Education is a Right: Recent Episodes
Education is a Right
This podcast is produced by front line education workers to provide a forum for the voice of all those concerned with affirming the human right to education. The show will delve into all aspects of education and the working lives of those who provide it and those who rely upon it for their future.
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is paid into by its shareholders, active teachers employed in publicly funded K-12 schools. It has investments over $200 billion dollars and is more than fully funded at the moment. Concern has been raised about its major investments in Stone Canyon Industries Holdings Inc., a company that owns Windsor Salt
In this episode Darlene Sawchuk, president of CUPE Local 1358 reflects on the significance of the union’s victory in forcing the Ford government in Ontario to back down on using the notwithstanding clause to impose a collective agreement on 55,000 striking education workers. The presentation was recorded as part of a May Day Workers’ Roundtable
In this episode we go over Bill 98, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 which was tabled by the Ontario government on April 17, 2023 and is currently at committee. The legislation proposes to expand Ministerial powers over a number of areas including school boards’ assets and data as well as when curriculum reviews
In this episode, Ezio discusses the annual meeting of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association that represents K-12 teachers who work in Ontario’s publicly funded Catholic education system including significant motions that were passed, new positions that were created, the election of the OECTA executive and concerns about the need for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension
In this episode we speak with Jon Shelton, Vice-President of the American Federation of Teachers Wisconsin, about organizing in public K-12 and post-secondary education in the face of anti-union, anti-worker “right-to-work” laws. We also discuss the role that anti-union law firms are playing in the U.S. to prevent workers from organizing amidst a wave of
In this episode we address some of the major concerns facing teachers and education workers as delegates to both the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association and Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation annual meetings converge in Toronto from March 10-12, 2023. For background on Stone Canyon Holdings Inc. which the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan is an
In this episode, we speak with professional youth soccer coach Rob Arce about the importance of sport for the development of young people, some of the issues facing the development of youth soccer in Canada in particular and how youth soccer is organized in the province of Ontario.
With the release of ChatGPT and many concerned about its significance in education, we are joined by Dr. Beyhan Farhadi, a Toronto District School Board teacher and researcher in the field of e-learning, to discuss our own framework for the role of AI and specifically ChatGPT in education.
In this episode we speak with Mary Joyce, a printmaker, painter, teacher and organizer who has experience writing arts curriculum about the principles of teaching visual arts to children.
In this episode we interview Tiffany Chan, Artistic Director of the Windsor Dance eXperience Inc., a non-profit theatrical dance company dedicated to giving local kids an outlet for their creative and physical activities. It is unique in its efforts to make dance and the theatre experience available to anyone passionate about performing, regardless of their
In this episode we catch-up with Senior Research Associate at the University of Toronto and anti-body engineer Dr. Shane Miersch about preparations for preventing and addressing future pandemics and the way in which public funding is being deployed in funding research and infrastructure. For previous episodes with Dr. Miersch in which related topics are discussed
In this New Year interview with CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions President Laura Walton we discuss the ways in which education workers were able to get around the limitations imposed by the government and the labour relations regime on their organizing and actions and what this means for the future.
In this episode we interview families without immigration status in Canada and activists for the rights of those without status about their experiences trying to affirm the right to education in Canada for their children and themselves. The Migrant Rights Network informs that as a result of actions demanding status for all, Prime Minister Justin
In this episode we get an overview from retired labour lawyer Kendal McKinney of the extensive ruling by an Ontario Superior Court justice that struck down Bill 124, the Ontario government’s wage and strike limiting legislation.
In this episode, we are reproducing, in its entirety, the remarks of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions press conference announcing the results of the vote on their tentative agreement. The press conference includes remarks by CUPE-OSBCU President, Laura Walton, and the Q and A with members of the media.
In this episode we speak with educational support staff about the current staffing crisis in Ontario schools and what is required in the short-term to address the conditions which exist.
In this episode, we interview a teacher in British Columbia on the tentative agreement being put to a vote November 28-30 in that province and what is known about how the agreement addresses the issues of teachers’ working conditions that are their students’ learning conditions.
In this episode we are reproducing in their entirety the remarks of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions President Laura Walton announcing a tentative agreement with the government as well as her Q and A with members of the media. Walton clearly articulates why they are taking the tentative agreement to the membership and
In this episode we are providing coverage of an important rally of Albertans held on October 22, 2022 in defence of the right to public education. Edisaright interviewed participants about their concerns and what they people to know about their demands for the education system.
This year we are marking remembrance day with a series of poems. The poems are from World War I, the Anti-fascist war in Spain, World War II the US war of Aggression Against Vietnam and Iraq and the siege of Gaza. The poems are for a remembrance which seeks to end the scourge of war
In this episode we report on the defiance of Ontario education workers to draconian back-to-work legislation passed by the Ontario government and interview workers on the picket lines who speak about why they are fighting. The GoFundMe campaign for grocery funds for CUPE OSBCU education workers referred to in the podcast can be found here
In this special interview we speak with Miriam Almansa, a lifelong Cuban patriot and revolutionary, teacher and participant in Cuba’s literacy campaign some 61 years ago as a youth. This campaign, launched immediately after the Cuban Revolution, eradicated illiteracy on the island in just 8 months. This impressive accomplishment was carried out by the massive
In this episode educators in Alberta discuss a recent survey issued by the government of Alberta concerning a new teacher code of conduct and what it indicates about the government’s plans. For information on the province wide rally being held on October 22 click here Previous episodes: Episode 133: K-12 education in Alberta – where
In this episode we interview Laura Walton, President of the Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU) about strike votes the union held recently in its negotiations for a new contract. Related episodes: Episode 144: “We are critical to the classroom” – Ontario educational support staff speak out Episode 139 – Ontario education workers organizing
This episode is part 4 of our series on the new Ontario de-streamed grade 9 science curriculum. In this part we interview Dr. Dougal Macdonald, Assistant Professor from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, about considerations for approaching the teaching of climate change. Thanks go to Rainbow Heart Education for the album
In this episode Teresa and Laura, two grade 1 teachers in Ontario go over changes of note in the new Ontario elementary science curriculum. Reference Material Related to This Episode: For a PDF of the 1-8 Science Curriculum (as of September 15, 2022) New 1-8 Science Curriculum Documents – Government of Ontario New science curriculum
Schools in Alberta are set to open this week. In this episode we provide an update on developments in K-12 education in the province.
In this episode we interview Tyler Campbell and Darlene Sawchuk, two local presidents of educational support staff unions in Ontario about the conditions facing support staff especially during the pandemic and their concerns as negotiations for a new contract begin.
In Part 2 of our series on the new Ontario Science Curriculum we interview engineer and secondary teacher Dana Chesnik about her experience teaching the engineering design process in pre-engineering courses in Alberta. The process is a new addition to Ontario’s grade 9 de-streamed general science course SNC1W. Resources: Aerodynamics Design Challenge Learning Report Guidelines
In this episode we review the new grade 9 de-streamed science course Snc1w. The curriculum and resources for the course from the Minister of Education can be found here. For previous episodes related to inquiry based teaching in science and math check out these episodes: Episode 76: Modern teaching methods in math and science Episode
In this episode we speak with representatives of the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario who discuss their concerns for the coming year and how they are preparing to deal with a second term of the Ford government. For background on the Student Choice Initiative see episodes below: Episode 22: Students’ court victory over Ontario
In this episode we talk about what the recent election of a PC majority in Ontario means for K-12 education and educators. Below is the transcript of this episode. On June 24, Ontario’s MPPs and the government’s new cabinet, also known as the executive council, were sworn in following the June 2 provincial election in
In this episode we catch up with Laura Walton, President of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), CUPE’s K-12 education division which represents some 55,000 education workers in the public, Catholic, English, and French school systems across Ontario. Laura was in Windsor, Ontario with OSBCU activists from across the province discussing how they
In this series reviewing the Ontario Ford government’s reforms in education since taking office we discuss some of the major reforms that took place in post-secondary and K-12 education and the resistance that emerged to them. In part 1 researchers Adam and Kaitlyn led the discussion on major reforms in post-secondary education. In this episode,
In this 3 part series reviewing the Ontario Ford government’s reforms in education since taking office we discuss some of the major reform that took place in post-secondary and K-12 education. In part 1 researchers Adam and Kaitlyn lead the discussion on major reforms in post-secondary education. Part 2 will address major reforms in K-12
In this episode, we’re starting the discussion on what, in the opinion of Education is a Right, an education friendly government means in the context of the June 2 Ontario election. Teachers and education workers in Ontario are being called upon to elect an education-friendly government. This is a lofty goal. However, what does this
From March 11-14 some 600 hundred k-12 teacher delegates of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association from across Ontario gathered online to discuss and debate. In this episode we interview David Del Duca, president of the Wellington Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association about the meeting .
From March 11-14 some 650 delegates and observers attended the provincial assembly of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation virtually. In this episode we interview Deborah Buchanan Walford, an adult day school teacher, executive member of OSSTF District 12 Toronto and a delegate to the Provincial Assembly about her experience and major discussions at AMPA.
In this episode we catch up with Kevan Hunter, a middle school teacher in Alberta, about the situation in education in that province. He updates us on the situation of covid19 requirements in the schools, the government’s new curriculum and their intention to takeover the Alberta Teacher Associations role in regulating teacher professional conduct. For
In this episode we speak with two members of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology – Academic bargaining team, which has given notice of their intention to strike on March 18th. Ravi Ramkissoonsingh is President, OPSEU Local 242, Faculty Union at Niagara College in Welland Ontario and Michelle Arbour is President of OPSEU Local
In this episode we continue our discussion with Toronto teachers Mel and David about a work refusal at their school in response to unsafe working conditions during the Omicron wave in Ontario. For part one of this discussion click below: 130: Experiences upholding health and safety in our schools during the Omicron wave – Part
In this episode Toronto teachers Mel and David discuss their experiences organizing in their high school with their colleagues to uphold health and safety standards and protocols. In Part 2 they discuss their own experiences refusing unsafe work in the context of the Omicron wave of COVID19 in Ontario.
In this episode Ezio provides an overview of changes to academic streaming taking place in Ontario for the 2022-23 academic year. Previous episodes on the Ontario math curriculum, on of those being de-streamed, check out the following episodes: Episode 103: Destreaming High School Math in Ontario – Part 1 Episode 105: Destreaming High School Math
In this episode we interview Lana Talbot and Willow Key about a grassroots project on the Windsor -Detroit border to establish a museum at the Sandwich First Baptist Church, a historic site on the underground railroad built by freedom fighters who had liberated themselves from slavery.
In this episode we catch up with antibody engineer Dr. Shane Miersch about his lab’s work to develop engineered antibodies to treat diseases like COVID-19 and the massive potential Open Science has to free our responses to infectious disease from the shackles of narrow private interests. For the paper on Open Drug Discovery referenced by
In this episode we get an update from Ben, an educator in Nova Scotia. The interview was recorded on December 26 prior to the announcement that Nova Scotia students would go online until today, January 17 when they subsequently returned to in-person school. Ben discusses developments during the start-up of school, how Orange Shirt Day
In this episode we discuss developments in Ontario and Alberta in K-12 education following the holiday break. This discussion was recorded prior to Ontario’s announcement that schools will resume full in-person learning on January 17, 2022.
In this episode we talk with educational support staff in Ontario that continue to work in schools despite reported school closures. They share their concerns for their health and safety and the challenges they face in keeping their students safe in class and how they are empowering themselves under these circumstances to bring attention to
In this interview we talk with Chantal and Jon, educators from Manitoba, about how the opening of school went, how the government of Manitoba is adjusting after the defeat of Bill 64 and how educators and students marked Orange Shirt Day in that province. We also discuss what to look out for in the new
In this year end episode we reflect on what advances have been achieved in 2021 and what to look out for as we enter 2022.
In this episode we endeavor to provide an update on what we know as of December 26, 2021 about what is happening across Canada in education in relation to the start of the schools after the holiday break amidst the uncertainty we are all facing about whether and how schools will re-start after the holiday
In this episode we speak with Dr. Jane McArthur, community-based occupational and environmental health advocate and parent about the airborne spread of COVID-19 and how we can work together to implement what’s required based on what we know and are learning about this virus. Dr. McArthur recently moderated a webinar entitled Time to Say It:
This is part 1 of our interview with Kevan and Dougal. In this episode we discuss the current teaching and learning conditions in K-12 education as well as post-secondary in Alberta during the pandemic. Part 2 will address the state of negotiations in both K-12 and post-secondary as educators in both sectors are currently in
In this episode we catch up with Peter Miller, a Canadian living and teaching in western China. Peter has been teaching at a private international school in China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and has provided regular insights into what conditions are like where he is living and teaching and how he and
This is part 1 of a 2 part interview with Charline Grant, co-founder of Parents of Black Children, an advocacy group in Ontario. We spoke with Grant in August shortly after the group held a car rally at the Ontario legislature about the group’s demands and the experience of Black parents and children in the
This episode is dedicated to assisting the younger generation to learn about Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan and to the memory of all those who were killed and sacrificed as part of the U.S. led war on terror. It is our view that the best way to honour soldiers and others who died
In this episode we interview Nelson CEO Steve Brown. Nelson’s public relations firm Talk Shop Media reached out to us to suggest an interview with Brown about his views on the future of hybrid education in Canada. In this interview, Brown discusses Nelson’s new platform Edwin and the role of educators within it. It provides
This is part 2 of our interview with educator Chantal Shivanna Ramraj about developments in Manitoba. In this segment we talk about how educators are organizing at a grassroots level, working conditions, the right to strike, the Manitoba government’s program to dismantle public education as well as how educators in Manitoba are addressing Canada’s legacy
This interview with Stacey Zhang of Justice for Society Magazine and Podcast was recorded on August 26, 2021 as part of Education is a Right Podcast’s virtual conference – Affirming the Right to Education in the 21st Century. Stacey discusses the concerns of young people as school began and the preoccupations of Justice for Society
In this episode we catch up with Bella Lewkowicz, past Vice-President of the Ontario Teacher Candidate Council, an organization of teacher candidates from across Ontario have challenged the government’s math proficiency test imposed on new teachers prior to the pandemic. Bella discusses the latest on the legal challenge with a ruling expected October 12, 2021.
This interview was recorded on August 18, 2021 just after the resignation of Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and prior to the decision of the Manitoba government to not proceed with Bill 64. Manitoba educator Chantal Shivanna Ramraj discusses pandemic education in Manitoba, the overall direction of Bill 64 and its relationship to attempts to establish
In this episode we interview Tara Martinez and Diandra Powderhorn in Winnipeg, Manitoba about a memorial project they initiated on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly to honour the children being uncovered in unmarked and mass graves at residential “schools” across Canada. We discuss their project and the importance of bringing forward the truth
This episode is the plenary discussion session from Education is a Right’s virtual conference: Affirming the Right to Education in the 21st Century. Speakers included professors of education, teachers, education workers and students who discussed their preoccupations as school is about to begin or had begun in the case of Quebec. The panel was recorded
In this episode we are publishing excerpts from the opening presentation from the Safe September segment of the plenary from Education is a Right’s virtual conference held August 29, 2021. The remarks are a summary of guidelines produced by Health Canada for public officials involved in K-Postsecondary education planning and were last updated August 26,
In this episode we get an update on how the school year ended in Quebec and what to look out for in the coming year.
In this episode we catch up with Laura Walton, president of CUPE Ontario’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions’ (OSBCU) summer consultation with their members and the concerns of educational support staff heading into a new academic year, bargaining and elections. This interview was conducted in Sault St. Marie at OSBCU’s consultation in that region.
In part 2 of this series on destreaming math in Ontario Ezio dives into the new expectations and content in the new course as well as what has been removed. Click here for Part 1
In this episode we get an update on how the school year ended in Nova Scotia and what to look out for for next year.
In this episode Ezio gives some background and context for Ontario’s destreaming of Grade 9 mathematics. This episode was recorded on June 20, prior to the removal of certain sections of the new math curriculum which addressed issues of equity and racism. For our 4 part series on changes to the K-8 math curriculum in
In this episode we discuss how the academic year ended in Ontario and what to look out for in the coming year.
In this episode we update listeners on the situation in Alberta as the year ends and what to look out for as the new academic year approaches. This is the first in a series of shows that will cover different provinces across Canada. A central focus is how we can contribute to ensuring the safe
Welcome to our hundredth episode! Thanks to everyone who has made this possible: all our hosts, technical team, guests and especially you, our listeners. This episode is part 2 of an interview with Jordan Afolabi, a law student about his experiences exposing and challenging institutional racism. In this episode we talk with Jordan about the
This week we will not be publishing a show. On behalf of our entire team we offer our deepest respects and condolences to the families and communities of the children whose bodies were finally discovered by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Language and Culture Department with ground penetrating radar. Schools and other educational institutions across the
In this episode Black law student Jordan Afolabi discusses his experiences as an undergrad with discrimination on his campus and how he and his peers organized to expose and oppose it. For background information on Jordan’s experience and the demands of his peers visit: https://exposeuwindsor.com/
In this second part of this episode we speak with Dr. Carla Peck, Professor of Social Studies Education in the Department of Elementary Education at the University of Alberta, about concerns regarding Alberta’s draft curriculum. We discuss the way in which the curriculum was brought in and the debate between knowledge and skills in education.
In this episode we interview Stacy Zhang and Maggie Chen from Justice for Society, an online youth initiative to provide the youth with their own voice on matters of concern. We talk about why they started it, what they are learning and how to get involved. Check out JFS’s link page here to see all
In this episode we speak with Sean Staddon, a Board member of the Ontario Autism Coalition about how the OAC is carrying out its important advocacy work under the conditions of the pandemic. See related episodes below: Episode 29: “Relentless” advocacy of the autism community Episode 7: Children on the autism spectrum and the right
In this two part episode we speak with Dr. Carla Peck, Professor of Social Studies Education in the Department of Elementary Education at the University of Alberta, about her concerns regarding the social studies and history components of Alberta’s draft curriculum. In this, part 1, we discuss the overall direction of the new draft curriculum
Jurisdictions across Canada are introducing aspects of computational thinking into curricula. In this episode we interview Stephan Rogers about his Masters of Education thesis which reviewed the literature on the implementation of computational thinking in K-12 education. Stephan explains what the concept means and how it is different but related to concepts like coding which
In this episode Kevan, a middle school teacher in Alberta, introduces the new draft elementary curriculum being put forward by the government of Alberta. This is the first in a series of shows which will deal with different aspects of the draft curriculum and the serious concerns being raised with its contents by educators, researchers,
In this episode we provide an overview of some of the significant aspects of the upcoming annual meeting of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association taking place April 10-12, 2021.
In this episode we get a report back from the provincial assembly of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. Close to 700 elected delegates and alternates gathered online from March 13-15 to elect a new provincial executive and set a path forward for the year ahead. The delegates and alternates were elected or selected by
In this episode we speak with a BC teacher about where things stand in terms of the health and safety in the schools in K-12 education.
In this episode we catch up with educators who were preparing to refuse to go along with unsafe working conditions in their workplaces. You can listen to their first interview here: Episode 85: Drawing a line in the sand for health & safety
We send our greetings to all those women who are in the front ranks of the fight for the right to education and the rights of all. In this episode we follow-up with a proposal to change the name of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation/Fédération des enseignantes/enseignants des écoles secondaires de l’Ontario (OSSTF/FEESO) to
In this episode we interview Chantal Mancini, PhD candidate at McMaster University’s School of Labour Studies who is researching the development of central bargaining in education in Ontario.
In this episode we talk with occasional teachers from Ontario about the ramifications of arbitrary changes made by the Ontario government to how teachers are hired into contract positions. For part one of this interview see episode 84 below. Episode 84: Occasional teachers discuss their experiences as they keep the system afloat
In this episode we speak with educators who are taking health and safety into their own hands as schools shift back face-to-face in Ontario in this second wave of the pandemic.
In this episode, recorded in December of 2020, secondary and elementary occasional teachers discuss their experiences during the pandemic. This is part 1 of that interview. In part 2 we discuss the significance of a recent change by the Ontario government to how teachers are hired into full-time contract positions and its effect on teachers’
In this episode we speak with Dr. Isaac Saney , Director of the Transition Year Program at Dalhousie University. Dr. Saney talks about the background for the conference Slavery, Reparations and Education – African Nova Scotia, Canada and Beyond to be held in Halifax when travel permits. He discusses the relationship between systemic racism in
In this episode we discuss a proposal from grassroots educational support staff in Ontario to change the name of their union from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) to the Ontario Support Staff and Teachers Federation (OSSTF). We provide background on the role of support staff historically in Ontario and their membership in education
In this episode adult day school teachers in Ontario teachers discuss how, during the pandemic, they have found ways to affirm their rights and those of their students to an education. To listen to part 1 of this interview see the link below. Episode 78: Adult day school teachers speak up – Part 1
In this episode we get an update on the situation in Québec with the pandemic and negotiations in education.
In this episode we catch up on the situation in Alberta and Ontario as of January 10, 2021.
In this first of a two part interview with adult day school teachers in Toronto we discuss the importance of adult day schools to Canada’s economy and citizens as well as the working and learning conditions in this level of education. In Part 2, to be released next week, we discuss the conditions during the
Happy new year from the entire team at Education is a Right. Listen for our plans for the coming year! Thank you to all our listeners and guests. Looking forward to speaking for ourselves in 2021!
In this episode we continue our conversation with Dr. Dougal Macdonald, Assistant Professor from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, about changes to math curricula in Ontario and Alberta. In this segment we discuss the development of modern teaching methods in math and science education in the context of governments claiming there
In this episode, we interview Dr. Dougal Macdonald, Assistant Professor from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, about the overall aims of recent curriculum changes, which are being put in place in Alberta and Ontario, in math and other subjects. This is part of our series on the new math curriculum in
In this episode we speak with educational support staff and provincial union leaders Laura Walton, of Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario and Martha Hradowy of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. We ask them how their unions are assisting members in affirming their rights under difficult circumstances.
In this episode we follow-up with Dr. Shane Miersch about a antibody-based treatment for covid19 being developed at the University of Toronto and the challenges of getting the federal government to invest in public solutions to the pandemic rather than only private for-profit solutions. Episode 42: Engineering a Canadian treatment for Covid19 – The value
In this episode we get an update on the situation in K-12 education in Quebec. This episode was recorded on November 19, 2020
In this episode we interview two representatives of secretarial and custodial educational staff in Ontario about their work and how it has changed during the pandemic.
In this episode we get updates from Alberta and Ontario in the midst of the spread of covid19 within schools in those two provinces. This roundtable was recorded on November 22, 2020.
In this episode we continue our discussion of the new math curriculum in Ontario with a focus on the strand called Social and Emotional Learning. The concept has also been introduced into the new Careers curriculum which is also mandatory for all students in Ontario.
This year Remembrance day takes place in the 75th anniversary year of the end of World War II. It will take place in schools in the conditions of a pandemic where assembly or other large gatherings are not permitted. This means educators will play a bigger role in commemorating Remembrance Day with their students than
This is part 2 of a roundtable with Educational Support Staff from Ontario speaking about their experiences and concerns during the re-opening of schools. It was recorded on October 24,2020. Listen to part 1 below. Episode 66: “Our kids have been forgotten”
In this episode educational support staff from Ontario speak about their experiences during the re-opening of schools and what effect this is having on them as well as the students they work with and their parents. This is part 1 of 2 of the roundtable held with educational support staff recorded on October 24, 2020.
In this episode educators from Nova Scotia and Quebec update us on developments in their provinces and how they are finding ways to empower themselves. Resources and references for this episode: Second Roundtable Part 1 First Roundtable Part 1 Part 2
In this episode educators from Alberta and Ontario provide an update on the state of education in the midst of the pandemic in their provinces. This episode was recorded on October 11, 2020. Part 2 will include educators from Quebec and Nova Scotia.
In this episode we follow-up with students after their first weeks of face-to-face and virtual school. We discuss what their experiences are like under covid19 restrictions in school and what they are doing to ensure their concerns are heard.
This episode is focused on Every Child Matters in the context of Orange Shirt Day, September 30, 2020 a day to honour residential school survivors. We’re speaking to cultural advisor, elder, and second generation survivor, Cecil Isaac from the unceded Bkejwanong territory (or Walpole Island). This episode can be used for personal learning as well as
In this part 2 of our national roundtable on the re-opening of schools, educators from BC and Ontario discuss their experiences, concerns and how they are empowering themselves under the circumstances. This episode was recorded on Sunday September 11, 2020 after a week of schools being open in BC and Ontario. For Part 1 of
In this episode you will hear from educators from Quebec, Alberta and Nova Scotia about the first days of the return to school and how they are empowering themselves and taking a lead under these difficult circumstances. In a future episode, you will hear from educators from British Columbia and Ontario.
In this episode we discuss some broader aspects of Ontario’s math curriculum such as the philosophy of education it is based on, de-streaming and much more. This is part 2 of a 4 part series delving into the new curriculum.
In this episode we begin a review of Ontario’s new elementary math curriculum. It is being rolled out this year as schools re-open. In this series we will: provide an overview of the curriculum, discuss its overall significance, delve into social and emotional learning and explore a new trend towards what is known as computational
In this episode we are rebroadcasting a July 20 podcast from Union School Podcast created by the Elementary Teachers of Toronto Political Action Political Education Committee. In this episode host Charles Gibbs interviews Rachel Wagner, a Toronto teacher, about Outdoor Education in the context of the re-opening of schools. We encourage you to subscribe to
In this episode two of our hosts provide an update on the growing demands in Alberta and Ontario for a safe re-opening of schools. References and Resources for this episode Organizing for a Safe September for All Forum – Ontario Education Workers United, Thursday August 26, 2020 Register here Model-based projections for COVID-19 outbreak size
In this episode we speak with e-learning researcher and teacher Dr. Beyhan Farhadi about her own experiences during remote learning last year, her new study about how the implementation of educational policy by secondary teachers in Ontario and Alberta during the pandemic and about how teachers can prepare for the new school year in terms
In this episode we speak with four K-12 students from Ontario about their thoughts and concerns for the re-opening of schools. This podcast was recorded July 27, just days prior to the Ontario government releasing its guidelines for the re-opening of schools. References for this episode: Raise Your Hands Raise Your Voice Facebook Group
In this episode we talk with Dr. Shane Miersch about science literacy. As provinces announce various different plans for the re-opening of schools, we discuss what to make of the studies and reports relating to sars-covi-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID19, and children. We also discuss hope re-opening can contribute to the greater body
In this episode we discuss key aspects of health and safety legislation from Ontario and Alberta as well as the specific concerns of educational support staff in following new guidelines for their health and safety and that of the students in their care. References and resources for this episode: Ontario Ontario Occupational Health and Safety
In this episode we survey the landscape across Canada for what provinces and territories are planning for school re-opening as well as international guidelines for re-opening provided by the World Health Organization. References and resources for this episode: Considerations for school-related public health measures in the context of COVID-19 – World Health Organization Canada-wide education
In this episode we catch up with Peter Miller, a teacher in Chongqing China who taught in China before during and after the shutdown of schools as a result of the outbreak of COVID19. He updates us on how his school year ended and what he saw and experienced during the re-opening of schools. For
In this episode we close out the academic year with an interview about organizing in Ontario to ensure a safe re-opening of schools. We talk with Sarah Vance, a high school teacher from Toronto about the work of Ontario Education Workers United this year and, in particular, around preparing for a safe re-opening of schools
In this episode educational interpreters discuss the vital role they play in schools and bring to light the problems remote learning poses for the students they work with.
Across the country educators, parents and students are actively staking their claim for what re-opening should look like. By sharing our experiences in areas that are already re-opening, both good and bad, we can ensure that we learn together so that we can take up our social responsibility to the younger generation and one another.
In this episode representatives of the Ontario Teacher Candidates’ Council sum up their ongoing advocacy to provide a voice for student teachers in the face of arbitrary government changes to the way teachers are educated. At the time of release the OTCC informs that in light of their advocacy the Math Proficiency Test is no
In this episode we interview Dr. Deborah Weston about the significance of the right to read and about the public inquiry taking place in Ontario into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities. References for this episode: Ontario Human Rights Commission inquiry website Empowering Readers and the Right to Read – Dr. Weston
In this episode we speak with teachers from Quebec and western Canada about the opening of schools in Quebec and BC during the pandemic. We also discuss the situation in Alberta and overall the new normals that teachers and education workers are establishing themselves to face the pandemic. References for this episode: Safe and Healthy
In this episode we discuss the possibility of re-opening schools across Canada and the pressure to temper demands for a say over proper wages and working conditions amidst the pandemic. Like the myth of Pandora’s Box we want to talk about what it means to open the box before we are thrown into it by
In this episode we interview Dr. Shane Miersch, a University of Toronto researcher who is part of a team developing a treatment for Covid19. We discuss the vital but often unrecognized and unrecouped value of basic and applied research done in our public post-secondary institutions and how a Canadian treatment for Covid19 goes from the
In this episode we speak with Dr. Deborah Weston, an elementary teacher in a special education classroom, about what the current situation is revealing about the state of education in Ontario with a focus on students with special needs. Resources and References for this podcast: Right to Read: Ontario Human Rights Commission’s public inquiry into
In this episode we cap off our 3-part series from the Community Forum on Mandatory E-learning held in Windsor, Ontario on February 29, 2020. In this segment the audience provides their insights and experiences in teaching and learning with e-learning and asks fundamental questions. Parts 1 and 2 Episode 32: E-learning Forum Part 1 –
In this episode we interview Peter Miller, a Canadian teaching in Chongqing, China about his experiences during the COVID19 pandemic.
In this episode our hosts discuss some things to consider when reviewing the tentative agreements recently signed between the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association and the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. References and background for this show: Episode 32: Forum on e-learning in Ontario – Why everyone should be concerned Episode 23: Challenging Bill 124
In this episode we are providing the panel discussion from the forum on e-learning held on February 29, 2020 in Windsor, Ontario hosted by Education is a Right and Teachers for Global Awareness. Panelists address the Ontario government’s plans to impose mandatory e-learning on secondary students in the province and give their perspectives on e-learning
In this episode we discuss with Dr. Beyhan Farhadi, an e-learning teacher and researcher, about what is salient as e-learning is used as a means to maintain the continuity of learning during the COVID19 pandemic. References and resources for this episode Episode 32: Forum on e-learning in Ontario Dr. Farhadi via e-mail here Ontario: TV
In Part 2, responding to COVID19 in education, we discuss the rights of teachers and education workers in the context of school closures and working in schools during this pandemic. Resources and references for this episode: Summary of requirements province-by-province for the right to refuse unsafe work from CUPE National
In this episode we discuss the measures being recommended by Health Canada to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the sphere of education and our schools. We also provide an overview of the measures being taken in all provinces and territories as of March 15 for listeners information. Part 2 of this series will take