During General Session 5, Clint Johnston addressed delegates to the ETFO 2018 Annual Meeting.
Johnston is currently a Vice-President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) and serves as the organization’s Chair of the Indigenous Education Advisory Committee. He is also the Second Vice-President of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF).
CTF VP Johnston, who joined delegates at Queen’s Park on Tuesday’s rally to support the 2015 Health and Physical Education, expressed unreserved support for the stance ETFO is taking in supporting the teaching of issues like inclusion and consent. He also urged ETFO members to continue to “stand up for our students and our profession.”
CTF VP Johnson said that ETFO’s educator colleagues in British Columbia have been watching with amazement and disbelief as the new PC government in Ontario is set to roll back the clock on the province’s health curriculum. Johnson expressed concern as the parent of five children about such a move, stating that he could not imagine his daughters and sons not learning to effectively navigate such complex issues as consent, cyberbullying and mental health without some support from trusted professionals like teachers and other education professionals.
Johnston went on to congratulate ETFO President Sam Hammond on being recently re-elected to CTF’s Executive, stating that “I feel a kindred spirit when I’m around Sam.” Johnston also thanked First Vice President Karen Campbell and General Secretary Sharon O’Halloran for their work on CTF’s Board of Directors.
Johnston concluded his address to Annual Meeting delegates by thanking the ETFO members who participated in CTF’s Project Overseas 2018 this summer. Project Overseas places Canadian elementary and secondary teachers in 3-5 week volunteer assignments in countries throughout Africa and the Caribbean. During those assignments, participants lend their expertise in subjects like literacy acquisition, gender equality and special education, as well as core subject areas like English, Math, Science and Social Studies.
ETFO members who are interested in participating in Project Overseas during the summer of 2019 can find background information and selection criteria on ETFO’s main website. The deadline to apply to Project Overseas 2019 is October 31, 2018.