Letter to Minister Lecce -Consultation Prior to Reopening of Schools

May 20, 2020

The Honourable Stephen Lecce

Minister of Education

5th Floor

438 University Avenue

Toronto, ON M7A 2A5

Dear Minister Lecce

On March 12, just as the gravity of the COVID-19 situation was becoming widely apparent, I wrote to assure you that the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) would welcome any opportunity to work with you and your Ministry to help ensure that both students and the educators who work with them remain safe through the course of the pandemic.

Now, as your government is contemplating the re-opening of Ontario’s schools after an extended period of closure, I am writing to insist that OSSTF/FEESO, as the representative of 60,000 frontline educators in secondary and elementary schools across the province, be given the opportunity to be consulted on the Ministry's plans as they unfold. In order to avoid unnecessary false starts and missteps that would only disadvantage our students, we request to be included in the consultation process as early as possible, recognizing that we bring a unique and important perspective to these issues.

The collective experience and expertise of OSSTF/FEESO members can help to ensure a learning environment that is both safe and effective, and I urge you to include us as planning moves forward.

Sincerely

Harvey Bischof

President, OSSTF/FEESO