Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario renews call for action to hire Black teachers and launches all-member violence survey

BY PAUL JUNOR

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has been at the forefront of addressing inequities in the public education system and tackling anti-Black racism. Wednesday, February 1^st, 2023, marked the start of Black History Month. A press release titled, “ETFO calls for action to address gaps that continue to impact Black Canadians,” acknowledges the importance of 2014-2024 as the United Nations Declaration of People of African Descent (UNDAP).

ETFO is particularly concerned about the lack of Black representation in schools. The press release notes, ”Today, ETFO is also renewing its call for a comprehensive plan from the provincial government and school boards to address the lack of representation of Black educators in Ontario. This means a Black educator will never teach many students in the province. All students benefit from the experience of having a Black teacher.”

ETFO is aware of the disproportionate impact of structural and systemic racism on Black students and is taking steps to ensure that the provincial government address these long-lasting and endemic issues. The press release notes, “As a society, we must continue to reflect on the impact and the legacies of colonization, and work to confront and eliminate anti-Black racism while promoting and celebrating Black excellence. ETFO remains committed to this work both within education and the union. With a focus on creating systemic changes to confront anti-Black racism and provide a more welcoming and inclusive union environment for Black students.”

ETFO has made several resources available for Black History Month such as a Black Canadian Calendar and Black History Month Posters. The press release states, “This year’s poster, created by artist Benny Bing, is a visual representation of the beauty that lies within Black features: specifically, hair, nose, and lips, that have been historically criminalized and degraded by white beauty standards.”

On Monday, February 6^th, 2023, ETFO launched an all-member violence survey. This is a follow up to a 2017 commissioned Strategic Communications (Stratcome), which showed that violence was pervasive in elementary schools in Ontario. In the press

release to announce the survey, Karen Brown, President of ETFO states, “Violence against ETFO members remains a concerning, pervasive and growing issue. Many school spaces are not safe, especially for those working on the front lines with students whose needs are not being met. We hope the data collected will finally convince the Ford government to take action to address the unacceptable and troubling rise of violence in schools.”

 ETFO intends to use the data obtained from the survey to:

• Continue to raise public awareness of the issues
• Advocate for change
• Develop member resources and programs aimed at empowering members to assert their health and safety rights when faced with violence at work

ETFO believes that schools should be a place where physical and psychological safety is paramount and is concerned that previous failures by the PC-led Ford government to address this serious societal issue will persist. ETFO is particularly concerned about the decreased funding for special education programs, which has resulted in students not receiving the optimum, care and support that they are legally entitled to.

President Brown states, “At its core, this is a human rights issue. Without adequate funding of dedicated resources and support for students who need them, violent incidents will continue to threaten safety and compromise learning and working conditions.”

ETFO has decided to use the services of Strategic Communications Inc. to conduct an online survey from February 8^th, 2023, to March 8^th, 2023. There will be focus groups that are underway until the end of March 2023. Information about the everyday violence that ETFO members face and workers’ rights can be seen on the websiste:etfoheslthandsafety.ca