I have been off twitter for a while, trying to stay away from all of the negativity surrounding public education. Now that OECTA’s deal has leaked, I am back to weigh in and put in my 2 cents.
I am of 2 minds here. First, there are many strips still on the table. Why did teachers strike, give up about 3% pay, to accept worse conditions? It doesn’t seem to make sense.
Second, it’s not as bad as it could have been. I mean, 23:1 vs 28:1, 4 mandatory online courses vs 2 (with an opt-out), class caps still intact. After so much disruption, this is a pretty good deal on the surface.
Let’s not forget the most important thing. The government stacked the deck in their favour before negotiations began. All teacher unions had to come to a settlement based on government imposed conditions that were not the same as the last contract.
Pointing fingers at the unions is laying blame in the wrong place. They didn’t come up with these hair brained ideas to take money out of the public school system. They were placed in charge of protecting our world class system.
OECTA’s deal sounds like a “best of a bad situation” deal. Could they have gotten a better deal? Probably not. How long would the disruptions continue? The government seemed content to ride it out for years, if need be.
So, I see a lot of people begging OECTA members to vote no. I am not an OECTA member, so I don’t get a say. What would I vote? Honestly, I don’t know. As a teacher, I would probably vote yes. As a parent, I would vote no.
This is where parents need to step up. You see the deal. You see that it is a downgrade from the previous contract. This deal will make the public education system weaker. Parents, your kids education is at stake.
The teachers have made their stand. They have taken the hit financially, they have taken the abuse of the PC government, and the abuse of the social media trolls and highly opinionated parents. They are tired and downtrodden.
I call all parents out there to say no to this government. Your voice counts more than the educators. You have the facts. Now do you believe that it was never about the money? It is about doing what is right. Do the right thing and expect more from your government!
