We are extremely concerned and frustrated parents of elementary school children that have been impacted by the combined actions as well as inaction of both the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers Union (TECT) over the last two years.  Education and schooling in Toronto have been profoundly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and various work-to-rule initiatives by the TECT and Ontario Elementario Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) unions – and now the TECT union is threatening strike action!?

It has been widely documented that school closures have multi-dimensional consequences, including impacts on childrens’ well-being, physical and mental health. Research studies suggest that lengthy periods of time out of school generally creates losses of literacy and numeracy skills and widen student achievement gaps.  Furthermore, leading experts have stated time and again that priority should be placed on keeping our kids in schools.  Their education, mental health, and emotional well-being depends on it.    

Its important to note that many of our children are already struggling with the negative impacts of Covid-19 on their well-being, physical and mental health.  Even so, on top of suffering these consequences, children in the TCDSB are also being forced to deal with the ongoing work-to-rule actions imposed by the TECT union which started in May 21 and are still in place as of today.  As a result, our kids are missing out on extracurricular activities, have had no school graduation ceremonies,  have not had teachers present at their milestone sacraments like First Communion and Confirmation, they have had no year books, no school trips, etc., These are all areas of regular school life that build and strengthen a sense of community and belonging and where students expect and want their teachers to be.  And despite the potential for widening achievement gaps resulting from COVID school closures, the work-to-rule orders have prevented teachers from providing comments on reports cards, a key and longstanding mechanism for documenting and providing feedback on student progress.  This is holding back feedback that is critical to student achievement at a time when our kids are at their most vulnerable. 

All of these actions negatively affect our kids. It's the TCDSB students that are the ones suffering the most in this equation.  Why is it okay that our kids are the ones being punished and held hostage as our Board and TECT try to figure out how to work out their differences? Why have other Boards and Unions figured this out already and our kids are still sitting in this limbo?

And now, after everything our kids have been through over the last 2 years, now TCDSB families are faced with the union's threat to initiate strike action on Monday Jan 31st, 2022!?

Enough is enough! We owe it to our kids to put them first which is why we are calling on the TECT union to immediately STOP the work-to-rule actions, STOP the threats for strike action and drop your demands, KEEP our kids in the classroom and let teachers get back to doing what they do so well without these politics holding them back.   Allow our children enough freedoms to grow and prosper and minimize the scar that may be left by this pandemic and the negative and irresponsible actions of the very leaders that we have in charge of ensuring a good education is delivered to all Toronto Catholic elementary school kids.