Tomorrow is the deadline; Don't Make the Children Pay; More Paid PD

Tomorrow is the Last Day
Just a reminder that currently there is only one route from the OT Roster to the LTO List - you must apply to be interviewed.  This means that even if you are currently in a long-term assignment, if you are not already on the LTO List, you will need to apply.  Under Regulation 274, the criteria is that you must have been a TVDSB Occasional Teacher for 10 months and taught 20 days and the deadline to apply to be interviewed is February 28, 2019! There are no exceptions.
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Don't Make the Children Pay
The new provincial government has made it clear that their focus is balancing the budget and rather than looking at increasing revenue, they are making ruthless cuts to all services as evidenced by their recent cuts to funding for services to assist autistic children.
The education sector will not escape such cuts unless we make our voices heard. 
We need to protect smaller class sizes, the kindergarten programme, the physical condition of our schools and the special needs of some of our students.
Make you voice heard by visiting this link and taking action:
https://www.buildingbetterschools.ca/take_action

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Coming Up - Another After School Paid PD Opportunity
Registration for our next after school paid PD event is now open on the Employee Portal for those daily Occasional Teachers or LTOs in a .5 FTE or less assignment.
As last night's event proved, more than 100 spots filled quickly so we encourage members to take this opportunity to participate in meaningful learning that will enhance your practice.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Paid PD Day, Columbia Sportswear Invitation; Truth about Reg. 274

More than $700 is yours - don't leave it behind!
Do you realize that your six half days of Paid PD (including the half-day reserved for mandatory online training) totals over $700 of salary? Are you aware that you will also receive 3 days of seniority credit, pension credit, three days of the ten needed to remain on the elementary list and 24 hours of credit for purposes of Employment Insurance? Do you know that your Thames Valley OT Local has negotiated the most paid PD of any Board in the Province?
Registration is open for the next paid session on February 26.  Please register via the Employee Portal directly.

• Click on "Conference/Session Registrations"
• Scroll down to Elementary Occasional Teacher PD (2018-2019)
• Click on "Register"
• Review the session descriptions by clicking on the session title, and indicate which sessions you would like by clicking into the small circle on the left.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Submit/Continue"
• We recommend that you print your timetable for your records.

At the time a paid professional activity is offered, Occasional Teachers on an LTO or permanent contract with an FTE of 0.5 or higher are not eligible for paid PD. Members in assignments of less than .5 FTE are eligible for half of the paid PD opportunities.  Please remember to submit a Reflection Form at the end of the session in order to drive the payment process (forms will be available at each session).

Please do not hesitate to contact the OT Office or TVDSB Staff Development if you have any questions.

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It's that time - You will find your Columbia Sportswear Employee Store Invitation on the ETFOTVOT website under member services.

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Learn The Truth About Regulation 274 - 

Before 2012 when this hiring legislation came into effect, Boards of Education were notorious for hiring according to nepotism and favouritism.  This Local had already identified a large number of Occasional Teachers in our membership who were very successful in long-term assignments but had difficulty even gaining interviews for permanent positions. They did a great job in their LTOs at one school so they usually got first chance there for full year long-term assignments, thus they were only known in one school -  unless that school had a vacancy for a permanent position, they would not be called to interview. They were exceptional Occasional Teachers who were unknown to the rest of the system.
Though Regulation 274 is far from perfect (we do not agree with screening for a LTO List) it has made hiring practices more accountable and the path to permanent positions, more predictable. 
As we approach this next round of bargaining, be informed.  We encourage all members to check out the independent report commissioned by the Ministry of Education in 2013 available at this link: www.etfo.ca/defendingworkingconditions/bargainingandagreements/pages/reg274.aspx

Let's Be Clear...; and Opportunity for an Evening Paid PD on February 26

Let's Clear Up Some Misinformation:
1) FALSE: Occasional Teachers must remain at school 15 minutes after class dismissal
    TRUE: Regulation 298/90, Section 20 (d) states that a teacher must, "unless otherwise assigned by the Principal, be present in the classroom or teaching area ... at least 15 minutes before the commencement of classes in the school in the morning, and, where applicable, five minutes before the commencement of classes in the afternoon." Teachers must remain at school to oversee the safe dismissal of students since Section 20 (g) reminds us we must, "ensure all reasonable safety procedures are carried out in courses and activities for which the Teacher is responsible".
2) FALSE: All Occasional Teachers are paid when schools are closed due to weather.
    TRUE: LTOs in posted assignments are paid for the day. Those in unposted assignments which are evolving into long-term will only be paid if they have passed the 10 day threshold (the count to 10 is not interrupted and resumes when schools reopen.) Daily OTs unfortunately do not qualify for payment per Article 16.05 (b) "In the event of inclement weather, Occasional Teachers will receive information on the status of school closures or delays in openings by the normal Board communication process. Notice of closure due to inclement weather will be deemed to meet the minimum notice requirement ...
3) FALSE: If I am in a long-term assignment, I will automatically be placed on the LTO List.
    TRUE: Currently the only route for someone from the Roster to get onto the LTO List is by succeeding in the interviews, regardless of whether you have completed a long-term assignment and been evaluated.  Applications for interviewing for the LTO List will be accepted until the end of February.
4) FALSE: If I am in a long-term assignment, I should ask for an evaluation.
    TRUE: There is no advantage to having an evaluation since an assignment without an evaluation is deemed to be successful. A Principal always has the right to evaluate a LTO but these must begin before May 31st, unless the LTO requests one later.
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Details are being finalized but we are pleased to announce our upcoming PD event on February 26th from 4:30 - 7:30 pm at the Lamplighter Inn in London will be PAID Registration and further details will be available in the Employee Portal.

WEDNESDAY BLOG + ONE : School Closures and Pay, OTF Subsidies for Math AQs/ABQs,Retirement Planning Workshop and Unauthorized Facebook Group- what you should know

School Closure on Feb. 6
With schools closed yesterday, LTOs will be paid as if they taught but unfortunately daily OTs will not be paid since they were given appropriate notice as stipulated in the Collective Agreement.
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Limited number of OTF subsidies available for Math AQs/ABQs
If you successfully completed an AQ/ABQ or undergraduate prerequisite Math course by December 31, 2018, you may be eligible for a subsidy.

The Ministry of Education, through the Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF), is once again offering a subsidy to OTF or Affiliate members who have successfully completed an Additional Qualification (AQ) or Additional Basic Qualification (ABQ) course in Mathematics or undergraduate Math courses that are a prerequisite for an AQ or ABQ.

Approximately 400 subsidies are being made available through this program for a limited time only. The subsidies will be provided on a first come, first served basis. This means that OTF cannot guarantee a subsidy to every member who applies, even within the required timelines.

Subsidy program details
The renewed subsidy program applies only to courses in Mathematics - AQs. ABQs or prerequisite (undergraduate) Math courses.

Your must have successfully completed the AQ/ABQ or undergraduate prerequisite Math course by December 31, 2018. 

Your completed application must be received by OTF no later than 5:00 pm on March 31, 2019.
The subsidy amount is up to a maximum of $450, regardless of the course location or provider, and is paid directly to you on proof of successful completion of the course.

You must be an active member of OTF or its Affiliates.

You are not eligible to apply for a subsidy if you completed the AQ/ABQ or undergraduate prerequisite Math course before April 1st, 2014 (the beginning of this program).

You are not eligible to apply for a subsidy if you registered for and completed your course between May 1, 2015 and January 31, 2016.

Eligible courses - 
Mathematics, Primary and Junior - Part 1
Mathematics, Primary and Junior - Part 2
Mathematics, Primary and Junior - Specialist
Mathematics, Grades 7 and 8
Mathematics, Intermediate/Senior (ABQ)
Mathematics, Honours Specialist

For more information visit - https://subsidies.otffeo.on.ca/
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Retirement Planning Workshop
District 8, Retired Teachers of Ontario, is hosting a Retirement Planning Workshop on Saturday, April 6 at the Best Western Lamplighter on Wellington Rd. S. in London.  Members and their spouses/partners are invited to attend this workshop at no charge.  This workshop will include presentations about the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the RTO Health Benefits plan.

Register online: rto-ero.org/rpw
Questions ?  rpw@rto-ero.org or 1-800-361-9888

When:  10:30 am to 2:00 pm, Sat. April 6, 2019
             Registration starts at 10:00 am
             Hot & Cold buffet Lunch at 12:00 pm

Where: Best Western Lamplighter Inn
            591 Wellington Rd. South
            London, ON     N6C 4R3
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Ignorance of the Facts is not an Excuse
Register on our Local website www.etfotvot.com and we will send you reminders of Board deadlines and updates of PD events. Keep reading our website, Blog and e-mails for further information.
Beware that Facebook Group(s) are unauthorized and much of the information is hearsay and unreliable.
For accurate information, we always recommend you contact your ETFO-TVOT office since they have the legal obligation to provide accurate information.
NEVER HESITATE TO CONTACT THE LOCAL - no question is too insignificant.

The Local  still cautions members to use personal email addresses when corresponding with the Union and not use the Board's email system, which is not intended for private correspondence. The Local does not use the Board's email system for union business but urges members to check it regularly since this is how the Board communicates with its employees.