The union representing Ontario's elementary school teachers has made its voice heard outside a local MPP's office.
The Greater Essex chapter of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) held a Friday afternoon outside the constituency office of Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie.
Greater Essex ETFO President Mario Spagnuolo told WindsorNewsToday.ca earlier on Friday that the event's purpose was to express opposition to Bill 33 and to address issues that have affected public education for years.
"We're there to bring attention to the government cutbacks that continue to happen, and now, the distraction that is trying to create by passing Bill 33, and trying to blame local decision-makers for the crisis that public education is in," said Spagnuolo.
Bill 33, known as the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, would give the provincial government more oversight into elected school boards, and allow it to take control of local school boards if financial and management concerns are not addressed.
Supporters say the bill will hold school board trustees more accountable for irresponsible spending and for gross mismanagement. Opponents say the bill is undemocratic and will only centralize power in Toronto.
Spagnuolo pointed out that no one wants to see school boards being mismanaged, but the union believes Bill 33 is the wrong approach.
"What I've learned through my role in ETFO over the years is that the more that you centralize decision-making power, the more decisions forget the frontlines, forget the voices that are sometimes not heard," said Spagnuolo.
Spagnuolo has encouraged local parents to contact the offices of government MPPs, such as Dowie, Anthony Leardi of Essex, and Trevor Jones of Chatham-Kent-Leamington.
-with files from Maureen Revait
