TVOT elections; new Ministry resources; new ETFO resources

 

Nominations close on May 11, 2022

Just a reminder to TVOT members that  members at the TVOT Spring Annual Banquet and Meeting on May 31, 2022 will select next year's Local Executive.  The Executive meets monthly at a dinner meeting and here is some more information about these elected positions - 

President - two year term, full-time position; legal spokesperson and representative of Local; Grievance Officer; liaison/ member of all committees; signing officer; attends all Provincial Rep. Councils, ETFO Annual Meeting, other ETFO meetings in Toronto (Local Constitution 7.2.1)  Candidates for President must have a minimum of one year of Local Executive experience (Local Constitution 9.1.2)

First Vice-President - assists the President; coordinates preparation of the newsletter; attends committees (Local Constitution 7.2.2)

Second Vice-President - assists the President and First Vice-President and acts as liaison to the P.D. Committee (Local Constitution 7.2.3)

Secretary – records, prepares and circulates accurate minutes of past and present Executive and General Membership Meetings (Local Constitution 7.2.4)

Treasurer - maintains financial records; pays expenses of the Local as signing officer; drafts budget and reports to Executive and membership (Local Constitution 7.2.5)

Health and Safety Officer - acts as liaison with the Board’s Joint Health and Safety Committee, the Local Executive and general membership; conducts annual audits of schools and participates in all applicable training (Local Constitution 7.2.7)

Executive Members at Large (4) - great learning opportunity with duties as determined by the Executive (Local Constitution 7.1.1 – 7.1.13)

Chief Negotiator - negotiates the Collective Agreement; maintains the Agreement and reports to membership (Local Constitution 7.2.6)

Collective Bargaining Committee (President, Chief Negotiator and 4-5 others) - surveys membership; prepares preliminary submission; negotiates Collective Agreement (Local Constitution 7.3.4)

ETFO Provincial Annual Meeting Alternates (5) – pool from which delegate vacancies will be filled; Toronto Westin Harbour Castle, August 15-18, 2022 (all costs paid) (Local Constitution 10.1 - 10.3)

 Elections held May 31, 2022 at the Lamplighter Inn 

Candidate Forms are posted on the Local website: www.etfotvot.com

The deadline for receipt of Candidate Forms is 5 PM May 11, 2022 (Local Constitution 9.2.2)

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Effective Early Reading Instruction: A Teacher's Guide

The Ontario Ministry of Education has released a new resource that: "provides educators wth information on foundational early reading skills, an understanding of how these skills develop in young chldren, and classroom-ready strategies to effectively teach decoding skills. This includes systematic and explicit instruction of phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, and word-reading skills to support students in becoming fluent readers with strong language and reading comprehension."

Click Effective Early Reading Instruction: A Teacher's Guide to access this guide.

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May is Jewish Heritage Month 

"Addressing Antisemitism and Holocaust Education: An Annotated Bibliography of e-Resources" captures and highlights organizations with materials supporting schools, communities and workspaces on combatting antisemitism and addressing Holocaust education. 

To view this new ETFO resource and other grade-specific classroom resources, click on ETFO antisemitism resources.

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May is Asian Heritge Month

It is important to recognize that Asian Canadian history is part of Canadian history. Asian migrants and Asian Canadians have faced discrimination, exploitation and danger in many of our workplaces. Even today, many Asian communities experience racism and discrimination on individual and institutional levels. 

To download supporting curriculum and classroom resources that focus on Asian heritage, click on ETFO Asian herigate resources.

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National Day of Mourning

April 28th is the traditional day for Canadians to remember those who have lost their lives or been injured at work or who have experienced a tragedy related to their job.

We all have a role to play in ensuring that our workplaces are safe and healthy. We all have a duty to speak up about unsafe working conditions!

OCT Fees; Retirement Workshops; New Kindergarten resource; Mandatory training; Article L18.03

 

OCT Fees Due in ONE Week!

Just a reminder that there is only one week left for Teachers/Occasional Teachers to pay their annual fee of $170 to OCT (Ontario College of Teachers).

Those in a LTO or permanent contract at the beginning of 2022 likely had this fee deducted by TVDSB as verified on your pay stub.

Daily OTs however, must pay the OCT fee themselves and the College must receive this payment no later than April 25, 2022. OTs who do not pay this fee are removed from the OT List and will lose their "Good standing" on the OCT website.  For more information click on OCT Fees .

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I'm moving: 

What should I do about my home insurance policy?

Take a look at the moving and home insurance frequently asked questions inside so that you can look forward to making memories in your new home, confident that you have the coverage you need.

Read more at www.otip.com/article140.

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NEW - Eligible for $60 TVOT Resource Rebate 

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Mandatory On-line Training Modules

A reminder to all Occasional Teachers/LTOs that TVDSB will soon post the annual mandatory training modules which must be completed before June 30, 2022 in order to remain on the List.  

Daily OTs will receive a half-day of pay from their paid PD allowance for completing these. 

LTOs must also submit these though they will have completed many of the modules at staff meetings.  

N.B. Retirees must reserve a half-day of their allotment for this purpose.  

Once the modules are posted, members will be able to access them via the Employee Portal.  Do not forget to click on "Submit" after each module. When you log back into the Portal, check to see that the checkmark is still there so that you are sure your completion has been received.  

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Highlighting Article L18.03

L18.03 (a) Unless hired for a long-term occasional assignment in accordance with the provisions of Article L14, an Occasional Teacher shall not be assigned supervisory duties prior to the commencement of class on the first morning of an assignment or prior to the commencement of the afternoon class on the first day if it is a half-day afternoon assignment.

(b) Where an Occasional Teacher is hired for a vacancy for preparation time coverage, IPRC coverage, etc., that Occasional Teacher shall be assigned no more than one supervisory duty.

(c) If the assignment is for the Occasional Teacher to provide preparation time payback in full day assignment, then that Occasional Teacher shall be provided with a minimum of forty (40) minutes preparation time at the beginning of the assignment.

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Breaking News re OT Prep Payback; Your Local Executive Elections; ETFO position on masks; Day of Pink

 

Compensation 

for Lost Prep Periods

The ETFOTVOT Local is pleased to inform members that we have signed a Letter of Understanding with TVDSB that will provide compensation to daily OTs and LTOs who have lost their prep periods. 

The Letter of Understanding states:

"WHEREAS the Collective Agreement Article L18.02 states “the timetable for an Occasional Teacher shall be the same as the timetable of the Teacher being replaced except as set forth in Articles L18.03 and L18.05”;

And WHEREAS it is understood that this would be inclusive of any preparation time as assigned to the Teacher being replaced; 

And WHEREAS the parties agree that for the 2021- 2022 school year, every effort will continue to be made to provide prep coverage in the course of the short-term and long-term assignments of an Occasional Teacher;

THEREFORE in recognition of the unprecedented staffing demands:

i)   Teachers who are not able to receive their preparation payback period in the course of their assignment will be entitled to monetary compensation in lieu of.

ii)  Eligibility for daily Occasional Teachers will be for missed prep coverage from December 2021 onwards.

iii)  Payment will be processed following the completion of the school year in a lump sum based on a calculation of missed prep minutes calculated into an FTE increment and paid at the daily rate for OT assignments, and the LTO rate as applicable for Teachers in a long-term assignment.    

iv)  Individuals currently holding a LTO assignment as of the signed date of this letter will be entitled to payback for missed prep in their current LTO assignment rectroactively to the date that the current LTO assignment began. 

This agreement has been made without precedent or prejudice."

TVOT members are encouraged therefore, to track instances when they have lost their assigned prep periods. Information on how to submit claims will be posted on your TVDSB Outlook account, within the next few weeks.

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You Have Something to

Contribute!

Considered running for a position on the ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers’ Executive?

Members at the TVOT Spring Annual Banquet and Meeting select their Local Executive each year.  

Why not join your Executive team and find out what is going on – you can make a difference!

Dinner meetings for the Executive are held once a month after school at our TVOT Office in London.

ABOUT TVOT ELECTED POSITIONS

President - two year term, full-time position; legal spokesperson and representative of Local; Grievance Officer; liaison/ member of all committees; signing officer; attends all Provincial Rep. Councils, ETFO Annual Meeting, other ETFO meetings in Toronto (Local Constitution 7.2.1)  Candidates for President must have a minimum of one year of Local Executive experience (Local Constitution 9.1.2)

First Vice-President - assists the President; coordinates preparation of the newsletter; attends committees (Local Constitution 7.2.2)

Second Vice-President - assists the President and First Vice-President and acts as liaison to the P.D. Committee (Local Constitution 7.2.3)

Secretary – records, prepares and circulates accurate minutes of past and present Executive and General Membership Meetings (Local Constitution 7.2.4)

Treasurer - maintains financial records; pays expenses of the Local as signing officer; drafts budget and reports to Executive and membership (Local Constitution 7.2.5)

Health and Safety Officer - acts as liaison with the Board’s Joint Health and Safety Committee, the Local Executive and general membership; conducts annual audits of schools and participates in all applicable training (Local Constitution 7.2.7)

Executive Members at Large (4) - great learning opportunity with duties as determined by the Executive (Local Constitution 7.1.1 – 7.1.13)

Chief Negotiator - negotiates the Collective Agreement; maintains the Agreement and reports to membership (Local Constitution 7.2.6)

Collective Bargaining Committee (President, Chief Negotiator and 4-5 others) - surveys membership; prepares preliminary submission; negotiates Collective Agreement (Local Constitution 7.3.4)

ETFO Provincial Annual Meeting Alternates (5) – pool from which delegate vacancies will be filled; Toronto Westin Harbour Castle, August 15-18, 2022 (all costs paid) (Local Constitution 10.1 - 10.3)

 Elections held May 31, 2022 at the Lamplighter Inn 

Candidate Forms are posted on the Local website: www.etfotvot.com

The deadline for receipt of Candidate Forms is 5 PM May 11, 2022 (Local Constitution 9.2.2)

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Spring is in the air – Road trip!

Ontario is a big province with lots to offer—from beautiful nature scenes to bustling city centres. Check out these Ontario road trip ideas that guarantee fun for all ages.

Read more at www.otip.com/article141.

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ETFO Provincial 

All-Member Survey Deadline

Just to remind members that the ETFO Provincial All-Member Survey closes April 14th so you may want to take 5 minutes and participate for your chance to win one of 10 iPad Minis.

For more information contact Member Records at Provincial ETFO.

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Today is the International Day of Pink - 

A reminder to each of us of the ongoing need to stand up to bullying and take action to create a more diverse and inclusive society!

Pay if sick with Covid; The winners are; Spring General Meeting and Banquet

Covid Is Still Here

- Just a reminder that daily OTs, have access to the province's Paid Infectious Disease Emergency Leave /PIDEL if they have had to cancel a job in TVARRIS

- If a daily OT has contracted Covid at school, then they can apply for pay based on the average number of days that they have worked as set out in Covid Protocol 2A Staff Absence Coding, bullet 2.5: 

 2.5. Staff impacted by a school exposure to COVID-19 and required to quarantine/selfisolate will be paid quarantine leave for the duration of the leave. Those in an LTO/LTA will continue to be paid based on their LTO/LTA. Temporary and Occasional employees that are required to quarantine/self-isolate as a direct result of a school exposure will be paid the average hours, they have worked over the previous 4 weeks during the

isolation period.

- LTOs have access to paid Quarantine Leave as set out in the Board's same Covid Protocol, 2A Staff Absence Coding.

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We Have Winners!

The TVOT Local is pleased to announce the five winners randomly drawn from the hundreds who participated in last month's Membership Survey. 

These lucky TVOT members each won $100:

- Erin Damm

- Linda Lewis

- Lisa Phillips

- Sarah Quartel

- Patricia Roberston

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- There is no penalty for booking off on TVARRIS so please make sure to make yourself "Unavailable" even for 1 day so that the system can operate most efficiently.

- Rumour has it that there is a flood of Teacher candidates on temporary certificates, teaching as elementary OTs in TVDSB. The fact is that there are fewer than 30 people in this category. Currently we have more than 1800 members, however we are unable to fill all the Teachers absences each month so there is plenty of work for everyone.

- TVDSB will allow OTs to access their paid PD days to complete OCT's Sexual Abuse Prevention Program / SAPP. Log into the Employee Portal > Conference Session Registrations to see how you can be compensated for this half-day as part of your paid PD alottment. This is retroactive for those who have already done the program. Members in LTOs next September will have an opportunity to complete SAPP on the PD Day at the start of school and daily OTs who still need to do SAPP, will have the first couple of weeks in September to follow the process above and submit a claim for a half-day.

- TVOT members are eligible for a Retention Stipend of up to $450 if they take daily assignments at certain schools/specific days. For more information check out our Wednesday Blog of March 9th!

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Tuesday, May 31st, 4:30pm 

ETFO TVOT Spring General Meeting 

Banquet and Elections

How wonderful it will be to come together again in person and spend time with other Occasional Teacher colleagues! Being an OT is very isolating - we only belong to a school on a temporary basis and we seldom get to compare notes with other OTs so take this opportunity to mingle with your peers.

Registration details will follow but please set aside this date and plan to join us for a lovely dinner (at no cost) with time to socialize before the business of the Local commences. The Lamplighter is a lovely facility and we always enjoy their large meeting spaces and wonderful meals. 

Elections will be held that evening for all positions so you may want to consider being a part of this progressive team.

Meetings are held monthly after school at our office with a dinner provided. 

Have a say in the business of the Local that determines your working conditions - Run for office!

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Will a Speed Camera Ticket make my insurance rate go up?

You arrive home after a long day of work and check your mailbox. Inside, you find a ticket from a speed camera with a photo of your vehicle driving above the posted limit. Let’s address some commonly asked questions about speed camera tickets.

Read more at www.otip.com/article142.

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