Ontario Principals' Council's Supervision Time Standards An Attack on Collective Agreements say Elementary Teachers

    TORONTO, Feb. 16 /CNW/ - The 'supervision time standards for schools'
released today by the Ontario Principals' Council (OPC) are an unwarranted
attack on collective agreements to which their employers are legally bound,
charged the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
    According to ETFO President Emily Noble, OPC's suggestion that the
current agreements compromise student safety is "fear-mongering at its worst"
and a "blatant attempt to destabilize the collegial climate of mutual respect
that currently exists between school boards, ETFO, and the government."
    Noble stressed that the government, ETFO, and the Ontario Public School
Boards' Association (OPSBA) worked conscientiously to craft the language
around the supervision issue in the Provincial Framework Agreement to ensure
student safety.
    "The parties mutually agreed to the establishment of the Provincial
Stability Commission (PSC) precisely to oversee the smooth and safe
implementation of this part of the framework," said Noble.
    "The Commission has been diligent in seeing that their mandate is
fulfilled. According to information released by the government yesterday,
about 80 per cent of the 2006-07 supervision schedules have been agreed to.
ETFO locals are continuing discussions with public school boards to resolve
most of the remaining issues."
    Noble added that OPC's response to the supervision issue has been
obstructionist and regressive. "In every instance, they have failed to make
good use of the collaborative decision-making model that the PSC has adopted,"
she said.
    "In a climate of mutual respect between school boards, ETFO and the
government, it is unfortunate that the Council finds themselves unable to work
to the benefit of students in such a progressive atmosphere.
    "OPC's failure to work collegially with the legal stakeholders in public
education points to a fundamental failure in leadership," concluded Noble.

    The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents more than
70,000 public elementary school teachers and education workers across Ontario
and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.

For further information: Larry D. Skory, ETFO Communications, (416)
962-3836 (office), [phone] (cell)