Just like students have the right to an IEP, you are a teacher have the right to be supported through accommodations at your school. If you are seeking accommodations or are unsure if your accommodations are in place, please take a moment to email me/schedule a call BEFORE submitting medical documentation. You have the right to be safe and supported at work - always!

Annual Learning Plans (ALPs) are required to be completed by experienced teachers every school year. 

Please note the following key points regarding ALPs:

• The Annual Learning Plan (ALP) is teacher-authored and teacher-directed. 

• When choosing goals, choose realistic and attainable professional growth goals. Be mindful of your other obligations when choosing your goals. Consider professional, personal, financial, and health-related factors when assessing the attainability of your objectives. 

• There is no minimum number of goals that must appear on your ALP, nor is there a maximum. 

• The goals that you include in your ALP are your goals. If you wish to include school and board improvement goals among them, you may. However, you cannot be required to include such initiatives. 

• Objectives related to extracurricular activities should not be part of your ALP, as they are not included in the Duties of Teachers in the Education Act or its Regulations. 

• In a year that is not an evaluation year for a teacher, the teacher and the appropriate principal shall meet to discuss the learning plan for the year if either of them requests it.

• The principal’s role is one of consultation and review. Your ALP does not have to be “approved” by your principal.

If your principal demands that you include certain goals on your ALP or you have specific concerns, please do not hesitate to connect with me for further support.

What should I add in the 'Other Comments' section?

ETFO & ETT have previously recommended the following response for this section: 

This plan will be implemented barring any unforeseen circumstances during the school year. I trust that the TDSB and school administration will support my ALP by providing the appropriate release time, resources and funding to assist my professional growth.

The fastest way to get a response from ETFO is by making a phone call (for a same-day response). You'll be able to find ETFO's contact information here. Once you've reached the main line, ask to speak to a 'Professional Relations Staff Member On-Duty'. This person changes each day, but you will receive a call on the same-day in order of priority. 

If you'd like for ETFO to be able to connect with me (e.g., for local interventions, additional information, etc.), please make sure to let them know the name of your local, school, and Executive Officer (Julius). 

The impact of the pandemic and continued underfunding by the Ford government has resulted in the rise of physical violence in schools. A pattern of physical violence with a student should always require a Safety Plan.  

Safety plans will often include the expectation of CPI training (Crisis-Prevention Training). CPI Training requires physical interventions, and renewal every two years. Teachers are required to take CPI training if a student's safety plan requires it (excluding medical exemptions). 

ETFO's Position is that every member has the right to decide whether they wish to participate in the physical action component of the training. As you know, each time a teacher comes into physical contact with a student, it opens the door to immense liability.  

Your Collective Agreement (p.18) indicates that you have the right to utilize your professional judgement when conducting diagnostic assessments. Your professional judgement is the cornerstone of assessment and evaluation. While your Principal is permitted to over insights and options, you have the right to:

1. Determine which diagnostic tool to use from the board's pre-approved list of assessment tools. 

2. Determine the frequency of diagnostic assessments.

3. Determine the timing of diagnostic assessments

While your Principal is permitted to request the results of your diagnostic assessments. Unless release time is offered, you are not obligated to format or total the results of your diagnostic assessments as per your Principal's personal preferences.

If you are experiencing undue pressure that contradicts your professional judgement, or have questions regarding diagnostic assessments in relation to your professional judgement, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

To better understand your professional judgement as it relates to diagnostic assessment, please see ETFO's Professional Judgement Guidelines for Diagnostic Assessment. 

Although most workers understand that their employer has a responsibility to provide a safe workplace, it hasn’t always been so. The laws designed to keep Ontarians safe at work have not always existed, and they were almost always established in response to workers being injured, made ill, or dying on the job.

Workers in Ontario are protected by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which gives them:

1. The right to know about health and safety hazards and their controls.

2. The right to participate in health and safety processes.

3. The right to refuse work that could affect their health and safety and that of others.

For more information on how to enforce your Health and Safety rights, please see this ETFO Health and Safety website as well as the processes specific to our board. 

Ontario lacks temperature maximums (source). If you are dealing with high classroom temperatures, please consider the following best practices: 

• Let your Principal know verbally about the impact that the high temperature will have on you. Principals have an obligation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to mitigate potential health and safety risks to workers. Make sure to follow this up with a Near Miss form to document your concern in writing. 

• If you experience injury due to high temperatures, consider completing an Employee's Report of Accident or Injury form. 

• Possible short-term solutions that your Principal may offer include (but are not limited to): adding cooling fans, modifying your schedule on a temporary basis, and/or modifying the location of your classroom on a temporary basis to ensure increased access to air-conditioned spaces.

• Possible long-term solutions that may be offered include (but are not limited to) retrofitting or relocating your classroom to ensure the temperature does not impact your health negatively. 

If you are unsure of how to approach your Principal, please consider reaching out to me for support. I highly recommend connecting with your school's Health and Safety rep for expert guidance. You may wish to review the board's 2024 Hot Weather Guidelines as well.  

By actively seeking to ensure your workplace temperature is safe for you, you are also helping ensure it's safe for your students. Our working conditions are our students' learning conditions. 

When it comes to Kindergarten class sizes, there are specific protocols that are in place for the entire school year (even after re-org). Specifically, at any point in the school year:

15 students = No DECE

16 students = DECE must be placed

If your Kindergarten class size changes during the school year, or you're unsure if this protocol is being followed, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. 

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires a minimum temperature of 18 degrees celsius in any indoor space that you or your students occupy during your work day. However, the enforcement of your rights relies on your willingness to exercise your rights. 

If you are dealing with classroom temperatures below 18 degrees celsius, please consider the following best practices: 

• Let your Principal know (in writing) that the low temperature will have an impact on you. Principals have an obligation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to mitigate potential health and safety risks to workers. 

• Complete a Health and Safety Near Miss form immediately to report the low temperatures officially. This form is crucial to ensure your Health and Safety rep is able to follow through with the required next steps with admin, and facilities. 

• Possible short-term solutions that your Principal may offer include (but are not limited to): adding heating fans, modifying your schedule on a temporary basis, and/or modifying the location of your classroom on a temporary basis to ensure increased access to warmer spaces.

• Possible long-term solutions that your Principal may offer include (but are not limited to): retrofitting or relocating your classroom to ensure the temperature does not impact your health negatively, receiving approvals for emergency over-time to ensure your school's boiler is repaired and/or checked. 

Your health matters greatly, and there is no benefit in suffering in silence. 

If you are unsure of how to approach your Principal, please consider reaching out to me for support in drafting an email, or clarifying how to document interactions effectively. Please note that in this matter that there should be little to no communication between you and your school's Caretaker(s) as it would be inappropriate for any ETT member to be directing the job duties of another bargaining unit.

If you are looking to explore specific solutions, or encountering difficulties in exercising your legal right to safe work environment, please consider reaching out to your Health and Safety rep for timely intervention. Health and Safety reps are knowledgeable in supporting you as your exercise your rights under OHSA.

Please know that by actively seeking to ensure your workplace is safe for you, you are not being difficult. We know that as teachers we are committed to advocating for the best learning conditions for our students. We are deserving of the same kind of inclusion (and safety!) in our working conditions. 

In Ontario, teachers are only entitled to one break in the school day: a 40-minute uninterrupted lunch. Anything outside of this can be pulled on to cover school needs but must be in compliance with the Collective Agreement. This makes it important to be conscientious about what you choose to do/not do over your valuable lunch time.

While monthly staff meetings can occur over lunch (where staff consensus indicates this is the preferred time), the same cannot be said for any other types of meetings. Some examples would be lunch & learns, division meetings, placement meetings, assembly meetings, and graduation meetings. 

I realize with how tight the school day is and with all the changes (curriculum-wise especially) that it can feel like you have to attend. I get that pressure, especially when it's paired with the desire to bring our best teacher-selves to our classrooms, colleagues, and broader school community. However, a tired teacher is rarely the best version of any teacher - nor does it lend itself to growing the incredible teaching and learning that you are leading & facilitating every day! 

Some of the alternatives which have worked in our family of schools, that would work to honour your well-being and to support your continued professional development as a committed educator, include:

• Offering teachers the opportunity to get their 40-minute uninterrupted lunch break at another time during the school day 

• Hiring a smaller team of OTs so that classes can be grouped for an AM/PM of group activities 

• Releasing the Division lead for the day so that teachers can be partnered over their preps (which would have to be paid back)

In the meantime, however, I want to super clear, you cannot be disciplined or cautioned for choosing to engage in your only legal break (a 40-minute uninterrupted lunch). This is a vital right, and so important to ensuring your continued well-being during these final few weeks of the school year. If you feel you are experiencing undue scrutiny or reprisal due to this, please let me know right away so we can discuss the appropriate next steps. 

So, how can you address this? In this matter, I strongly encourage you to take the initiative to connect with your Principal via email or in-person to let him know that you will not be available for meetings over lunch. Given that you can waive your right to a 40-minute uninterrupted lunch in order to attend any lunch meetings, your steward cannot directly address this concern on behalf of other ETT members at the school. This means that it is your responsibility to set the boundary regarding your availability over lunch. Even when setting a boundary, I encourage a respectful tone when communicating with your Principal. If you need support in phrasing your request, or would appreciate additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Congrats on becoming a teacher! Unmarked by the decades of report card deadlines, last-minute changes in technology, classroom violence, and still full of hope. 

I highly recommend reviewing the Welcome to ETFO manual for more information about your union, and the resources available to you.

Remember as a permanent teacher, you have hard-won workplace rights that are important to maintain. If you are encountering challenges, please connect with your school steward first. If the issue cannot be meaningful resolved at that level, please contact me right away for support. There are no silly questions!

In order to access the ½ day of lieu time on Friday, you must demonstrate that you have provided the opportunity to parents/guardians to attend an interview outside of the instructional day. Evidence of this could look like email exchanges, a google form, a parent/caregiver communication log.

ETFO's stance on interviews is that "There should be no requirement that teachers conduct formal interviews after all three reporting periods. Teachers will use their professional judgement to have meetings with parents if they have concerns with a child’s learning outside of the regular formal interview timelines."  This confirms the general expectation for Progress/Term 1/Term 2 Report Card Parent/Caregiver-Teacher Interviews is that interviews are initiated at the teacher's discretion, especially if the teacher identifies a concern about the child's progress (i.e., students who are not progressing well). You are not required to schedule a meeting with EVERY single parent/caregiver but you must demonstrate that you have offered the opportunity. 

Please note that if you have offered the availability, have written documentation, and no parent/caregiver requests an interview then you have still technically met the requirement to access the lieu time (1/2 day - Friday PM). 

What should I do if my Principal is saying/doing something else?

If your Principal decides to venture out into statements or expectations that do not align with the above, please document this using an "As per our conversation" email. If you are willing to cc me in the email, I will provide an initial response that outlines Collective Agreement expectations as a means of providing helpful education to the Principal. This dual documentation would create the basis for a strong grievance if your Principal were to continue with expectations that are not in alignment with the Collective Agreement. 

Should I be planning for Prep Payback?

Please do not plan for your Prep Payback. Supply teachers are entitled to lesson plans when covering a sick day (that is when teachers also have a responsibility to create plans), but this is not the case with prep pay back. There is no such entitlement, and OTs will often inquire if they are stepping in for prep pay back or a sick day to choose what they want to take on. 

So what happens if you don't leave plans? As Supply teachers are also OCTS, the expectation would be that they support the class using their pedagogical skills through games, outdoor activities, ready-to-go activities or prepared lessons, etc.

Are all Prep subjects expected to be reported on?

Yes! All Prep subjects must be reported on either through curriculum subject expectations, or learning skill expectations. Unreportable prep assignments are considered a violation of your Collective Agreement.

How do I join ETT's Prep Payback Grievance? 

ETT has a rolling policy grievance related to missed preparation time. It is essential that all ETT members submit their missed preps so they can be included in the remedy of this grievance using the live tracker. Preps that have been missed, and unpaid for more than 15 days should be included. If you have not been able to locate the live tracker for your school, please contact me without delay.

ETT has a Member's Professional Development Fund that you can access as an ETT member. 

The guidelines for the Professional Development Fund include:

• Proof of full payment (receipt), including conference, workshop, or seminar title, and completed application must be submitted AFTER completion of course/workshop.

• Members are entitled to claim up to $150 every 2 years, as of the date the application is received.

Be advised:

• Limited funds are available each school year.

• Please apply early to avoid disappointment.

 The following are NOT eligible for funding:

• Credit courses (this does not include AQ Courses)

If you believe you meet the above criteria, please contact the ETT Secretary-Treasurer Chadwick Gordon (cgordon@ett.on.ca) to request a copy of the application form.

Report cards are a formal communication of a student's progress with their caregiver(s). As long as your comments and assigned grades are in alignment with best practices (i.e., Growing Success, Curriculum Expectations), you have a reasonable right to defer to your professional judgement. 

Got questions about professional judgement and reporting? See ETFO's resources on Reporting and Evaluation, and series on Professional Judgement for more in-depth guidance.

In many schools across our Ward, there is pattern of misuse & abuse of the MART role. The role of the MART should require little to no paperwork. In fact, the description of the MART role from the TDSB's 2025-2026 Special Education Plan (p.41) states: This is a voluntary role for a Special Education and Inclusion teacher within each elementary school, designed to provide support to students and staff. Ongoing professional learning opportunities prepare the Special Education and Inclusion teacher to build capacity with staff by offering Special Education and Inclusion programming expertise and resources in the school.

Many admin in our family of schools have misused the position to pass off a lot of paperwork that they have a legal responsibility to complete while teachers have no legal protections for taking on this work. If this is happening to you, please connect with me ASAP so we can resolve the issue promptly.

Staff meetings are defined on p.82 of your Collective Agreement. They must:

• Be held no more than once per month on average

• For no more than 75 minutes in length

• Begin within 5 minutes of the end of day bell OR the time it takes to walk from the furthest classroom on the school site to the location of the staff meeting. Anything in excess would count against the maximum meeting time of 75 minutes. 

• Include an agenda 

  • • The draft must be provided at least one day prior to the meeting

    • Items submitted by ETT members (to their Principal) at least two days prior to the meeting must be included.

• Be conducted using a speakers' list, meeting minutes, and clear (preferably, co-created) meeting strategies

At the beginning of the school year, when determining staff meeting dates, the Principal is obligated to convene a meeting to schedule the regular staff meetings using consensus to determine the date, and time. The schedule for the full year of staff meetings must be offered within one week of this date. 

If you are part-time AM teacher, you cannot be obligated to return to your AM school for an after-school staff meeting. You are expected to connect with another teacher or your Principal at your school to ensure you are up-to-date on any information covered during the staff meeting. 

If staff meetings are your school deviate from the Collective Agreement, please let me know without delay. You deserve to have your hard-won Collective Agreement rights respected!

Supervision requires that our eyes are able to see the students we supervise. The law is unequivocal in that: if you cannot see the student(s), you are not supervising the student(s). 

Please exercise caution when covering supervision in circumstances where you are unable to see students directly (e.g., covering a washroom break for a colleague and moving between two classrooms, students working in the hallway while you are in the classroom). 

If you are supervising duty outdoors, please make every effort to move around regularly to see as much of the space as possible. While accidents may still occur, you can be liable if CCTV demonstrates improper supervision as a contributing factor. Lateness in arriving at scheduled supervision can also be an area of concern.

If you are unsure of a supervision practice at your school, please don't hesitate to connect with me for direct support. 

Your schedule should resemble the following:

• 40 minutes of uninterrupted lunch per day 

  • • Please note: this is the only break teachers' are legally entitled to.

    • Supervision cannot cut into your lunch time

• 240 minutes of prep per 5 day cycle

  • • Please note that a single prep cannot be shorter than 30 minutes

• 80 minutes of supervision every 5 days MAX

  • • For example, if your Principal asks you to cover unscheduled supervision last minute on a Tuesday, and this means that by Thursday you have met your 80 minute quota then your Principal must have alternative supervision arranged for any other scheduled supervision within those 5 days.

    • Scheduled supervision duties include, but are not limited to: yard duty (before and after-school), hall duty, scheduled intervals between classes, bus duty, and lunch room duty. 

    • Please ensure that all scheduled supervision is accounted for (i.e., no random gaps) and does not exceed 80 minutes in a 5 day period. 

• The requirement to be on-site outside of instructional time is limited to:

  • • 15 minutes before the start of the school day

    • 5 minutes before the end of lunch

    • At the end of the day, you cannot be required to remain on-site after the bell as long as your students are safely dismissed. Any remaining students should be brought to the office promptly as you are not required to wait for parents/guardians outside of your working hours. The only exception to this would be scheduled supervision, or once-a-month staffing meetings.

If you notice any gaps or errors, please reach out to me for support on possible next steps. 

There continues to be a rise in unqualified 'teachers' being placed in classrooms as warm bodies to ensure prep coverage and payback. When this occurs, teachers often feel the pressure to modify plans to be more accessible for non-OCTs. Please remember that it is not your responsibility to modify plans in these cases. Make sure you proceed for your prep as scheduled, and please be in touch if the excessive use of emergency coverage hampers your ability to report on a subject area.

If you become aware of concerning conduct or language from the person acting as emergency coverage, please ensure it is reported to your admin in a timely manner using the Health & Safety forms or by contacting me.