PARRY SOUND, ON – Reps from the teacher’s union, and educators themselves are heading to the school board offices.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation announced they will be holding a rally outside of the Near North District School Board office on Tuesday at 4:30 pm.
According to OSSTF, some of the more than 30 secondary school teachers that still do not have work will be rallying as a way to let school board chair Jay Aspin, MPP’s Vic Fedeli, Norm Miller and Premier Doug Ford know they have failed in their promise to prevent job losses for teachers.
“We were clear right from the beginning of the announced education cuts that there would be job losses and impacts to students and our communities in the Near North”, stated Glen Hodgson. President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation,”
“Fedeli and Aspin both accused us of fear mongering and promised that nobody would lose their job. Today we will be in front of the board office with absolute proof that they lied, and my members and our students are suffering as a result” said Hodgson.
Aside from the job losses, OSSTF says that teachers are going to be forced out of their communities too as some will have to commute two hours just to get a teaching job.
“The school board tried to suggest that this was because of declining enrollment but even their own numbers show only a reduction of 156 secondary students in the Near North. This does not require the cutting of 30 plus staff and when the retirements are factored in, we would not have lost any teachers if it wasn’t for the Doug Ford and Vic Fedeli cuts.” reiterated Hodgson.
“It seems the government and the board aren’t fighting for our teachers and our communities but OSSTF will continue to oppose these cuts and we encourage parents, students and community members to join us in demanding they be reversed.”