OSSTF Communications

$28.9 million. That’s not just a number. That’s: 300 teachers/ 400+ education workers/250 mental health counsellors or 2,000 students fully funded for a year. Don’t tell us there’s no money. Tell us why it’s not going into public education #OntEd #FundOurSchools #osstf

Upcoming virtual town hall on the future of education in Ontario. John Fraser, MPP (Ottawa South) and Ontario Liberal Critic for Education, is hosting a virtual town hall on April 21. Join the conversation to: • Hear about current education issues • Discuss challenges facing Franco-Ontarians • Share your experiences • Ask questions directly Open to students, teachers and education workers, parents, and community members. 🗓 April 21 💻 Online 🔗 bit.ly/4tliigL

Reporting shows attendance is down at schools across Ontario, and it’s a signal that students need more support. As #OSSTF President @marthahradowy told CTV, students show up when they feel supported, connected, and safe at school. If the government is serious about improving attendance, it needs to invest in smaller class sizes, mental health and special education supports, and stable staffing. Instead, the government is issuing hundreds of staff layoff notices in the middle of this crisis. 🎥 Check out the full interview: bit.ly/4sJlCRJ

Rising violence in schools is not an individual behaviour issue. It’s a system issue. This powerful piece from Ontario educator Nigel Barriffe, Vice-President of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto and President of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, connects the dots: when supports are cut and needs go unmet, the impacts show up in our classrooms. If we want safer schools, we need real investment, not distractions. 📖 Read more: bit.ly/4elM7ZO #OSSTF #OntEd

OSSTF/FEESO is in the headlines for a reason. New reporting highlights what teachers and education workers have been saying: this week's reforms miss the mark. “Our schools are facing rising violence, growing class sizes, and chronic underfunding. Changing governance structures doesn’t fix that.” - #OSSTF President @marthahradowy It’s time to stop the distractions and fix the real issues! Read more: bit.ly/3OHX3qb

What’s really happening in Ontario’s public education system? Join #OSSTF for a virtual town hall on The State of Public Education in Ontario. Across the province, teachers and education workers, students, and families are feeling the pressure. This is a space to come together, share experiences, and talk honestly about what comes next. 📆 May 5, 2026 🕖 7:00–8:30 PM ET 💻 Live on Zoom 🎟️ RSVP at bit.ly/3Op2mus ✔ Panel with community voices ✔ Regional breakout discussions ✔ Opportunities to share your perspective All are welcome. French and ASL interpretation will be provided. #OntEd

Teachers and education workers across Ontario are coming together. After a week of announcements that ignore underfunding, rising violence, and growing class sizes, our message is clear: we need real investments in our schools, not governance changes that miss the mark. 📆 April 29 is a province-wide Day of Action ✊🏾 Join us to defend publicly funded education Wear red. Show your solidarity. Be part of the action. #OSSTF #Red4Ed #OntEd #OntEdUnited

Women are still working for free. From January 1 to April 14, that’s the reality of the pay gap in Ontario. Today, #OSSTF Vice President Malini Leahy stood with the Equal Pay Coalition and community partners to say enough! Budgets are not neutral. And this government is making choices. Choices to underfund education and child care. Choices that underpay women. Choices that hurt families. It doesn’t have to be this way. Equal pay is a right. And we will keep fighting until it’s a reality ✊🏾 #EqualPayDay #GenderPayGap

Join a national conversation on school violence led by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation. On April 14, @CTFFCE is hosting a free national panel to discuss what’s really happening in classrooms and what needs to change. #OSSTF Executive Officer Sherry-Ann Bowen-Gordon will be taking part as a panellist. 📊 The reality: • 55% of teachers and education workers experienced violence last year • 75% report no follow-up after incidents • 41% don’t feel safe at work The panel will go beyond headlines to focus on real solutions, accountability, and safer schools for everyone. 📅 April 14 - 5:00 - 6:30 PM ET 🖥️ Free virtual event 🎟️ RSVP at bit.ly/4sD0pJL 💬 Submit your questions in advance

Equal Pay Day is April 14. Women are still paid less for work of equal value, and that inequality follows them throughout their lives, from paycheques to pensions. Teachers and education workers know that fairness at work matters. Equal pay isn’t optional. It’s a right. #OSSTF #OntEd #EqualPayDay

Governance reform and the corporatization of school boards will not fix unsafe schools. It will not lower class sizes. And it will not put more supports in place for students. The Ford government is choosing distraction over real solutions to rising violence, larger class sizes, and fewer supports. Read our full response: bit.ly/4egZ2ft #OSSTF #OntEd #OnPoli

Six presidents. One message. The government is choosing distraction over solutions. Shifting to CEOs with no background in education is not reform. It is corporatization. And it will not fix overcrowded classrooms, rising violence, or the lack of supports students need. Fix the funding. Get to the table. Stop the chaos in Ontario schools. #OSSTF#OntEd #OnPoli

#OSSTF supports improvements to teacher education, including stronger practicum experiences. But attracting new teachers is only part of the solution. Keeping them is the real challenge. Ontario has tens of thousands of qualified teachers not in classrooms and too many new teachers leaving within five years. Retaining teachers means improving working conditions and ensuring schools are properly supported. That’s what students need.

Shortening the length of teachers' college is one step to get more teachers through the front door. But what happens when they walk into larger classes, fewer supports, and rising pressures in schools? “That only opens the front door, and right now, teachers are walking out the back.” – #OSSTF President @marthahradowy Ontario doesn’t just have a recruitment problem. It has a retention crisis, and students are feeling the impact. 🔗 bit.ly/4tIYG64 #OntEd #OnPoli

Wearing red in District 25 @OSSTFD25TBU Friday to show my unwavering support for high-quality, publicly funded education for all students, from kindergarten to university! ✊🏽#OSSTF #FEESO #RedForEd #Ottawa @osstf

This past year, OSSTF/FEESO worked tirelessly to meet the moment facing public education in Ontario. At both the provincial and local levels, members and leaders came together to build momentum, challenge one another, and take collective action. This video looks back on a year of organizing, member protection, and union training, advocacy, and solidarity—driven by more than 60,000 teachers and education workers across OSSTF/FEESO. We are always stronger together. youtu.be/beUx_qJBAMk