Negotiations Update – Members Who Retired or Resigned

Any OPC Member who retired or resigned between 2020 – 2024, the term of our last provincial contract and the first year of our new contract, are entitled to a retroactive pay increase and the Bill 124 remedy payment. Those people should contact the school board that they retired/resigned from to determine what those amounts will be and when they can expect to receive them. Since they are not currently Members, we cannot share the details of the new agreement with them until it has been approved by all Parties on September 30. If you know anyone in this situation, please share this information with them. We will also post this update for retired/resigned Members after September 30 on our website.

EDI Update 

As your new school year begins, consider the importance of belonging and inclusion. How do we work to create spaces for students, staff and ourselves that foster a sense of belonging? The OPC coordinates identity-based Affinity Spaces for Members, which can provide time and space for connections of under-represented groups – especially if you work in a primarily homogenous region. All of the current groups can be found on our website. The Indo-Caribbean group is hosting its first online meeting on September 26 and the (Dis)Ability group is hosting its first online session on October 9.

Principal Profile 

One of our public advocacy campaigns is the Principal Profile.Since 2021, we have highlighted Members across the province, explaining their role and helping parents and the public to understand who we are and what we do. As we start a new school year, we are once again looking for P/VPs who are interested in taking part. Your name, school, board and a picture would be used in a social media post, along with a question that highlights your role and responsibilities. If you are interested in taking part, please email psweeney@principals.ca.

Quote to Ponder

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats

Media

• Cell phone bans – policy vs implementation
• Government funding will help detect vaping in bathrooms
• Premier says wider scope needed in child welfare reform
• NDP calls for safety plan for growing violence in schools
• Survey asks how to best equip students with practical life skills
• Well-being strategies for overwhelmed principals (from Australia but still relevant)
• More child care supports coming for women working in the trades

Queen’s Park Update

The House is in recess until October 21.