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A Full Governance Review
Modernizing How We Lead
A Full Governance Review
Modernizing How We Lead
Our union cannot be strong externally unless we are strong internally.
Right now, PSAT governance is not keeping pace with the needs of our members.
Our Constitution is still the 2019 version — outdated in both content and practice
The current Collective Agreement was ratified by Arbitrator Goodfellow in March 2025, yet as of December 1, 2025, the updated version still has not been published for members
Many governance processes — including Executive Meetings and the use of Executive Session — lack the transparency and consistency members deserve
The absence of modern governance has also made it harder to defend the integrity of the teaching profession, as policy gaps leave room for the Employer to push unqualified personnel into specialized teaching roles.
District 30 deserves better.
As President, I will lead a full governance modernization — immediately — and as President Elect call upon the Executive to conduct an all-members meeting before the AGM, to ensure changes are member-driven, not top-down.
This includes:
Updating the Constitution to reflect current realities and best practices
Publishing a full D-30 website containing the Constitution, Collective Agreement, pay grids, health & safety forms, retirement information, contacts, and resources
Clearly defining when Executive Session can be used — ensuring confidentiality where required while preventing misuse
Establishing rules for minutes, documentation, timelines, and accountability in Executive decision-making
Mandating annual policy and procedure reviews — not “when convenient,” but as a requirement
Ensuring accessibility for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Blind, and low-vision members across all platforms and documents
Providing clear, plain-language resources so every member understands how their union governs and how decisions are made
The Goal
To create governance that:
Protects the integrity of our profession
Ensures transparency and fiscal accountability
Modernizes how we work
Reflects the diversity and needs of today’s members
We deserve a union that reflects who we are today — inclusive, transparent, professional, and accountable. That is my commitment, and that is a promise I will deliver.
Protecting the Integrity of Our Profession
Our schools are built on the expertise, training, and professional standards of qualified educators. Right now, our system is under pressure:
We have an Acting Director, Acting Superintendent, and Acting Principals
We have externally hired Principals who do not possess the required professional background
The Employer has been actively pushing to place unqualified instructors in classrooms — including unqualified Teachers of the Deaf
This trend threatens the foundation of our profession and risks devaluing the specialized training, credentials, and lived classroom expertise of OSSTF educators.
I will take a firm and principled stand:
Only certified, fully qualified teachers belong in our classrooms
Specialized positions — including Teachers of the Blind and Teachers of the Deaf — must be filled only by educators with the mandated qualifications and experience
Educational leadership positions must be held by individuals who meet professional and legislative standards
Our students deserve the best, and our teachers deserve to have their skills and qualifications respected — not replaced or diluted.
As President, I will defend the integrity of our profession, oppose the hiring of unqualified educators, and ensure our members’ expertise is properly valued in every hiring, placement, and leadership decision.
District Officer and a President?
Do We Need Both a Release Officer and a Non-Release President?
District 30 has approximately 167 members. We must ask: Is this structure efficient and cost-effective?
If elected I will open this discussion transparently and base decisions on member needs — not tradition.
Provincial OSSTF Priorties
Accountability for Your Union Dues
D30 members already contribute 1.3% of gross salary to OSSTF Provincial. For a Category 4 teacher at the top of the grid, that’s $1,527 per year — or $45,810 over a 30-year career. As D30 President, I will demand justification for the provincial contribution rate and hold OSSTF Provincial financially accountable for how our dues are spent.
Retiree Health Costs — Where Is the Fairness?
The Ontario Drug Benefit Plan covers most prescription costs for seniors starting at age 65. Despite this, retired OSSTF members continue paying high medical and dental premiums through OTIP, and part of their premiums helps fund RTIP even though retirees also pay premiums there.
Meanwhile:
OECTA and ETFO retirees pay no extra health premiums
Coverage is virtually identical
Why are OSSTF retirees paying more?
I will challenge OSSTF Provincial and OTIP to negotiate a fairer system and ensure refunds or premium reductions when government programs reduce the actual cost of benefits.
Data Breach and Membership Protection
The November 2020 cyberattack forced OSSTF to pay a substantial ransom to recover stolen member data — including information belonging to retirees who have not been in classrooms for decades.
Members deserve:
Transparency on what happened
Assurances that safeguards are in place
A clear protocol to prevent this from ever happening again
As President, I will insist on full disclosure and improved security oversight.
Opposing Bill 33 — A Dangerous Power Grab
Bill 33 — “Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025” dramatically expands the power of the Minister of Education to:
Take control of school boards
Appoint supervisors
Override board policies
Influence decisions such as naming schools and police presence
This bill sidelines unions, weakens local democratic input, and opens the door to more cuts and privatization instead of addressing the real issues:
Chronic underfunding
Overcrowded classrooms
Insufficient special-education supports
I pledge to fight against Bill 33, call for its withdrawal, and demand genuine consultation with the public before any the government considers restructuring the Provincial and Demonstration Schools Branch.
Protecting Seniority in the Age of VSS and E-Learning
Virtual secondary schools and online courses are here to stay. If we do not set boundaries, outside providers (or even non-qualified staff) could move into our workplace.
I will push to ensure:
Only qualified OSSTF teachers instruct VSS and e-learning courses
Assignments respect seniority so early-career members remain employed
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