Elementary: A podcast from the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario

May 15, 2023, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario held a press conference to announce the results of its all-member survey on violence. You can listen to the full audio of the press conference here.

On today's episode, we are talking with two experts in assessment, Dr. Arlo Kempf and Kenisha Bynoe, about why teacher professional judgement, in particular, is important for student success.

Three students in grades 6, 8, and 12 talk about they started working to protect the planet, and how Elementary education has given them the tools they need to act.

A grade eight student activist, the executive director of the Toronto Youth Cabinet, and the founder of the Simcoe chapter of Parents Against Racism discuss the positive effect of having Black teachers and education workers in schools.

A new book called Unequal Benefits: Privatization and Public Education looks at some of the ways that privatization is creeping into public education spaces. It might not be where you think. An interview with author Dr. Sue Winton.

Inuit have often been described as resilient, strong, and innovative. In this podcast, a conversation about an ETFO resource that provides context and information for students as they learn about Inuit culture.

In the wake of the labour movement's victory over Bill 28, which would have used the notwithstanding clause to override the right to collective bargaining, a panel of experts - Steven Barrett, Larry Savage, and Deena Ladd - talk about how workers can push for better working conditions, and win, even under a majority Conservative government. 

Four speakers address Black Excellence at the Generation Black: You're Next! Symposium. Tyrone Russell is an occasional teacher, Pierrette Walker-Enniss is a vice-principal, Wesberlyne Avril is a teacher candidate,and the last speaker, Jhonel Morvan is a superintendent of education. 

What is workplace violence? And what is its impact in schools? Our panelists are Lisa Dunbar, an ETFO member who supports teachers, education workers, and students to help reduce violent behaviour, and Dr. Chris Bruckert, a professor at the University of Ottawa who studies workplace violence against teachers and education workers.

ETFO General Secretary Sharon O'Halloran and Deputy General Secretary Lisa Mastrobuono take us through the collective bargaining process in the education sector, step-by-step.

Producer and director Jennifer Holness on her documentary Subjects of Desire, which deconstructs what we understand about race and the power behind beauty.

Ahead of each round of collective bargaining, ETFO establishes a list of bargaining goals that will act as a compass for the federation during negotiations. In this episode, a deeper dive into just how ETFO decides on those bargaining goals.

Special feature on collective bargaining: Labour lawyer Howard Goldblatt provides a short history of the School Boards Collective Bargaining Act, which governs collective bargaining in the education sector in Ontario.

Panel discussion with JoAnne Formanek-Gustafson, Sarah Lowes, and Jaqueline L. Scott on a curriculum resource to build allyship and community involvement on environmental racism, climate change, and the environment.

A new report from the Ontario Teachers' Federation follows the path of the decisions made by the Ford government on education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Paul Bocking wrote the report and he tells Elementary about what he found.

ETFO President Karen Brown started off the April 28 ETFO Political Action Conference with a call to action. Here is her speech.

Leading up to the Ontario provincial election, an interview with filmmakers Sarah Mondale and Vera Aronow about their film on the privatization of public education: Backpack Full of Cash .

An interview about the newly revised ETFO book Possibilities: Addressing Poverty in Elementary Schools, with co-writer Charmain Brown.

ETFO President Karen Brown has been an advocate for strong public education in our province for many years. In this episode, an interview with President Brown, and a special feature on ETFO's Anti-Oppressive Framework.