Jim Strachan
Jim has been working with (and learning from) children for 39 years as a social worker, classroom teacher of Grades 2 to 8, instructional leader for information technology, program coordinator for beginning teachers and as an education officer supporting mentorship and authentic learning for both new and experienced educators across Ontario.
By modeling caring, compassion, cooperation and humour, Jim believes we can contribute to the success of all learners. It is his daily challenge to live these beliefs!
Jim starts each day in his kayak watching the sun rise on Lake Ontario. In his current role as an education consultant, he’s finding lingering on the lake is more joyful now than ever.
Tia Duke
Tia is excited to be a new member of the OECTA provincial Professional Development Department as a Staff Officer. Tia is passionate about building community, so that education staff, learners, and their families, are empowered in their respective roles to create school environments where equitable outcomes are possible, and learners thrive.
Matt Roy
Matt teaches Science and Math with Lakehead Public Schools in Thunder Bay. He began his career in Cali, Colombia and, upon returning to Ontario, spent years working as a sessional lecturer and faculty advisor at the Lakehead University Faculty of Education. He LOVES working with teacher candidates – his future colleagues - and has been thrilled to support them in their professional journey in a few different capacities.
Matt wears many hats as a proud union member (OSSTF), including sitting on the Lakehead University Teacher Education Liaison Committee. In his spare moments, he is a climate activist, history re-enactor, and a D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) nerd.
Zaiba Beg
Zaiba is currently on staff at the ETFO provincial office in Professional Learning/Curriculum Services. Her leadership work includes a focus on teacher education. Zaiba’s advocacy work, personal and professional, is informed by an anti-oppressive framework. She completed her Hon. B.A., B.Ed., and M.Ed. at the University of Toronto. Zaiba began her teaching career in 1995 in a large GTA public school board. She has served in multi-level teacher leadership roles including elementary classroom and support teacher, resource teacher (K-8), instructional coordinator (K-12,) and also a seconded Education Officer at the Ministry of Education. Zaiba is passionate about engaging in self-directed professional learning with teachers from across Ontario.
Kathleen (Kathy) Gould Lundy
Kathy has extensive experience working in literacy, equity and arts education in various educational contexts throughout Canada. She was a teacher, consultant and coordinator for over 30 years with the Toronto District School Board where she became interested in ways that inventive, inclusive teaching could impact student achievement especially amongst those students who were most at risk. For many years, Kathy taught pre-service teacher candidates at OISE and at the Faculty of Education at York University. Now semi-retired, Kathy continues to teach courses at the Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory of Music.
Michael Tousignant
Michael currently works as the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) recruiter for the Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO) in Ottawa after years of teaching sciences at the high school level. After growing up in Montreal and traveling all over the country, he has decided to call Ottawa home and work in education with the French public board. He has been working with teacher candidates and mentoring new teachers for many years and loves helping them get started in our wonderful but challenging field. He has been involved with AEFO for many years at the local and provincial level and is now a proud representative of the Franco-Ontarian community. When he is not working, Michael loves to spend time outdoors hunting, fishing and camping with his family.
Mandisa Bromfield
Mandisa is currently a course director and practicum facilitator within the Faculty of Education at York University - Collège Glendon. As an active ETFO member, she has taught in a variety of roles within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for more than 20 years. She has also collaborated on many curriculum writing and review projects that centre diversity, equity and inclusion. As French language instruction has always been a great passion, Mandisa works to fuse anti-racism and culturally relevant and responsive pedagogies with French language learning. Outside of work, Mandisa finds joy playing with her two children.