Embedded Files
My 2025-2027 commitments to you:
My 2025-2027 commitments to you:
Maintain our email list so that we can contact all members as necessary. Continue working to build the substitute teacher email list.
Begin charting all work sites so that we know who is at each building, which buildings are engaged, and which buildings need support.
Continue training our members in Organizing 4 Power and Rules To Win By so that our membership is in control of the STA and its future.
Lead the STA through a strategic planning process so that we do our work efficiently and with clarity of purpose.
Continue working out of schools for afternoons in order to facilitate genuine conversation and provide opportunities for members to ask questions, provide feedback, and share concerns.
Increase the STA's social committee footprint, providing greater opportunity for members to socialize, build relationship, and organize.
Continue the work of building relationships with the STF and other Local Associations through partnerships and resource sharing.
Continue the work of building a sound governance structure through continued policy and constitution work.
Continue the work of building capacity for diverse groups in the STA through the structures of and including by not limited to:
Administrator's Advisory Committee
Indigenous Teachers' Advisory Committee
Diversity Committee
A reminder of my 2023-2025 commitments to you:
A reminder of my 2023-2025 commitments to you:
(tl;dr version)
I continue to be committed to each of the promises I made in 2023. Please scroll down to see what progress has been made, and please know that these remain my commitments to you.
Open up LINC negotiations with regular updates and opportunities for meaningful contributions from you, and expand our imagination so that we know what we can ask for
Open up annual convention planning with more opportunities for member input and feedback
Re-imagine the STA School Representative (SSR) position to make it meaningful and engaging
Orientation/training and mentorship for SSRs
Strengthen relations with the STF and other Local Associations to learn from their gains and build power together
Unwavering support of 2SLGBTQIA+ rights for students and staff
Make it easier for substitute teachers to access and participate in the STA; guarantee their right to vote
(I find this fascinating, please tell me more version)
REGULAR UPDATES
REGULAR UPDATES
What I promised in 2023 - achieved!
I will provide regular updates of what I've been doing to serve members.
We know from our daily work with students and families that one of the most important steps in building trust and relationship is clear, transparent communication about what our students are currently learning, what the roadmap for that learning is, and how they are progressing.
As your STA President, I have worked hard to ensure that you are confident that you are kept up to date regarding what the STA is doing at all levels, and why. This has included the work of the president, the work of the executive, the work of assembly, and what it means for members at large, through regular emails, President Reports and Committee Chair Reports.
LINC -
EXPAND OUR IMAGINATION
LINC -
EXPAND OUR IMAGINATION
What I promised in 2023 - we have made progress!
I will work to expand all of our imaginations regarding what we can ask for in a LINC proposal
One of the greatest impacts that the STA has on the lives of teachers is the work done in LINC negotiations. In order for us to get the best contract possible, we need to know what we can ask for, which most of us readily acknowledge we don't. We can't ask for something if we don't even know that it's an option.
As your STA President, I have supported the work of expanding our imaginations as to what we can ask for in our LINC bargaining. We have strengthened relationships with other local associations and their LINC teams to find out what other teachers are bargaining for to improve their working conditions. Most importantly, we are now beginning the process of speaking with STA teachers 1-1 to find out what matters to you through conversations with your SSR, your executive, and with me, as well as through a rich survey process.
LINC -
BIG, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT
LINC -
BIG, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT
What I promised in 2023 - we have made progress!
I will work to open up LINC negotiations to make them big, open and transparent, with regular updates and opportunities for meaningful contributions from you
The only leverage that employees have in negotiating a contract with their employer is the power of standing united. A handful of elected employees speaking on behalf of their 4000 colleagues in a closed room with a promise to keep the discussions secret immediately robs our collective of this leverage.
As your STA President, I have supported the work of opening up negotiations so that any teacher can be involved at all steps along the way, whether it be surveying colleagues in-person to learn about their needs and desires, or attending negotiations as a member of the STA caucus to provide on-the-ground expertise and advice to the negotiating team. I have also supported the process of moving toward transparent negotiations, meaning that you will receive updates after each bargaining session so that you are fully involved and educated on the process. This work has begun already with increased transparency and communication at Systems Meetings during Representative Assemblies. This will be prioritized in the next two years.
STA SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE (SSR) POSITION
STA SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE (SSR) POSITION
What I promised in 2023 - we have made progress, but there is still a great deal of work to be done here.
I will work with the STA Executive and Assembly members to re-imagine the STA School Representative position to make it meaningful and engaging
The power of ordinary people rests in their relationships, and my ability to trust that if I take a risk, you will be by my side taking the same risk. This trust is build in doing the work of organizing together, but it must be meaningful work, and it must be done by many of us, not only executive members.
As STA President, I have supported the work of re-imagining the STA School Representative (SSR) role, with your insight and support. My vision has been to shift the SSR position away from passively receiving information at meetings once a month, to actively participating in planning and decision making, actively working to solve problems with colleagues at Assembly and in schools, and actively working to build our trust and power in a big way so that when the time comes for bargaining, we are ready. This work will be prioritized in the next two years.
MENTORSHIP AND TRAINING FOR SSRs
MENTORSHIP AND TRAINING FOR SSRs
What I promised in 2023 - this was pushed to the backburner, but will be reprioritized moving forward.
I will work with the STA Executive and Assembly members to re-introduce orientation and training for SSRs, and to connect new members with mentors
Often, as teachers, we are thrown into situations where we wish we had a manual to help us understand our roles and responsibilities. This is true as well for SSRs, who often share that it takes years of attending Assembly meetings to fully understand how the STA and partner institutions function.
As STA President, I have begun the work of re-introducing the training manuals and opportunities that were previously made available for SSRs. We will be moving this back to the front-burner in the coming months.
STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH STF AND LOCALS
STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH STF AND LOCALS
What I promised in 2023 - fantastic progress in relationship building, but as this is an ongoing proccess, there is still lots of work left to do!
I have worked to strengthen relations with the STF and other Local Associations to learn from their gains and build power together
Our context as the largest local association of teachers in the province is unique, but we can still learn from the wisdom and experiences of the STF and other local associations across the province. This is especially true when it comes to our LINC agreement. Liaising with other associations to learn what they have advocated for in their divisions will be an important tool in expanding our imaginations as to what we can ask for in ours.
As your STA President, I have worked to strengthen our relationships with these organizations so that we can learn from them and their experiences as we continue to build our power and our understanding of what we can and should demand to improve our working conditions.
SUPPORT FOR 2SLGBTQIA+ STUDENTS AND STAFF
SUPPORT FOR 2SLGBTQIA+ STUDENTS AND STAFF
What I promised in 2023 - we have made progress, but there is still a great deal of work to be done here. Keep an eye out for the STA at the 2025 Pride Parade!
I will work with the executive to provide unwavering support for 2SLGBTQIA+ students and staff, both proactively and in the face of discrimination.
Support for sexual and gender diversity is clearly a value shared by STA members, who see every day how important this explicit support is to the mental health of our students and staff. There is no room for wavering on this: lives depend on it. Queer advocates and allies have been alarmed by the rise in violence against 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, particularly against the trans community. This hatred is beginning to creep into education policies in Canada, as we see unfolding in the news right now. As a teacher association, we are well positioned to stand against this hatred
As your STA President, I will ensure that the STA represents and stands for the human rights of all members, including our 2SLGBTQIA+ members. I will work with the executive and membership to ensure that we have representation at the Pride Parade as a baseline show of solidarity. I will also work with the executive and members to ensure that we respond in a timely and appropriate manner to any discrimination levied against our 2SLGBTQIA+ members or our students. Finally, I commit to working with our 2SLGBTQIA+ members to find out how we can proactively support you in our schools and communities, and to make sure that your voice is uplifted within our organization.
INCREASED ACCESS FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS AND RIGHT TO VOTE
INCREASED ACCESS FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS AND RIGHT TO VOTE
What I promised in 2023 - achieved!
Substitute teaching is hard. Period. And yet, our substitute teachers have struggled to receive adequate representation from their union, at many levels, for many years. This is beginning to change, as folks now recognize not only how hard and precarious the job is, but also how incredibly necessary it is. There has also been a shift in understanding that substitute teaching is no longer a 1-2 year stepping stone to a contract: many substitute teachers will sub for up to 10 years before receiving a contract, which has enormous impacts on earning power, including pensions and steps.
As your STA president, I have worked to outline explicitly in our constitution that substitute teachers have a right to vote on all LINC agreements and elections. In 2023, there is precedent for this, but nothing written down, and was not guaranteed in our constitution or policies. This right has now been secured. Now that we have our own mailing list, substitute teachers receive updates and access to electronic elections regardless of if they are working that day. Substitute teachers are due-paying members, and they deserve the same quality of representation and participation as teachers with continuing contracts.
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