating and pulling us in different directions, If you have any questions, teachers in Ontario (and all over the please contact world) finally have an option to take in registrar@oecta.on.ca some of that information in smaller, more

manageable bites. Teachers can now take a full additional qualification course in five smaller modules.

Understanding that life balance and wellbeing are integral to teachers, OECTA’s modules respect time constraints, budgetary concerns and, most important, the need to balance teachers’ personal and professional lives. With AQ modules, teachers can take one-fifth of a course at a time over a six-week period.

12 @ OECTA | FEBRUARY 2015

Now you can take an AQ course one module at a time.

Unbundled Learning

More and more, consumers are demanding the unbundling of preset product packages, so why shouldn’t teachers have unbundled professional learning opportunities? Modular AQs unbundle full courses and offer them as smaller, consumable packets to all teachers.

In the United States and, to a lesser degree, in Canada,

there is a growing movement towards Massively Open Online Courses or MOOCs. MOOCs have garnered so much attention that studies are being conducted globally to determine how they have disrupted traditional tertiary education. Though the mechanics of the module and the massively open online course are similar, their cores remain very different.

Your Needs, Your Choice

Modules are accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers. If you take five modules in the same course, you will receive accreditation for the full course. In essence, a teacher can choose to complete a course in one session or break the course up over two years.

OECTA also offers modules that have no bearing on additional qualification status. The Association has embraced the idea that teachers want to take professional development courses out of interest and a desire to learn.

In these cases, teachers can take a module without worrying about completing the assigned tasks in order to be officially credited; instead, a certificate of completion is issued at the end of the module.

OECTA has always been committed to professionalism, particularly in the face of an ever-evolving profession.

OECTA’s AQ modules demonstrate how passionate the Association is about respecting members, including their professional development needs and workloads.

Take a module with OECTA. Experience the difference. Learn at your own pace.

Join us online at www.oecta.on.ca/ wps/portal/courses Anthony Carabache is a secretariat member in the Professional Development Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

TEACHERS AID

PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT I’m sorry, was that an apology?

When is an apology not genuine?

By Doug McCarthy

“APOLOGIES ARE DIFFICULT, DELICATE AND NEED TO BE THOUGHT OUT AND EFFECTIVELY CONVEYED.”

It is purported that as Canadians we say “sorry” a lot – more as a courtesy than as an apology. Two people arrive at an entrance at the same time, then step back to let the other through with a polite “sorry,” which actually means: “Excuse me, you go first.”

However, there are times when a person says, “I’m sorry,” claiming to be making an apology when, in fact, they are not. Consider the many examples of apologies by politicians, which usually start with something like, “I am sorry if anyone took offence at my comments.”

These apologies are sometimes followed by excuses or disclaimers.

Another example is of a woman who was fired by her employer for cutting all her hair for a charity fundraiser.

This was apparently a violation of a vaguely worded dress code. The news of the firing went viral, causing the employer to issue a public apology, which said, in part, that he was “sorry for failing to resolve the issue” before the worker contacted the media.

There are also apologies expressed in a passive-aggressive tone of voice, much like the use of the word “fine,” which is used when unable to resolve a disagreement. For instance, a woman was upset with the service she received on her automobile. When she complained to the manager she was dismissed with the phrase, “Well, I’m sorry you feel that way.”

In “What It Means To Be Sorry,” an article that appeared in the Mediation Quarterly in 2000, Carl D. Schneider outlined the elements of a good apology, which are paraphrased below:

• Using the word “I” when apologizing, without deflecting blame to anyone else or any other thing; • Naming the offence and being specific; • Accepting unqualified responsibility without excuses; avoiding the use of “I’m sorry but…”; • Expressing sincere regret from the heart, acknowledging that the apology does not reduce the hurt that has been caused; • Assuring that the wrong will not happen again; • Taking direct and immediate action for reparation and being aware that mere words may not be enough;

PHOTO: © Imilian / Shutterstock.com

Apologizing in a timely manner, verbally, and in person, avoiding indirect methods such as text, Twitter, email, or voice mail.

Apologies are difficult, delicate and need to be thought out and effectively conveyed. At the same time, it is important to understand that when we apologize we relinquish our power and put ourselves at the mercy of the offended party who may not accept our apology. That is why making an apology is often an act of courage.

Doug McCarthy is a retired OECTA member and principal, and currently a member of OECTA’s Speakers’ Bureau.

FEBRUARY 2015 | @ OECTA 13

TEACHERS AID

TEACHER ADVISOR Should teachers apply physical restraint?

What you need to know about restraint training certification

F

By Joe Pece

or a number of years now, school boards have been providing training for teachers on the use of physical restraint on students. It has been predominantly Special Education teachers who have undergone this training. Often referred to as Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training, there are some positive aspects to this training because it includes behavioural support prevention plans that teachers could utilize without resorting to physical intervention.

The problem is that this type of training almost always incorporates instruction on how to restrain students using physical means. Any time a teacher makes physical contact with a student, it opens the door to allegations and investigations. Last edition’s Teacher Advisor provided advice regarding Children’s Aid Society, Police and Ontario College of Teachers’ investigations around allegations of physical contact, so you should already be aware of these liabilities.

Teachers are often asked to volunteer for such training in order to be certified to practice restraint. In some school boards, this training has become “voluntarymandatory.” Any teacher who has completed this training may be called upon to restrain students.

This is akin to qualifications as a certified First Aid Provider, and will invariably mean the teacher will be the “go to” person when it comes to restraint. It is important to be aware of these increased expectations if you decide to volunteer for this training. If the school board directs you to take this training, please seek advice immediately from your local OECTA unit.

Teachers with restraint-training certification are held to a higher standard of care than other teachers, and are therefore held to a higher standard of liability. The police, courts and the Ontario College of Teachers treat teachers who are certified in restraint as having a greater duty of care and a greater responsibility regarding crisis intervention and restraint of students.

This increase in duty of care and crisis intervention

14 @ OECTA | FEBRUARY 2015

“ANY TIME A TEACHER

MAKES PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH A STUDENT, IT OPENS THE DOOR TO ALLEGATIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS.” may result in a trained teacher being subject to more severe consequences than one who is not trained.

There is nothing in the Education Act or its regulations that specifically permits teachers to use physical force. The common law imposes on teachers the obligation to exercise reasonable care in protecting students from risk of harm, i.e., in loco parentis. This imposed obligation is based on the parental delegation of disciplinary authority to teachers and administrators. The requirement for a pupil is to “accept such discipline as would be exercised by a kind, firm and judicious parent,”¹ and the obligation in the Education Act “to maintain... proper order and discipline... ”² When should teachers apply physical restraint? The preferred response to this question is: NEVER. In an ideal world, teachers should never make physical contact with students because of the professional liabilities they face from outside agencies. However, if that were true, our filing cabinets in the Counselling and Member Services Department would be a lot thinner. In addition, the employer often encourages teachers to be trained in physical restraint. The employer will also be quick to initiate its own investigation, which puts the teacher at further risk of discipline. On the other hand, teachers cannot stand idle when a student could be at risk of harm from another student.

Using other strategies and techniques to remove the danger is the first course of action, hence the “non-violent” aspects of the intervention. Physical restraint should always be a last resort.

Even though many boards have developed Non-Violent Crisis Intervention programs, they have not declared they will assume costs for liabilities assigned to a teacher who restrains a student.

It is not in teachers’ best interests to

needlessly expose themselves to legal investigation and/or prosecution by participating in a physical-restraint training program. Beyond the legal implications, teachers have been seriously injured while performing such actions. Unfortunately, Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) benefits are often difficult for those teachers to receive because school boards actively oppose compensation for injured teachers.

In some cases, students will require physical intervention based on their Individual Education Plan (IEP). In these cases of aggressive behaviours, a safety plan should be implemented, and parents should be aware of, and agree with, the restraint methods used. The principal should be present when discussing any parental concerns regarding the safety plan.

In most instances, an Educational Assistant should be assigned to actually implement the restraint procedures. If this situation puts teachers at ongoing risk of harm, in particular because there is a need for a continuous application of restraint, they should contact their local OECTA unit or the Provincial Office to seek information about a possible health and safety remedy. ¹Ontario Education Act, Regulation 298, Operation of Schools, Section 23(1)(c), Requirement of Pupils. ²Ontario Education Act, Section 264(e), Duties of Teachers.

Joe Pece is the department head for the Counselling and Member Services Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

TEACHERS AID

New Year, New Workplace 2015 means new legal protections for Ontario workers

By Charlene Theodore

Happy New Year. 2015 brings with it a myriad of new legal protections for workers in Ontario. At the close of 2014, the Ontario government passed Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act. This legislation was brought on, in part, by the Law Commission of Ontario’s report on Vulnerable Workers and Precarious Work, released in 2013.

The Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act starts to address some of these issues by amending a number of Ontario’s employment and labour statutes, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

The Law Commission Report revealed what those in the union movement already knew too well:

• Effective February 20, 2015 the $10,000 cap on claims for unpaid wages under ESA will be eliminated. This means employees can now make larger claims through the Ministry of Labour; many can avoid a costly and lengthy court process.

Precarious Work

• In Ontario, approximately 22 per cent of jobs could be characterized as precarious work, defined as having low wages and at least two of three other features: no pension, no union and/or small firm size.

• Part-time employees are more likely to be precariously employed than full-time employees; about 33 per cent of part-time workers are in positions with low wages, no union and no pension, as compared to almost nine per cent of full-time employees.

Vulnerable Workers

• Youth, women, racialized persons, immigrants, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities and older adults are disproportionately represented.

• Newcomers to Canada are disproportionately affected by precarious work. Nineteen per cent of immigrants compared to 15 per cent of Canadian-born workers are engaged in self- employed work, with 33 per cent of immigrants reporting that they have entered self-employment because of a lack of suitable paid jobs as compared to 20 per cent of Canadian-born workers.

Impact of Precarious Work

• Precarious work can cause significant stress due to job insecurity, the pressure of holding multiple jobs, irregular or long hours, insecure visa status and lack of legal protections.

• Precarious workers may also suffer health consequences as a result of their lower incomes. Low wages also affect workers’ access to safe transportation and sufficiently nutritious food.

Low pay often leads to working more than one job and long hours which, in turn, increases susceptibility to illness and injury and has negative impacts on family life affecting children and communities.

• Due to low wages and lack of benefits, precarious workers often have difficulty accessing medicine, particularly prescription drugs.

• Pregnant women engaged in precarious work are often not

covered by statutory personal emergency leave provisions and, with insufficient time off, may not obtain necessary medical care. (Source: Law Commission of Ontario)

Removal of Cap on Liability for Wages

Temporary Help Agencies

• Prior to the passing of the act, employers who hired workers through temp agencies were not held liable if those workers were not paid regular wages or overtime pay. Now, employers and temp agencies can be held jointly and severally liable for any overtime pay or regular wages owed to a temporary worker. The WSIA will also be amended so that employers and agencies share liability for the costs of workplace injuries to temp workers.

Minimum Wage Increases

• Minimum wage increases occurring after October 1, 2015 will be tied to Ontario’s consumer price index. Increases to minimum wage rates in Ontario will be announced by April 1 of each year and would come into effect six months later on October 1.

Students, Interns and Volunteers

• The definition of “worker” under OHSA has expanded to include people who are working for no pay, including interns, students and volunteers.

The Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act provides some immediate protection for students and is a step in the right direction to achieving fairer, safer workplaces for all. However, Ontario is still the only province with a separate, lower student minimum wage. Service workers who receive tips and farm workers are also exempt from minimum wage, vacation pay, and overtime requirements. Continued advocacy is key to keeping the momentum of these positive changes going.

Charlene Theodore is in-house legal counsel at OECTA Provincial Office.

PHOTO: © Mattz90 / Shutterstock.com

FEBRUARY 2015 | @ OECTA 15

YOU2015 DECIDE Voting Begins March 2 As an Ontario Certified Teacher in Good Standing, you can vote for system and regional representatives to serve on the governing Council of the Ontario College of Teachers.

Council members serve to regulate Ontario’s teaching profession in the public interest.

Council decisions help to shape education in Ontario.

Your decision to vote makes it all possible.

Vote online from March 2 to April 7, 2015.

To learn more about the candidates, see their bios and blogs at www.oct.ca Ă’ Council Election 2015.

16 @ OECTA | FEBRUARY 2015

OECTA’S INDEX

CHILD CARE BY THE NUMBERS

By Adam Lemieux 12.4% 19.9%

Child poverty rate in Ontario, 1989 Child poverty rate in Ontario, 2012

35%

Percentage of food bank users in Ontario who are under 18 years of age

40%

Percentage of Ontario children living in poverty who reside with a parent with full-time, full-year employment

$22.80

Average hourly wage for non-unionized workers in Ontario Average hourly wage for unionized workers in Ontario Additional weekly income unionized workers have to spend in the economy

$29.22 $366.2 million 26.5%

39.2%

Combined federal-provincial corporate income tax rate, Ontario Average corporate income tax rate among G8 countries Average corporate income tax rate among US states

$8,453 10th

Total revenue per capita in Ontario, 2012-13 Rank among provinces (highest to lowest)

29.9%

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Per capita program spending in Ontario, 2012-13 Rank among provinces (highest to lowest)

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Adam Lemieux is the Writer/Researcher in the Communications and Goverment Relations departments at OECTA Provincial Office.

FEBRUARY 2015 | @ OECTA 17

PEOPLE WORTH WATCHING

ONE MAN, THREE LIVELIHOODS William Hoch maintains a demanding schedule as an educator, political activist and social media aficionado.

By Janine Druery

William Hoch has checked his voicemail, answered his text messages, perused his eight hashtag feeds, and monitored news from 2,600 Twitter accounts – and it’s not even 8:00 a.m.

It’s fortunate Hoch doesn’t need much sleep; his 19-hour day is barely enough time to get things done. His waking hours are usually three-fold in focus: mornings as a social media enthusiast; days as an educator; and evenings as an OECTA rep, political activist and disability advocate.

“At 5:30 a.m. I rise and not quite shine,” says Hoch, who gets on the computer soon after waking. With his @MacBerry Twitter handle, he follows educators, disability advocates, provincial politicians and medical professionals. With about 55,000 tweets under his belt, Hoch uses Twitter as “a platform for social and political action.”

The School Day

From 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Hoch is a special education resource teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School in Oakville with the Halton Secondary OECTA Unit.

“It’s an opportunity to teach in a ‘little red school house’ atmosphere,” he says. “I teach everything from English to religion to science, and kids with different grades, skill levels and issues.”

Most of his students have learning disabilities or are kids atrisk. “For me, it’s the opportunity to work and pull something out of young people that they don’t know they have,” he says.

WILLIAM HOCH

After the Bell Rings

After 10 years away, he headed back into the classroom. “I see myself as a teacher first, that’s really who I am – a lifelong teacher,” says Hoch. “But I am also an advocate – for my students and for the broader community.”

After school, his energy turns to activism (for civil rights, health and social action) and OECTA matters (he’s a member of the BoardTeacher Allocation Committee, a staff rep for Holy Trinity and a member of the OECTA Provincial Human Rights Committee).

Keith Boyd, president of Halton Secondary OECTA, calls Hoch, “a strong advocate for teacher working-conditions, a strong advocate for people with disabilities and a willing volunteer who invests his time working toward each cause.”

Hoch has been a dedicated OECTA member since the 1970s. He served as chair of a Curriculum Development Committee and as second vice-president of the Toronto Secondary Unit during the 1980s, and as an AGM delegate nine times.

Most notably, Hoch was a driving force behind OECTA’s move from “standing” to electronic voting. “At the AGM in 2013, I rolled up to the microphone and I wouldn’t give it up,” he recalls. “I was obstinate enough to say I wasn’t leaving until changes were made.”

And changes were made. Voting is now done electronically and people with disabilities are better represented in the OECTA Handbook. “It was a new image that OECTA was willing to adopt, one that was more inclusive.”

Hoch, who hails from Kitchener-Waterloo, started out teaching geography and English at the secondary level before becoming a supervising principal with the Toronto Catholic District School Board and a principal with the Durham Catholic District School Board.

It was a memorable OECTA moment for Hoch. But it likely can’t rival the evening of February 26, 1998 when, during a Council of Presidents’ Meeting, his wife went into labour, and soon after gave birth to their son, Taylor.

But after becoming disabled in the late 1980s, Hoch knew he had some decisions to make. He decided to stay in teaching, but also got involved in a lot of advocacy work for persons with disabilities.

When Hoch arrives home in the later hours of the evening, it is his time to connect with others, and complete school material and IEPs for the next day. He finally gets to sleep at midnight, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

In 1990, he left teaching to become Director of McMaster University’s Access Centre, helping to make the university a more welcoming place for persons with disabilities. He then went on to become President/CEO of March of Dimes Canada-Easter Seals Canada in Toronto before launching his own business called ION Consulting Group.

18 @ OECTA | FEBRUARY 2015

The Midnight Hour

Says Hoch, “I’m going to be doing this as long as I can. “I love what I do. I don’t like the politics sometimes, but that’s what keeps me fighting.”

Janine Druery is the Communications Specialist in the Communications Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR: FRANCIS BRIÈRE

MOSES PRATT RECEIVES VOLUNTEER HONOUR

OECTA member sets his sights on making changes

Planet Africa award recipient has a long history of giving back

By Janine Druery

By Janine Druery

F

rancis Brière’s excitement is contagious. He’s just been elected and sworn in as a municipal councillor and has what he calls “political fever.”

As a first-time candidate, Brière, 38, beat out Pierre Caron (another new candidate) to become the councillor for Ward 4 (Limoges) for the Nation municipality, which is just east of Ottawa.

An FSL, geography and history teacher at St. Francis Xavier High School in Hammond, and a member of the Eastern OECTA Unit, Brière has always had an appetite for policymaking.

“Politics always interested me, but I was approached by a group of citizens who thought I should run,” says Brière.

“What was just a personal interest just got greater.”

He ran his campaign with a focus on progress: advocating for stronger directives for commercial, leisure and cultural development; growing the economy; and promoting cultural events for the community. He also championed an effort for a Service Delivery Review, used in the business sector to assess municipal services, which will clarify whether the current tax levy is justified and where opportunities exist.

“We are in an area that is not far from the city [Ottawa] but is not built up,” says Brière. “I want to try and entice businesses to come and set up shop here and develop the recreational side of things.”

What’s top of mind for Brière is the openness he wants to offer to people. “My platform was growth and development, but also transparency,” he says. “People were frustrated and felt like they didn’t know where the municipality was headed.” He looks forward to holding regular meetings, tapping into technology and “injecting a bit of youth onto council.”

The experience of running was positive for Brière. And the win?

“It was exhilarating, but nervewracking. Even though the polls closed at 8:00 p.m. we didn’t get our results until 11:15,” he recalls.

Brière will continue his teaching job and then attend to his councillor duties on evenings and weekends.

Janine Druery is the Communications Specialist in the Communications Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

OECTA member Moses Pratt says winning the Planet Africa Volunteer for 2014 was an honour he shares with his family and his community.

“People knew how much time was spent volunteering in various capacities, and for me to be nominated for the prestigious Planet Africa Volunteer Award was quite an achievement,” says Pratt. “We cannot underestimate the significance of volunteering; volunteers are the grassroots of better community building.”

Pratt received the award during the 2014 Planet Africa Awards, a red carpet affair held in Toronto last November that hosted guests from around the world. The awards are given to individuals and organizations making profound differences in the lives of people of African heritage and improving the communities in which they live.

“My life exemplifies the quote by [British author] Richard Templar,” says Pratt. “Taking an interest in the outside world is about developing you, rather than for the world’s benefit.”

Pratt, a past executive member of the Ottawa OECTA Unit, has been an educator for more than 25 years. He currently teaches math, science and geography at Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School in Ottawa, a job he considers an honour.

“Having a career as an educator is a privilege to shape the minds of future leaders of our country and continue to instill the gospel values for their spiritual development,” says Pratt.

Pratt is also the founder and president of Global Community Alliance, an organization dedicated to fostering diversity and promoting unity. He is a founding member of both the Nigerian Canadian Association in Ottawa and Isokan Yoruba, a socio-cultural group of Nigerian Yorubas. In addition, he and his family (his wife Kelly, daughter Tembeka, 23, and son Olanrewaju, 18) participate in events organized by various communities and are politically engaged in their electoral riding of Ottawa-Orleans.

Janine Druery is the Communications Specialist in the Communications Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

FEBRUARY 2015 | @ OECTA 19

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VIEWPOINT

RISE UP AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE On February 14, join the global One Billion Rising campaign and call for an end to violence against women and girls.

By Janine Druery

From protests at government buildings to choreographed flash mobs, people around the globe will take part in the One Billion Rising campaign on February 14.

Now in its third year, the campaign is the largest global action to end gender-based violence, encouraging participants to “rise” via dance, activism or other means of expression.

Last year, people in 200 countries gathered – from Trafalgar Square in London to the front of the Presidential Palace in the Philippines – to highlight that violence against women and girls is a “global, human issue.”

Raising Awareness

Launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, One Billion Rising grew out of V-Day, a 17-yearold initiative that sees thousands of global events taking place each February. These actions raise funds and awareness for groups working to end violence against women and girls.

According to onebillionrising.com, the campaign started as a call to action, based on the statistic that “one in three women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at seven billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.”

Tanisha Taitt, a Toronto-based director, arts educator, actor and playwright worked as

the producer of V-Day Toronto for several years and served as the national coordinator for One Billion Rising Canada in 2013. She encourages everyone to join the movement.

“People should get involved because each of us has a woman or girl that we love – it’s as simple as that,” says Taitt. “You can’t have half of the planet being abused, demeaned and violated and expect the healthy continuance of the species.”

For 2015, Taitt plans to direct a production of “Emotional Creature,” written by playwright and V-Day founder, Eve Ensler. She will also arrange a MENding workshop, which brings men together to speak to the issue of violence against women and their pivotal role in changing societal attitudes.

Rising through Dance

Lisa Diessel, a teacher at St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic School in Bradford, and a member of the Simcoe Muskoka Elementary Unit, was introduced to the campaign a few years ago during her work with OECTA’s Status of Women Committee.

“As an arts teacher, I knew that I could use the [campaign’s Break the Chain] song and dance effectively to pique my young students’ interest in social justice and human rights,” says Diessel.

The Human Rights Committee of the Simcoe Muskoka Elementary and Secondary OECTA units and the Simcoe Muskoka CDSB combined last year to put on a Walk for Social Justice during Catholic Education Week. Diessel was part of that committee, and also directed a walk at her former school, Mother Teresa Catholic School.

“All of the junior students from Mother Teresa did the dance at the beginning of our social justice walk, before leading the way through our community with banners and cheers, celebrating human rights, celebrating being Catholic,” says Diessel.

She also participated in an event last April at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, where people gathered to hear speakers including Toronto city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. Danielle Mucciacito is a teacher and the Dance Program Coordinator at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Brampton, a member of the Dufferin-Peel Secondary Unit. She creates video dance projects with her students for One Billion Rising, and calls on other teachers to participate in the campaign.

“The consequences of violence against women affect us individually, affect our families, our communities, our countries and quintessentially, violence against women affects us globally,” says Mucciacito. “In order for us to make a stand and to foster positive changes, we must stand together.”

She hopes that by participating in One Billion Rising, teachers can promote awareness, get their students involved and foster positive changes within the classroom and the school community at large.

Janine Druery is the Communications Specialist in the Communications Department at OECTA Provincial Office.

FEBRUARY 2015 | @ OECTA 21

VIEWPOINT

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A FAIR SOCIETY Why child care is a worthy public investment

By Adam Lemieux

As a dad to two youngsters, one of whom is just six months old, I think about child care a lot. If I am not changing diapers or extoling the virtues of vegetables, there is a good chance I am fretting about who is going to care for my girls and how this will fit into our family budget. Almost every major decision I make with my spouse over the next few years will be based, in large part, on our ability to access quality early learning and care.

Public investments in early learning and care help pave the way for a healthier, more prosperous society. When properly designed, the benefits of such programs far outweigh the costs. A vast body of research from around the world shows that children who have access to child care and early learning opportunities display better social skills, cognitive development, and school readiness.

These outcomes are true for all children, but are particularly significant for those from low-income families.

Convenient, affordable child care also enables parents, especially women, to work or attend school, which strengthens the economy and generates tax revenues for governments. While some critics deliberately mischaracterize publicly funded child care as a massive bureaucracy that insults more traditional, informal arrangements, it really provides families with a full range of acceptable options. If an adequate number of regulated, not-for-profit child care spaces are not available, many parents who want or need to work are forced to stay out of the labour market, or they must turn to unlicensed, for-profit care, which is often expensive and of poor quality. The situation can be particularly difficult for single-parent families, and it is one of the main reasons rates of child poverty remain stubbornly high.

22 @ OECTA | FEBRUARY 2015

Child care has vaulted onto the political agenda in the past few months.

The recent ChildCare2020 National Conference brought together researchers and activists from across the country to discuss best

PHOTO: © MNStudio / Shutterstock.com

I clearly have a personal stake in the public debate about child care. A greater supply of safe, affordable spaces – ideally with trained early childhood educators – would improve my life and my daughters’ futures immensely. But the same can be said of millions of families across the country. Even if I was not a parent, I would still have a vested interest in the development of an extensive, publicly supported child care system.

We all do.

Despite the overwhelming evidence about the importance of child care, Canada remains an international laggard when it comes to public funding and provision. Some provinces have made major investments in programs like Full-day Kindergarten, but as a country we still spend roughly half of the OECD average on early childhood education and care. There are spaces in licensed daycares for only 23 per cent of Canadian children up to five years of age, and the median annual fee for infant care in Ontario is more than university tuition.

practices; it came shortly on the heels of the federal NDP’s proposal to launch a national, universal program to provide licensed child care spaces at a maximum parental cost of $15 per day. The federal Liberal Party is expected to follow suit with a similar idea. This contrasts with the Conservative government’s decision to use tax cuts and cash payments to give parents “choice in child care,” although most families will receive barely enough to cover the cost of lunch. The coming federal election will be an opportunity for Canadians to fully debate the issue and give a strong mandate to governments at all levels to coordinate a solution.

As a father, a policy researcher and a citizen, I certainly know which side I am on. It is past time to start looking at child care the same way we view publicly funded education and universal health care: not as a luxury, but as a necessity.

Adam Lemieux is the Writer/Researcher in the Communications and Government Relations departments at OECTA Provincial Office.

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