It's baaaack! The Toys from Teachers Toy Drive, that is!

Teachers are a very generous bunch! As a result of this generosity, and the desire to make a positive contribution in our communities, our local has organized, for the 7th year in a row, our Toys from Teachers Toy Drive! The purpose of our toy drive is to help bring a happy holiday to children and teens in need in the Durham region. Toy donations are collected from schools that choose to participate, and delivered to the Salvation Army, which looks after their distribution.

Donations should be given to the Workplace Steward at your worksite, and be ready for pickup by Monday, December 7th. All donations are greatly appreciated!

Guidelines for donations are:

• unwrapped, new toys only, suitable for children or teens,
• no toys depicting or encouraging violence,
• include batteries if toys require them, and
• donations don't have to be "toys" - consider donating art or craft supplies, a picture book or paperback, gift cards (with dollar amount clearly indicated), mittens, watches, etc.

We thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity!

Coming Soon: Parent-Teacher Interviews

You've likely been very busy as you wrap up your first set of report cards for the year. The good news is that this is the last full first-term report card you'll hopefully ever have to write once the Fall interim checklist/report arrives next school year.

On the subject of parent-teacher interviews, today's post is a reminder for you about the December PA day and altered day schedule. Your school's principal received a memo from the Board some time ago which outlined the following expectations for December 3rd and 4th:

• Thursday evening: no more than three (3) hours of interviews should be held. In addition, you should have a one hour dinner break. Interviews should not be held past 8:00 p.m.
  
• Friday: no more than three (3) hours of interviews are to be scheduled. Typically, most all of the schools schedule these in the morning with an established start time for the day.

Finally, please remember to protect your own safety and security during parent-teacher interviews. The following practices are well-established in our Board and should be followed:

• Teachers located in portables should conduct interviews INSIDE the main school building, either in the gym or the library. Stuck out in a portable in a dark schoolyard (remember it's now dark by 4:30), you are easily forgotten about. Avoid being trapped by irate parents and tripping through the dark by holding your interviews in the safety of the main building.


• If you know a parent to be difficult, ensure that you have support for that particular interview by having the SERT or one of your administrators sit in on the interview. Remember that the purpose of the interview is to discuss student progress and strategies for improvement, not to defend your teaching practices.

Paramedical Benefits Coverage 101

With the stress of teaching, and the demands of life in general, many members use the professional services of paramedical practitioners to help them stay healthy. Our collective agreement provides coverage for a variety of paramedical practitioners and sets out the coverage level for each. Here's an overview of the coverage we have in our medical plan:

• Psychologist: Expenses of up to $100 per visit for treatment or therapy, to a maximum payment of $1000 per person, per calendar year **See the post from earlier in the week for more information about mental health supports available to members
• Speech Therapist, Podiatrist, Chiropractor, Osteopath, Chiropodist, Naturopath, Physiotherapist, Massage Therapist and Christian Science Practitioner: coverage of up to a total of $400 per person, per calendar year for EACH practitioner
• Important note: practitioners must be licensed, certified or registered within their recognized fields for coverage to be approved by Manulife. This is particularly important for MASSAGE THERAPY, where you must submit only expenses from registered massage therapists, and for the services of a NATUROPATH - they must be a licensed naturopathic doctor (a regulated profession in Ontario), NOT a Doctor of Natural Medicine (not licensed or regulated).

Shop 'til you drop

A handful of seats are still left on the bus for our social committee's Buffalo shopping trip!!

You can find all the information on the flyer that's posted on your ETFO bulletin board, but here are a few vital details:

When: Saturday, December 5, 2009 - pick up at 7:30 a.m./drop off at (approx.) 10:00 p.m.

Where: pick up/drop off at Sir William Stephenson PS in Whitby, then the bus will travel to the outlet mall in Lewiston, NY (four hours shopping) and on to the Walden Galleria in Buffalo (four hours shopping time)

How much: $20 per person. Send with registration form to the ETFO Durham office.

Each ETFO-Durham member may bring one guest each. Valid passports required by ALL participants!

Still room in the pension workshop!

We are holding our annual pension session on Thursday, November 26th at the local office, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. There are still some spaces left if you wish to register.

At this session, you'll learn the facts about your pension plan, including: years of service, the formula to calculate the amount of pension you'll receive, recent plan changes, etc. Plus, you can have your questions answered by a knowledgeable pension specialist from ETFO.

To link to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan website, click on the title of today's post. If you haven't already signed up for the iAccess web feature, you can do so there. This feature allows you to review your pension statement online, create different retirement scenarios (e.g., retire a year early or retire past your 85 factor), and change your address and beneficiary, etc.

For your information, in 2009 you will contribute:

10.4% of your annual salary up to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions and benefits limit, plus
12.0% of any salary above the CPP limit.

The CPP limit, which changes annually, is $46,300 in 2009.

Contributions are matched by the Ontario government and participating private employers (not school boards) on behalf of all members.

Feeling Really Stressed? Overwhelmed by work or life??

...then help is at hand.

Did you know that one of the benefits of our health plan with the Durham District School Board is access to an Employee Assistance program (EAP)? Our EAP is with Shepell-fgi (formerly known as "Warren Shepell"). Each teacher, as well as each of their family members, is eligible for two counselling sessions per school year. The EAP is a quick way to access counselling services, but members can also consider seeing a psychologist (benefits coverage provides $1000 per year, with a $100 per visit maximum), or having their doctor refer them to a psychiatrist (this is fully covered by OHIP, but a shortage of these doctors mean several months wait before an initial appointment).

Click on the title of today's post to link to the Shepell-fgi website for more information and resources. The following is a quick overview of the EA program:

Shepell-fgi phone numbers: 1-800-387-4765 (English); 1-800-361-5676 (Français)

When should I call Shepell·fgi?

Employees and their family members can call the EAP service, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for completely confidential support, information and assistance. From a personal crisis, to parenting questions, relationship issues to grief counselling, career matters to alcohol and drug concerns, EAP Support Specialists are trained to connect you with the help you need to deal with the issue at hand.

What can I expect when I call?

Assessment:
When you first call, you’ll speak with a qualified EAP Support Specialist who will assess your situation, risk, needs and preferences and guide you to the assistance best suited to resolving your issue. The specialist will ask you a series of questions, including the name of your organization to ensure you’re covered by a Shepell·fgi EAP.

Confidentiality:
Though the specialist collects information including your name, employer, address, reason for calling, etc., this information remains completely confidential and is never released to your employer. You can feel confident no one will ever know you've contacted your EAP, including your employer and co-workers. Steps in place to protect your privacy mean they never: schedule two employees from the same organization back-to-back; give your employer data which could identify you in statistical reports; leave identifying messages at home or work.

Support:
For crisis situations: The EAP Support Specialist ensures you receive immediate help, while urgent counselling matters are given an appointment within 24-48 hours.
For any other questions and concerns: The EAP Support Specialist is there to direct you to the right assistance in the format you’re most comfortable with, whether it's connecting you to a specialized program (such as e-counselling), linking you to a counselling appointment, or sending you a self-directed resource package.
Full Coverage: Payment for EAP services is fully covered through your employer (up to two sessions). With some exceptions, family members are also typically eligible for EAP services. If further counselling is required, you can ask your EAP counsellor to refer you to other assistance, such as a psychologist.

How to be a smartie-pants with the Smart Board

ETFO Durham's professional development committee is offering "Smart Start" on Wednesday, November 25th at Colonel Farewell Public School in Whitby. In this workshop, you will gain basic working knowledge of Smart Board Technology and how to apply this amazing technological tool in your classroom. The registration deadline is this Wednesday, November 18th. See your ETFO bulletin board for the flyer.

Special Education AQ comes to Durham ETFO!

We're very excited to be hosting, for the first time ever in our local, the ETFO Special Education Part 1 AQ course. We've hosted the ETFO Kindergarten AQ course for four years now and had great success with that, so we're hoping you'll find this course just as useful to your professional practice.

ETFO's Special Education Part 1 AQ has one of the lowest registration fees at $650, plus you can apply for local PD funding of $250 to off-set this cost, if you didn't access the PD fund this year or last. See the previous post about the PD fund for more information.

The course will be offered on Thursday evenings (4:30 to 9:00 p.m.) at the ETFO Durham Teachers' Local office, from January 7th to June 10th, 2010, (except for the week of March break) and two additional Saturdays - January 9th and April 17th. The registration deadline is December 14, 2009.

Click on the title of today's post to link you to ETFO's website and registration information, or click on the following link:

http://www.etfo.ca/ProfessionalDevelopment/AQCourses/SpecialEducation/Pages/default.aspx

Effective Leadership, Continued...

Yesterday's post highlighted Ken Leithwood's book "Teacher Working Conditions That Matter: Evidence for Change" and I had shared excerpts for three of the five recommendations for teachers. As Leithwood states, teachers "are the closest to the students and have the best chance to effect immediate change. But beware, teachers are only one part of this community. Their efforts can be undermined if they do not have constant support". Leithwood also makes recommendations for policy makers, unions, and principals/administrators.



The five recommendations for teachers are:

1. Build your own network of professional colleagues.
2. Be proactive about your own professional development.
3. Expect effective leadership from your administrators.
4. Insist on having a voice in decision making.
5. Put realistic boundaries around your volunteer work.

I left you hanging in the middle of the third recommendation (I love a good cliffhanger), so today's post will continue that and share the final two recommendations.

• Expect effective leadership from your administrators.

"What is the effective leadership you should expect?....Effective leadership is collaborative, consistent, friendly, instructionally expert, there when you need help, skilled in finding the resources you require, anxious to learn your views, reasonable in its demands, concerned about your welfare, and clear and explicit about priorities....

Some teachers will be inclined to the view that the principal is the boss, not someone they should try to influence, even if they knew how. Think about it again.

Few principals, except for some rookies, think they know everything that needs knowing in order to administer a school...Be kind. Don't deprive them -- share your views and advice. Let them know when they do something that works and let them know, diplomatically, when their decisions are questionable. Insist, gently but persistently, on being consulted. It is your school every bit as much as it is theirs. And you will likely be there much longer than the principal, so the stakes are higher for you than for her."

• Insist on having a voice in decision making.

"Having a formal role in decision making is crucial for teachers. Considerable evidence associates such participation with positive impacts on the internal states of teachers.

Providing for such participation is also a key leadership practice of effective school leaders. Such participation affords teachers the opportunity to share their work and the work of their colleagues as their professional know-how and experience would recommend. It reduces the likelihood that administrators will make ill-informed decisions on their own. It also ensures that leadership is distributed throughout the school."

• Put realistic boundaries around your volunteer work.

"Teachers work long hours during the school year, on average 53 hours a week. These hours are spent doing three jobs. Job One is everyday classroom instruction and the preparation and marking required for such instruction. This is an extremely demanding job in its own right...

The second job entails being a member of the school organization. The number of tasks associated with this job is potentially huge. For example: managing extracurricular activities for students; leading events at school; participating in district-wide curricular committees... (etc.) These activities are just the tip of the iceberg.

Being a member of the teaching profession is the third job. This might entail as little as voting on federation issues... or as much as serving as an executive member of the local or provincial body. Teachers have the least choice about the time they spend on the first job and the most choice about the time they spend on the third job....

...Teachers are widely known to be unusually committed to their work, often taking on much more than is reasonable because it seems like the right thing to do. However, when taking on more than is reasonable produces high levels of stress, reduces job satisfaction, or raises the spectre of leaving the profession, it is in no one's best interest...When workload demands begin to be overwhelming, learn how to say no."

Teacher Working Conditions That Matter: Evidence for Change

A few years ago, ETFO published a book written by Kenneth Leithwood, entitled "Teacher Working Conditions That Matter: Evidence for Change". This book makes a number of recommendations for improving teachers' working conditions, all of them supported with strong evidence, and it outlines the very strong connection between teacher working conditions and student learning outcomes.

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 4 "What Can be Done? Recommendations" and highlights some of the five interdependent recommendations for teachers.... I've abbreviated some of the section to make for a "quicker read".

• Build your own network of professional colleagues.

"....A network of professional colleagues - inside or outside the school - can be a powerful source of ongoing, informal professional development, contributing to both your pedagogical content knowledge, as well as your sense of professional self-efficacy.

A network...is an important source of those social supports that are the key to reducing anxiety, stress, and the likelihood of becoming burnt out. So stay connected especially when there seems to be too much marking to go to the staff room or out to lunch with your colleagues."

• Be proactive about your own professional development.

"....Professional development is typically associated with formally structured events, often located outside the school and usually designed and run by someone outside the school. Considerable evidence now suggests that the most powerful forms of professional development are often informal, are designed by teachers themselves, and take place in the teachers' own schools..."

• Expect effective leadership from your administrators.

"....Everyone (not just students) is influenced by the expectations of others. Administrators are no exception. You should expect effective leadership from your administrators, especially from your principal... It is a great disservice to your students and your school if you do not expect and have effective principal leadership. It is that important. Expect and demand effective principal leadership. What is the effective leadership you should expect?..."

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 TOMORROW, WHERE KENNETH LEITHWOOD WILL ANSWER THIS IMPORTANT QUESTION!!!

And the survey says...

At ETFO's annual meeting in August, there was much discussion and debate about EQAO testing and where to go from here. Much concern has been expressed about EQAO testing since its inception - just one example is the many millions of dollars spent on standardized testing in Ontario each year, money which could be much better spent providing additional resources within our education system. Out of the debate at annual meeting, a motion was passed to conduct a survey of ETFO members.

In putting that original motion into action, the provincial Executive passed a motion to conduct a random sample telephone poll of members regarding their attitudes and beliefs about EQAO. Included in the survey are questions related to the usefulness of EQAO, support for random sample administration of the test, and support for a boycott of the administration of the EQAO tests. ETFO has contracted with Environics to conduct this poll and they will begin calling members this evening. The survey should only take about 5 minutes to complete. If you should receive a call from Environics, you are encouraged to participate!

A picture says a thousand words

Thought you might enjoy a few photos from our Annual Dinner at Deer Creek Golf Club last evening!



First Vice-President Gerard O'Neill presents Mary Lou Fallon with her 25 year pin!


Tanya Zappia of Romeo Dallaire Public School accepts the 2008-2009 Educator of the Year Award!


Linda Westendrop gives thanks on behalf of the retirees.



A newly retired Corliss Troy (on the left) accepts her bell from President Rachel Gencey.



Ingrid Thompson, our local's Honorary Life Member for 2009, displays her stained glass gift with Rachel.

On the left is our 2nd Vice President, David Mastin, with our guest Lou Vavougios, Superintendent of Education/Employee Relations.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Feeling Social? Mark your calendars....

A great time was had by all this evening at our local's annual dinner!  Congratulations to all our retirees and 25 year pin recipients, and congrats as well to our 2008-2009 Educator of the Year, Tanya Zappia of Romeo Dallaire Public School, and our 2009 Local Honorary Life Member, Ingrid Thompson!!  

A number of social events have been planned for the coming months - here's a quick sample of what your ETFO Durham Social committee is planning for you:

• A tasty Caribbean cooking class at the Real Canadian Superstore on Friday, November 13th - the deadline to register is Monday, November 9th;
• A Buffalo shopping trip to the Prime Outlet Mall and the Walden Galleria (4 hours each) on Saturday, December 5th - this trip is filling up very quickly, so register soon;
• A kid's cooking class in December at the Real Canadian Superstore where kids will make their own gingerbread house; and
• A 3-day New York City theatre and shopping trip on the March Break!

Check the ETFO bulletin board at your worksite for more details about these events.  Hope to see you there!

Long Term Disability 101

Long term disability is like most insurance:  you rarely think about it until YOU actually need it!  In order to qualify for LTD, you must be under the regular care of a physician and be considered "fully disabled" - this means that you are wholly and continuously disabled due to illness or bodily injury and, as a result, you are not physically or mentally fit to perform the essential duties of teaching.

Some quick facts about LTD:

• If you are actively at work, you MUST have LTD coverage - only those on a leave of absence are permitted to waive their LTD coverage;
  
• You pay 1.153% of your annual salary for LTD coverage;
• Your LTD premiums are deducted on the second pay of each month;
• You pay ALL of the premiums for your LTD, which means that should you be paid a disability benefit, it will not be taxable;
• The LTD benefit amount is 60% of your monthly earnings in effect at the date your benefit payments commenced, up to a maximum of $5000 per month, and paid for all 12 months of the year;
• While on LTD, your required contribution to the Teachers' Pension Plan will be deducted from your monthly benefits and paid through the DDSB;
• The qualifying period is 180 days OR expiration of your sick leave credits, whichever is later;
• The new cost of living allowance will provide a 2% increase per year for new claims, after the first 12 months of benefits.  This means that if your salary was $70,000., you would make $42,000 per year as your disability benefit ($70,000 x 60%).  After 5 years on LTD, the cost of living allowance would have increased your benefit to $45,462.  After 10 years on LTD, your benefit would be $50,193.   While not everyone who is on LTD will have a claim lasting 5 or 10 years, the reality is that we do have members who have been on LTD for over 25 years, and others in the range of 10 or 15 years.  You can imagine the financial difficulty this would create if there were no cost of living increase for such a long length of time. 

Your Benefits...

Many of us have opted for medical and dental benefits through the Durham District School Board.  As our employer, the Board pays 90% of the cost of the premiums for this coverage for full time teachers, as negotiated by ETFO, and we, as employees, pay the remaining 10% of the premium share. Long term disability (LTD) insurance coverage, on the other hand, is not an option when you are actively at work and we pay 100% of the premiums for this coverage- the employer pays nothing. This means that should you ever need to go on long term disability, your disability income will NOT be taxed.

Each year, the DDSB, as the plan administrator, must renew the contract with Manulife for our benefits.  As part of this renewal, the previous year's actual claims experience is taken into account, as well as changes we have negotiated through collective bargaining.  Any changes to premiums are typically made only once per year, in November, to minimize payroll changes.

This month, premium increases will take effect for all of our coverage - medical-dental, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) and long term disability.  

This month, you will notice a slight increase in the following benefit areas:

Group Life Insurance and AD&D

• Previous monthly rate was $0.133 per $1000 of coverage
• New monthly rate is $0.147 per $1000 of coverage  
• Remember that the Board pays 90% of this cost, so if you have $100,000 of coverage this would now cost $14.70 per month in total, and you would pay $1.47 0f that

Medical and Dental

• Previous monthly rate for SINGLE coverage was $115.75
• New monthly rate for SINGLE coverage is $117.93
• Previous monthly rate for FAMILY coverage was $317.83
• New monthly rate for FAMILY coverage is $324.45
• Remember that the Board pays 90% of this cost, so if you have SINGLE coverage your monthly 10% share has increased from $11.58 to $11.79, and if  you have FAMILY coverage your monthly share has increased from $31.78 to $32.45

Long Term Disability

• Previous premium rate was 1.061% of your annual salary
• New premium rate is 1.153% of your annual salary
• This premium increase is to cover our newest LTD benefit improvement:  a cost of living allowance of 2% per year for new LTD claims after January 2010 - I will post more about this issue tomorrow (Tuesday).  

Until then, be healthy!