North Pest Management

When a train wreck of a premier and a privileged, private schooled education minister intentionally mislead the public, and plan to turn Ontarios education sys...tem into the next Alabama you bet I am gong to fight it. I am fighting for my (biological) kids, the kids I teach now, the kids I will teach in the future, and their kids. For those of you who spend no time in the classroom and argue with us about our current dispute with the government, you dont see what we see, you dont experience what we experience. Stop talking about it being about the money. You see dollars, I see human bodies. I see kids that will be the casualties of the war that this premier and minister of education started, with no regard for what the system is going to look like in 10 years. Its about earning political brownie points by saving money. Actions have consequences, and either these two havent thought about them or dont care. Stop talking about the unions holding the students hostage. Or about the union bosses with their "fat pay cheques" leading on the teachers. We elected those people, they have demonstrated their love and leadership for the education community. We set their salaries. And for the record, they have never asked for (or received) 14% pay raises, especially not when telling everyone else they are being forced into a pay cut. Our contract bargaining teams have also presented us with the facts of our offer and the governments offer. WE voted to strike. To imply that teachers are lead on by their union bosses is an insult to our intelligence... you do know how much schooling you need to become a teacher, right? Its simple math: put more students in a classroom, each one gets less time and attention from the teacher. Are you okay with your child getting lost in a class of 35 students? Im not, whether its my child or your child. Every kid matters. Education is not a cost, its an INVESTMENT. Im curious what would happen in 10 years if Ford and Lecce get their way, and all of a sudden Ontario high schoolers were getting rejection letter after rejection letter after rejection letter from colleges and universities. Then the blame would be put on the teachers. We would shrug our shoulders and say "but thats what Doug Ford wanted and you were okay with it". What would you say? " Why didnt you warn us/do something about it?" Now in my 23rd year of teaching full time, this is the first day I am on strike. Do I want to? No. Do I need to? Absolutely. Although like most teachers, I would rather be in my classroom helping my students prepare for exams. Dont worry, they all have their reviews and I gave them direction yesterday. In my grade 12 Religion class I teach my students to become aware of issues of injustice, and to stand up for what is right and for those who are in most need of our help. It would be hypocritical of me to sit back and watch the erosion of the education system. Not on my watch. Today I stand for THEM and their futures. To imply otherwise would be an insult to my vocational call. To my brothers and sisters in OECTA - Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, especially my Waterloo Unit, I stand in solidarity with you today and always!! "The only thing that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

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