Strong Public Education, OCT Information, Teachers and Copyright:Fair Dealing Decision Tool

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On a biweekly basis, Human Resources facilitates a transfer of data with Ontario College of Teachers to ensure that we have the most up-to-date qualifications listed for Occasional Teachers. The data exchange includes a teacher's OCT number, date of birth and name.

If there is a mismatch of data, the records do not update. Human Resources finds that the greatest mismatch of data stems from the name field. If you have a different name with OCT than with TVDSB, your qualifications will not update within the process.

If you have a name change and to ensure that your qualifications are reflecting as you apply to assignments through Job Applications, please be sure to update your name so there is a match with OCT and TVDSB. Within Thames Valley, your name can be changed through Personal Information in the Employee Portal.
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The Fair Dealing Decision Tool helps teachers decide whether "fair dealing" permits classroom use of print materials, artistic works, or audiovisual materials without first getting copyright permission. The tool helps teachers determine whether a specific intended classroom use is allowed by the Fair Dealing Guidelines (/fdg/default.aspx).

Teachers! Thinking of using a copyright-protected work? Use this tool to find out if the use is allowed under fair dealing.

Please click on the following link for assistance:  http://www.fairdealingdecisiontool.ca/DecisionTool/

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Salary; Self-Directed Paid PD; TVARRIS calling; Pregnancy Leave; 20th Anniversary

Salary as TVOT
Just a reminder that the first pay of the year is September 28th for days worked from the 2nd to the 15th of the month.  Your pay statement will be available on the Employee Portal and note that it is shown on 2 lines. For a daily OT the first line is $226.37 and the second line adds 4% vacation pay for a daily rate of $235.42. This is pro-rated if the assignment is less than half a day, but there is nothing less than .5.
LTOs need to submit their QECO rating and proof of any previous teaching experience (prior to TVDSB) to Corissa Parker in HR to ensure accurate placement on the salary grid.
Self-Directed Paid PD
Registration to attend the Board's upcoming Paid PD sessions of the year are almost full, however, in the Conference Session Registration of the Employee Portal, there is a choice under Elementary Occasional Teacher PD (2018 - 2019) called Self Directed. This option enables on Occasional Teacher to attend, with permission from the Principal, the day or half day of professional development that is being offered to permanent Teachers at the school.
Please note that LTOs or part-time permanent Teaches who are in assignments of greater than .5 are not eligible to participate in paid PD, since they are already being paid for PD days.
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TVARRIS Calls and Comments
Sometimes the call-out systems calls to cancel an assignment so you are reminded to answer when the system calls because such a call counts as due notice so long as it is sent out with a minimum of 2 hours before the assignment.
Make sure your school selections and timetable are up to date and please block off those days when you are not interested/available to teach.  There is no penalty for "booking off" so long as you meet the 10 days of teaching required to remain on the OT Roster.
And just to be sure you don't forget a previously booked assignment, we advise you regularly review your assignments in TVARRIS.
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Pregnancy Leave
Whether you are in a long-term assignment or a long-term assignment, TVOTs are to request their leave from the Board using the form in the Employee Portal - Electronic Forms "Application for Pregnancy Parental Adoption Leave - ETFOOT".
Remember that our Collective Agreement provides in L36.11 (b) that when you return you are eligible to have your seniority adjusted based on the average number of days worked per year since your date of hire.
To find out more about the Employment Insurance aspect of such leaves you can check out ETFO Provincial's:

http://etfo.ca/supportingmembers/employees/pages/pregnancyparental.aspx

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Want to learn more about the organization 

founded to represent you 20 years ago this year? 

Check out your history:

Paid Personal Leave & Political Action / Social Justice - Equity Committee

In accordance with changes to the Employment Standards Act (ESA), TVDSB has implemented the Personal Emergency Leave (PEL) providing eligible employees with up to two (2) paid emergency leaves per calendar year.
The entitlement to a paid PEL day may apply for a Daily Occasional Teacher when a previously scheduled assignment needs to be cancelled due to an emergency/urgent situation.
Daily Occasional Teachers who have been employed for at least a week with the board can access paid PEL days for reasons such as:
 - Personal illness, injury or medical emergency; or
 - Death, illness, injury, medical emergency or urgent matter relating to the following family members:

• Spouse (married or unmarried);
• Parent, step-parent, foster-parent, child, step-child, foster child, grandparent, step-grandparent, grandchild, step-grandchild of the employee or the employee's spouse;
• Spouse of the employee's child;
• Brother or sister of the employee;
• Relative of the employee who is dependent on the employee for care or assistnace.

Paid PEL day requests must be made in "good faith" (i.e., the application needs to be made based on reasonable and potentially verifiable circumstances) and the emergency/urgent situation needs to have happened after the job was booked, not the reverse.

Daily Occasional Teachers in need of such a paid absence can find the "Personal Emergency Leave Form" in the Employee Portal under electronic forms. Once completed, these forms are to be submitted to Human Resources for approval.
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Executive member Cindy Webb has contributed the following;

Do you have a passion for building a just society? Have interest in social justice and equity issues? Love to teach and travel? Are you available for the month of July? ETFO fully sponsors 16 members to participate with Canadian Teachers' Federation on Project Overseas. Please see the link for details.

Applications are now open for members who have taught for 5 years. Application deadline October 31st.
http://www.etfo.ca/buildingajustsociety/worldissues/pages/projectoverseas.aspx
 

Welcome Back,ETFO Assessment Website, PLDF Subsidy and the Pocket Calendar

Welcome back everyone! Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful summer break and that the new school year will be a stimulating and fulfilling one in motivating and making a difference in the lives of your students.

Your President and Executive have been busy planning and are ready to represent the membership according to their mandate - don't hesitate to call on us with questions with regards to employment and collective agreement matters- we are here for you.
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Sharing in Assessment Website

The ETFO assessment website has been given a total refresh and update this spring 2018. A variety of practical new tools have been added including some specifically designed for our ETFO occasional teachers.

The website continues to reinforce our strong position on the importance of teacher professional judgement and the value of daily classroom assessment. It will help members enhance their understanding of assessment and learn new strategies proven by their peers in the classroom.

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We are very pleased to announce that the PLDF subsidy will again be available to members AND the maximum amount that will be paid out has increased to $350.  The modified application form will be updated to the ETFO TVOT website shortly.  Please read through all requirements to ensure you qualify.

For those members who have applied for PLDF subsidies at the end of the last school year. We are processing them and will be in touch shortly with payments or with requests of missing documentation.
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Once again we will be sending the ETFO Pocket Calendar for the 2018-2019 School Year. The final information is being incorporated and it is our hope to have them go out at the end of the month.  In the meantime, please take note of the following school names changes:

Port Stanley Public School has reopened as "Kettle Creek Public School" reflecting the consolidation of Port Stanley Public School with Sparta Public School, which closed June 2018.
Kettle Creek Public School is on a balanced day schedule.

Sparta Public School  has reopened as Eva Circe Cote French Immersion Public School - Elgin County's second French immersion public school.
Eva Circe Cote French Immersion Public School is on a balanced day schedule.
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Deadline is Friday!; LTO positions for September; LTOs and June 29, PD Day; OTF Summer Institutes 2018

LTOs and Daily OTs - The deadline is Friday -
All mandatory online OTE training modules in the Employee Portal must be completed by the end of the school day Friday, June 19, 2018. Noncompliance will result in your being made inactive in September.  Daily Occasional Teachers who meet this deadline will be paid a half day; LTOs will have completed many of these modules during paid time within their assignment but may need to ensure all modules are finished.
We encourage both LTOs and daily OTs to log into the Employee Portal to verify that the check marks for each module are still in place as this confirms completion of each segment.
This year you are only required to complete:

• Anaphylaxis and Asthma
• Asthma Metered Dose Inhaler
• Concussion Spotlight Part 1
• Concussion Spotlight Part 2
• September - Emergency Codes and Asbestos Awareness
• October - Fire Code Training - Staff
• November - Ladder Safety Awareness
• December - Slips, Trips and Falls
• Module 4 - Safe Schools and Employee Roles
• Module 5 - Harassment
• Module 6 - Work Refusals
• Module 7 - Management of Aggressive Behaviour
• Module 8 - Domestic Violence in the Workplace
• Module 9 - Parking Lots 

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LTOs and June 29th PD Day -
Contrary to past practice, this year TVDSB has decided not to pay some LTOs for attending the PD Day on the last day of school and in some cases, LTO contracts have been altered.
Your Union regards this as a violation of our Collective Agreement and will rile a Policy Grievance on behalf of our members in long-term assignments.  Those affected are encouraged to contact the Local by email at etfotvot@gmail.com but they should abide by the instructions given to them by their Administrators.  The Local will keep members apprised of the proceedings as the grievance process unfolds.
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LTO Positions for next September -
TVDSB postings for LTO positions that begin in September will be available the week of August 13, 2018.  Hiring will be according to seniority from those qualified applicants on the LTO List, as required by Regulation 274. There will be no interviews and placement will by central staffing which means the most senior applicant person will be called first and asked which position they want from those they applied for; number two will get second choice from the remaining positions for which they applied and are qualified, and so on.  Regulation 274 stipulates that after this process has been completed, positions which remain will be posted to the OT Roster, and interviews may be required at that point. Any unfilled positions will then be advertised externally on Apply to Education.  Please do not hesitate to contact the Local should you require clarification.
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Once again OTF, with the support of the Ministry of Education, is offering exceptional professional Learning workshops that give you time to learn, reflect on your classroom practice, and collaborate with peers. All institutes are conducted by Ontario teachers.

The workshops support the Ontario Ministry of Education's focuses on:

• activating global competencies;
• deepening equity and inclusive education practices;
• increasing assessment literacy, especially FOR and AS learning;
• leveraging information and communication technologies to support learning;
• responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action;
• supporting English language learners;
• supporting experimental learning, including, but not limited to, pathways to non-traditional occupations and vocations;
• supporting inquiry-focused and play-based teaching and learning; and
• integrating financial literacy education and learning.

The three-day institutes are offered at several locations across Ontario during July and August.

A registration fee of $50 covers workshop materials, on-site meals and two nights of accommodation at a university/college residence. Participants may also be eligible for a transportation subsidy. This $50 fee will be reimbursed upon successful completion of a workshop.

For more information or to register, go to 

https://event--wizard.com/OTFSummerInstitutes2018/0/welcome/
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Back by Popular Demand: Columbia Invitation for June 22 - July 5 -
Just a reminder to those who still wish to visit the Columbia Sportswear outlet that our online invitation is available to members who have registered on our Local website at www.etfotvot.com
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The Blog is Closed - 
On behalf of our Office Administrator Debbie and myself, it has been a pleasure serving the needs of the membership again this year. Please note however, that your Occasional Teacher Office is not  open during the summer but will open when classes resume in September.  As your President, I will continue to monitor emails sent to etfotvot@gmail.com and attend meetings as needed but recognize that as a Teacher, I too am not paid over the holidays.
Should an emergency related to your teaching duties take place, please contact Provincial ETFO at 1-888-838-3836 and they should  be able to provide you advice/support.
Good luck to those who apply to teaching positions for September.
Best wishes to everyone for a safe, pleasant and relaxing summer because next year promises to be another very busy year for Occasional Teachers in Thames Valley. 

LTOs must complete mandatory training too! Earn a few extra days of pay! LTOs and June 29th; PLDF Grant

IMPORTANT: LTOs Must Complete Mandatory Training Too!
The required online mandatory training modules are posted in the Employee Portal under the link "Employee Training". Both daily OTs and LTOs must complete these before the end of the school day on June 29, 2018. Daily OTs will receive .5 of a day of pay and LTOs will have completed most of these on Board paid time.
N.B. Check off each completed module as completed then log back in - if the check mark is still there, completion has been recognized.

Hear are this year's required modules and if they are not completed by the due date, you will be made inactive until they are done, and you will not be paid for completing them:

1. Anaphylaxis & Asthma Management Training
2. Asthma Metered Dose Inhaler Resource
3. Concussion Spotlight Part 1
4. Concussion Spotlight Part 2
5. September - Emergency Codes and Asbestos Awareness
6. October - Fire Code Training
7. November - Ladder Safety Awareness
8. December - Slips, Trips and Falls 
9. Module 4 - Safe Schools and Employee Roles
10. Module 5 - Harassment
11. Module 6 - Work Refusals
12. Module 7 - Management of Aggressive Behaviour
13. Module 8 - Domestic Violence in the Workplace
14. Module 9 - Parking Lots
    

Earn a Few Extra Days of Pay - 
Daily Occasional Teachers are entitled to three days of extra pay if they complete the paid PD offered by the Board.  (N.B., one half of these days is paid for completing the above mandatory training modules.) Only online modules remain but they can be completed anytime so long as they are done by the end of the school day on June 29th. Participation counts as time worked for E.I. purposes, seniority credit, pension credit and credit toward the 10 days required to remain on the OT Roster.  If you are a LTO of less than .5, you are eligible to complete 1.5 days and be paid. Registration is on the Employee Portal > Conference/Sessions  Registration > "Elementary Occasional Teachers PD 2017 - 2018.

LTOs on the June 29th PD Day - 
If no permanent Teacher will be attending in your place that day, it is the Union's expectation that you will participate and be paid according to your FTE.  This does not apply to Itinerant LTOs who will not be paid for the last day of school.
If you have any questions, please call our office at 519-641-3936 and we will look into these individual assignments.

Professional LEarning Development Fund 
Just a reminder to apply for your $300 PLDF grant before you take the course.  You must be registered as a member on www.etfotvot.com and been a member for one year in order to be eligible.

You're Invited! - Reference Codes for Summer EI Claims and OTs getting info on Mandatory Training

Find your Columbia Sportswear Company Employee Store Invitation at www.etfotvot.com under Member Services.
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Usually at this time of year we receive a message containing the Service Canada Reference Code to be used on summer EI benefit applications. This year, we have been advised that there is no requirement to provide a Reference Code.
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We have been made aware that some members have not received information on the mandatory training and it seems they are not following the Occasional Teachers Elementary group in Outlook.

System Staff Development did a step-by-step on how to access it and wanted to share it with you.

Not receiving group messages directly in your inbox?  If you are worried you might be missing important information and communications, which are distributed through outlook groups, you might want to follow the group so you get the messages directly in your inbox.

How do I start following an Outlook group?

Open Outlook.
On the left side of your screen are a number of folders. One says Groups. Click it.
Under Groups, click the title Occasional Teachers Elementary. This will open that group and its contents.
At the top, beside the title of the folder, it will say if you are following or not following the Group (having them come into your inbox).
To follow the group and have the emails show up in your inbox, click the down arrow next to Not Following.  Then click on "Follow in inbox"