OECTA Simcoe Muskoka

OECTA Simcoe Muskoka Representing the Elementary, Secondary and Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Units of Simcoe Muskoka

05/25/2026

A recent article from BarrieToday is bringing attention to ongoing concerns surrounding special education changes within the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board and the impact these decisions may have on students, families, educators, and education workers across our local communities.

Members of the board’s Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) raised concerns about staffing reductions, support restructuring, student safety, accessibility, and whether students with exceptionalities will continue to receive the individualized supports they need in our schools.

As educators in Simcoe Muskoka Catholic schools, we see firsthand the increasing complexity of student needs and the importance of timely, consistent, and properly funded supports. Teachers, Educational Assistants, and support staff continue to go above and beyond every day to support students, often while navigating growing pressures tied to staffing shortages and limited resources.

Students in Simcoe Muskoka deserve learning environments where they are safe, supported, included, and able to thrive. Families deserve confidence that their children’s needs will be met. Educators deserve the staffing and resources necessary to provide meaningful support for every learner.

We will continue advocating for strong, properly funded publicly funded Catholic education in Simcoe Muskoka and across Ontario.

🌏Read more online in BarrieToday 05.23.2026

05/22/2026

Another powerful reminder of what educators, students, and education workers across Ontario are experiencing every single day.

A recent education town hall in Guelph highlighted growing concerns around burnout, classroom violence, lack of supports, larger class sizes, and ongoing funding shortfalls in public education. Educators spoke openly about the impossible workloads, increasing student needs, and the emotional toll these conditions are taking on school communities.

This conversation matters because these are not isolated experiences. They are realities being felt in classrooms across our province, including here in Simcoe Muskoka.

Our members continue to show up for students with compassion, professionalism, and care, even as resources continue to fall behind the growing needs in schools. But educators cannot continue holding the system together with “love and duct tape.”

Students deserve safe, supported learning environments.
Educators deserve working conditions that are sustainable.
Publicly funded education deserves proper investment.

We will continue to advocate for the supports our students and school communities need.

🌍Read more online on Guelph Today 05.22.2026

05/14/2026

Ontario education minister says he can't interfere in Catholic board's Pride flag ban.

As members of OECTA, we believe that every student, educator, staff member, and family deserves to feel safe, valued, respected, and included in our schools and communities.

Recent discussions surrounding Pride flag bans in Ontario Catholic school boards have sparked important conversations about inclusion, belonging, and the responsibility we all share in supporting one another. As Catholic educators, we know that dignity, compassion, equity, and respect are not optional values; they are foundational to the work we do every day in our classrooms and schools.

Symbols matter. Representation matters. Everyone deserves to know they are seen, welcomed, and supported for exactly who they are.

Publicly funded Catholic education should continue striving to be a place where all members of our communities feel a true sense of belonging.

🌎Read more about it online, The Canadian Press 05.13.2026

05/13/2026

A new report from Ontario’s Auditor General is raising serious concerns about the state of special education funding and support in our schools.

According to the report, dozens of school boards across the province are spending hundreds of millions more on special education than the government provides because the needs of students simply are not being met through current funding levels.

The report highlights growing concerns around staffing shortages, long wait times for student assessments, inconsistent supports between schools, increasing classroom complexity, and rising stress and injury rates among Educational Assistants.

Families are waiting years for assessments and supports that students need now, while educators continue doing everything they can to support students in increasingly challenging conditions.

This is not sustainable.

Every student deserves timely access to the supports they need to learn, thrive, and feel safe at school. Educators, EAs, and school staff also deserve the resources and staffing necessary to properly support Ontario’s most vulnerable learners.

Public education works best when it is properly funded.

🌍Read more in the Toronto Star (Print Edition) 05.12.2026

05/12/2026

"We must never let another province use Section 33 against gender affirming care.”

Alex McDonald speaks against use of the notwithstanding clause (Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms) to limit access to healthcare for 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

05/12/2026

Thank you to all our who spoke at a mic, engaged with fellow delegates, and advocated for at Day 2 of ! The solidarity work continues tomorrow!

A new article published online by CBC News on May 4, 2026 highlights how Ontario’s mandatory math test for new teachers ...
05/05/2026

A new article published online by CBC News on May 4, 2026 highlights how Ontario’s mandatory math test for new teachers is impacting candidates across the province.
The article highlights newly released data showing clear disparities in pass rates. Racialized candidates and those whose first language is not English are less likely to pass the test, raising important questions about fairness and access to the profession.
This is not just about a test. It is about who gets into our classrooms and who does not. At a time when we are working to build a more inclusive and representative education system, these kinds of barriers have real consequences for both educators and students.
The test was introduced as part of a broader effort to improve student math outcomes. However, the article points out that there is ongoing debate about whether standardized entry tests like this actually lead to better results in the classroom.
What we do know is that strong student outcomes are built through investment, support, and well-resourced classrooms. Creating additional hurdles for future educators, especially those already underrepresented in the profession, does not address the root challenges facing our education system.
We all want excellence in education. We also need equity in how people enter the profession. Both must exist together.

05/01/2026

📣 On April 29th, schools, classrooms, education centres, workplaces, and social media across Ontario were flooded with red (and purple) as educators, education workers, unions, families, and supporters participated in a province-wide Day of Action for public education. 🍎💜

The message behind the day was clear: the growing challenges facing Ontario’s schools cannot continue to be ignored. Overcrowded classrooms, increasing violence, staffing shortages, insufficient supports for students with special education needs, growing mental health concerns, and chronic underfunding are affecting school communities across the province every single day.

Teachers, ECEs, custodians, educational assistants, office staff, and support workers continue showing up for students despite mounting pressures and limited resources. The overwhelming presence of red and purple seen across schools and communities on April 29th reflected a shared commitment to protecting and strengthening publicly funded education.

In Simcoe Muskoka, members will continue to wear red on Thursdays for the remainder of the school year, keeping this message visible and reinforcing the call for meaningful investment and real supports in public education. ❤️

Public education matters. Students deserve safe, supportive, and properly funded learning environments, and school communities deserve the resources necessary to make that possible. ✊🍎

05/01/2026

📣 On April 29th, schools, classrooms, education centres, workplaces, and social media across Ontario were flooded with red (and purple) as educators, education workers, unions, families, and supporters participated in a province-wide Day of Action for public education. 🍎💜

The message behind the day was clear: the growing challenges facing Ontario’s schools cannot continue to be ignored. Overcrowded classrooms, increasing violence, staffing shortages, insufficient supports for students with special education needs, growing mental health concerns, and chronic underfunding are affecting school communities across the province every single day.

The overwhelming presence of red and purple seen across schools and communities on April 29th reflected a shared commitment to protecting and strengthening publicly funded education, and that momentum continues.

In Simcoe Muskoka, members will continue to wear red on Thursdays for the remainder of the school year, keeping this message visible and reinforcing the call for meaningful investment and real supports in public education. ❤️

Public education matters. Students deserve safe, supportive, and properly funded learning environments, and school communities deserve the resources necessary to make that possible. ✊🍎

Take a moment to read the article and stay informed.
https://springmag.ca/why-ontario-education-workers-are-rising-for-a-day-of-action

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Barrie, ON
L4N6B5

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