Latest news with #OntarioEnglishCatholicTeachers'Association
Hamilton Spectator
24-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Some Brant Catholic trustees have repaid travel expenses after controversial Italy trip to buy art
Three of four Brant Catholic trustees say they have settled their share of Italy travel expenses, and the school board has cancelled part of the controversial art commission , but it may take longer to regain public trust. The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board trustees flew business class, ate at a Michelin-starred restaurant and stayed in 'deluxe' and 'superior' category hotel rooms to commission art from an Italian sculptor for two new schools. In the process, they racked up more than $50,000 in travel expenses, initially on the taxpayers' dime. 'I, along with Rick Petrella and Dan Dignard, have repaid in full,' trustee Bill Chopp told The Spectator in an email Thursday. Chopp also shared a letter addressed to the board and copied to the minister of education (among others) where he said he 'voluntarily committed' to reimbursing his $12,666 share 'as a demonstration of personal responsibility and accountability.' He claimed he was 'assured' the 'pre-arranged' trip was 'budget compliant' when invited, and that the art purchases 'aligned with board goals.' Later, Chopp saw the overall cost 'exceeded what I understood to be within the trustee budget allocation,' and began a biweekly repayment schedule, he wrote. The four trustees initially agreed to a repayment plan which would have seen them all settled up by August 2028. But after a governance review, Education Minister Paul Calandra pushed the deadline to May 23. It remains to be seen whether the fourth trustee, Mark Watson, will pay the full amount by Friday. As of the April report from reviewer Aaron Shull , he had repaid $1,216 of the $12,370 he agreed to. He did not respond when The Spectator asked about the rest this week. Meanwhile, the board has negotiated the art purchase down from just over $72,000 to the already-paid deposit of $37,700, education director Michael McDonald said at a board meeting Monday. It has instructed the artist only to finish already-started pieces, and cancel any remaining ones. It could not say which of the five commissions it will end up with. The board is working to reduce the fee further, and still hopes private donors and Catholic and diocesan organizations will step in to help foot the bill, McDonald's report said. No donations have been received to date. 'Only time will tell' if the board is 'truly' moving forward in the best interest of students, according to Carlo Fortino. The acting local unit president for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association previously called for the trustees' resignation over the trip. In a statement Thursday, he said the repayment alone is 'the bare minimum' and 'does not erase the damage done.' 'It does not absolve them of the decisions they made, nor does it restore the integrity of leadership that our school communities deserve,' the statement said. Fortino hopes the trustees have learned 'a critical lesson about priorities, public service, and the trust placed in them,' and vowed to 'continue to monitor' their decisions and actions closely in the months ahead. Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady — who pushed for the ministry to investigate the board — said she's 'keeping a close eye' on repayments. If they're not made in full, 'justice will not have been served. And I will be raising the issue in the legislature and with the minister of education,' she told The Spectator Thursday. Of the five commissioned artworks, the board will only get whichever ones the artist has already started.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Three of four Brant Catholic trustees have repayed travel expenses after controversial Italy trip
Three of four Brant Catholic trustees say they have settled their share of Italy travel expenses, and the school board has cancelled part of the controversial art commission , but it may take longer to regain public trust. The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board trustees flew business class, ate at a Michelin-starred restaurant and stayed in 'deluxe' and 'superior' category hotel rooms to commission art from an Italian sculptor for two new schools. In the process, they racked up more than $50,000 in travel expenses, initially on the taxpayers' dime. 'I, along with Rick Petrella and Dan Dignard, have repaid in full,' trustee Bill Chopp told The Spectator in an email Thursday. Chopp also shared a letter addressed to the board and copied to the minister of education (among others) where he said he 'voluntarily committed' to reimbursing his $12,666 share 'as a demonstration of personal responsibility and accountability.' He claimed he was 'assured' the 'pre-arranged' trip was 'budget compliant' when invited, and that the art purchases 'aligned with board goals.' Later, Chopp saw the overall cost 'exceeded what I understood to be within the trustee budget allocation,' and began a biweekly repayment schedule, he wrote. The four trustees initially agreed to a repayment plan which would have seen them all settled up by August 2028. But after a governance review, Education Minister Paul Calandra pushed the deadline to May 23. It remains to be seen whether the fourth trustee, Mark Watson, will pay the full amount by Friday. As of the April report from reviewer Aaron Shull , he had repaid $1,216 of the $12,370 he agreed to. He did not respond when The Spectator asked about the rest this week. Meanwhile, the board has negotiated the art purchase down from just over $72,000 to the already-paid deposit of $37,700, education director Michael McDonald said at a board meeting Monday. It has instructed the artist only to finish already-started pieces, and cancel any remaining ones. It could not say which of the five commissions it will end up with. The board is working to reduce the fee further, and still hopes private donors and Catholic and diocesan organizations will step in to help foot the bill, McDonald's report said. No donations have been received to date. 'Only time will tell' if the board is 'truly' moving forward in the best interest of students, according to Carlo Fortino. The acting local unit president for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association previously called for the trustees' resignation over the trip. In a statement Thursday, he said the repayment alone is 'the bare minimum' and 'does not erase the damage done.' 'It does not absolve them of the decisions they made, nor does it restore the integrity of leadership that our school communities deserve,' the statement said. Fortino hopes the trustees have learned 'a critical lesson about priorities, public service, and the trust placed in them,' and vowed to 'continue to monitor' their decisions and actions closely in the months ahead. Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady — who pushed for the ministry to investigate the board — said she's 'keeping a close eye' on repayments. If they're not made in full, 'justice will not have been served. And I will be raising the issue in the legislature and with the minister of education,' she told The Spectator Thursday. Of the five commissioned artworks, the board will only get whichever ones the artist has already started.
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Sunshine list: How much does Hamilton's highest-paid teacher make?
Hamilton's highest-paid teacher made $190,843.50 in 2024. Seventeen more made upward of $150,000, according to the provincial list of public-sector employees paid $100,000 or more. An additional 1,246 public and Catholic staff, largely teachers, were added to Ontario's sunshine list, which grew by about 25 per cent to a record 377,666 public servants. Teachers made up the majority of that growth. The number of Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board staff on the list increased dramatically to 2,738, compared to 1,879 the previous year. The number of Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board employees on the list also grew to 1,673 from 1,286 in 2023. This year's compensation gains followed an arbitrator decision that Bill 124, legislation capping public-sector wages at a maximum annual increase of one per cent, was unconstitutional. The 2019 legislation was repealed, and the province had to pay public-sector workers, including teachers, billions of dollars in retroactive payments. Hamilton's biggest public sector salaries dropped to their lowest level in 16 years. Here's who These 'lump sum' payments pushed more teachers over the threshold, public board spokesperson Renata Kuzma said in an email. This means some teachers, who at Catholic high schools make between about $58,000 and $117,000 (though it can differ depending on level of education), will drop below the $100,000-threshold again next year, said Sergio Cacoilo, the president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association for Hamilton secondary schools. Still, more teachers have permanently joined the sunshine list as wage grids increase. 'Going forward, we expect to have a higher number of teachers on this list relative to 2023 levels,' Kuzma said in an email. Teachers, Cacoilo said, work well beyond the afternoon bell — coaching, leading extracurricular activities, fundraising and lesson planning. Sometimes, they act as a second parent, and often face aggression and violence in the classroom. The job has changed 'drastically' in recent years, he said. 'Are teachers deserving of the $100,000? Maybe I am biased, but absolutely,' Cacoilo said. 'Teaching is not those six hours.' Education, said Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers' Local president Cindy Gangaram, is the 'greatest investment into the future of this province,' and paying fairly in 'difficult times' helps retain teachers. 'It's not enough, but it is a move in the right direction,' she said. In 2022-23, Ontario teachers made, on average, between $56,340 and $103,982, depending on level of experience and years taught, according to Statistics Canada . Teachers are well paid, said David Johnson, a Wilfrid Laurier economics professor who has studied compensation among Canadian educators. His own research from 2014 found that Canadian teachers were paid well compared to other professions, in part because most 'belong to unions with a considerable amount of bargaining power,' he said. Once dominated by city bureaucrats and public health officials, chiefs across Ontario now sit The study, which also compared teacher salaries by province, also found that higher wages didn't equate to better student performance. At the top of the list of local school board staff are education directors, associate directors, superintendents and managers, as well as a handful of principals and teachers. No educational assistants or custodians made the list. Several top-paid teachers, including the top earner at the Catholic board, are listed as being seconded to unions. Others, however, are unexplained. Unions say some teachers work summer and night school for additional pay. Hamilton Catholic secondary teachers, for example, make approximately $4,000 for one month of summer school, Cacoilo said. Teachers can also be seconded to the Ministry of Education, a university or other organization, Gangaram said. 'They would then … fall under that compensation package,' she said. Catholic education director David Hansen made $255,559.77 in 2024, up significantly from $219,205.63 in 2022. The change, Daly said, was related to the elimination of a superintendent position and a 'realignment of additional responsibilities' among senior administration. He also noted the director and other members of senior administration are within the established compensation framework. Public board education director Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini made more in 2024 at $265,980.72. Some experts say the list of high-end salaries is becoming irrelevant, the Star reported .
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Sunshine list: What does Hamilton's highest-paid teacher make?
Hamilton's highest-paid teacher made $190,843.50 in 2024. Seventeen more made upward of $150,000, according to the provincial list of public-sector employees paid $100,000 or more. An additional 1,246 public and Catholic staff, largely teachers, were added to Ontario's sunshine list, which grew by about 25 per cent to a record 377,666 public servants. Teachers made up the majority of that growth. The number of Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board staff on the list increased dramatically to 2,738, compared to 1,879 the previous year. The number of Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board employees on the list also grew to 1,673 from 1,286 in 2023. This year's compensation gains followed an arbitrator decision that Bill 124, legislation capping public-sector wages at a maximum annual increase of one per cent, was unconstitutional. The 2019 legislation was repealed, and the province had to pay public-sector workers, including teachers, billions of dollars in retroactive payments. Hamilton's biggest public sector salaries dropped to their lowest level in 16 years. Here's who These 'lump sum' payments pushed more teachers over the threshold, public board spokesperson Renata Kuzma said in an email. This means some teachers, who at Catholic high schools make between about $58,000 and $117,000 (though it can differ depending on level of education), will drop below the $100,000-threshold again next year, said Sergio Cacoilo, the president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association for Hamilton secondary schools. Still, more teachers have permanently joined the sunshine list as wage grids increase. 'Going forward, we expect to have a higher number of teachers on this list relative to 2023 levels,' Kuzma said in an email. Teachers, Cacoilo said, work well beyond the afternoon bell — coaching, leading extracurricular activities, fundraising and lesson planning. Sometimes, they act as a second parent, and often face aggression and violence in the classroom. The job has changed 'drastically' in recent years, he said. 'Are teachers deserving of the $100,000? Maybe I am biased, but absolutely,' Cacoilo said. 'Teaching is not those six hours.' Education, said Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers' Local president Cindy Gangaram, is the 'greatest investment into the future of this province,' and paying fairly in 'difficult times' helps retain teachers. 'It's not enough, but it is a move in the right direction,' she said. In 2022-23, Ontario teachers made, on average, between $56,340 and $103,982, depending on level of experience and years taught, according to Statistics Canada . Teachers are well paid, said David Johnson, a Wilfrid Laurier economics professor who has studied compensation among Canadian educators. His own research from 2014 found that Canadian teachers were paid well compared to other professions, in part because most 'belong to unions with a considerable amount of bargaining power,' he said. Once dominated by city bureaucrats and public health officials, chiefs across Ontario now sit The study, which also compared teacher salaries by province, also found that higher wages didn't equate to better student performance. At the top of the list of local school board staff are education directors, associate directors, superintendents and managers, as well as a handful of principals and teachers. No educational assistants or custodians made the list. Several top-paid teachers, including the top earner at the Catholic board, are listed as being seconded to unions. Others, however, are unexplained. Unions say some teachers work summer and night school for additional pay. Hamilton Catholic secondary teachers, for example, make approximately $4,000 for one month of summer school, Cacoilo said. Teachers can also be seconded to the Ministry of Education, a university or other organization, Gangaram said. 'They would then … fall under that compensation package,' she said. Catholic education director David Hansen made $255,559.77 in 2024, up significantly from $219,205.63 in 2022. The change, Daly said, was related to the elimination of a superintendent position and a 'realignment of additional responsibilities' among senior administration. He also noted the director and other members of senior administration are within the established compensation framework. Public board education director Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini made more in 2024 at $265,980.72. Some experts say the list of high-end salaries is becoming irrelevant, the Star reported .
CBC
12-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Northern Ontario educators want a bigger spotlight on education during the Ontario election
Social Sharing The director of education of a northern Ontario school board says she wants to see more discussion around education from the province's political leaders as the election looms. "I'd like education to be a discussion for all the parties across Ontario and then, as a director, I would really appreciate a concrete plan about the teacher shortage," said Lesleigh Dye, the director of education at the District School Board Ontario North East, which covers a region from Hearst to Temagami. Dye said during a panel discussion on CBC Radio's Morning North, that Ontario's supply of teachers is aging, and can't keep up with the growing number of students each year. "Without increasing the teacher supply, Ontario is not going to be able to deliver on the mandate of back to basics," she said. Chantal Rancourt, the Sudbury elementary president for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association, said during the same panel discussion that while most people would say that education is a priority to them, it has fallen to the wayside this election cycle. "The unfortunate thing is that so many other portfolios are in dire need right now, that those are at the top of mind," Rancourt said. "You know, some situations that impact life or death, health, the health care crisis, economic crisis, those are absolutely going to naturally be at top-of-mind because they can mean such a difference." Rancourt said she would like to see Ontario's main political parties commit to restoring the money that funding cuts made to education. She noted that due to inflation, Ontario's public schools received $1,500 less per student in 2024 compared to 2018. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says that's equivalent to $3.2 billion in cuts for the 2024-2025 school year. "I would love to see a government that commits to consultation with those who are truly impacted," Rancourt said. "Teachers, education workers, students, board trustees, those are the people who are living the profession and could have some valuable input." Dye said more investment is also needed to upgrade schools across the province, but especially in northern Ontario. "The north continues to not receive the funding in terms of capital projects," she said. "And for [District School Board Ontario North East], the average age of our schools is about 65 years." So far, only the NDP has addressed the issue of education infrastructure with a promise to invest $830 million a year over 10 years to fix Ontario's "repair backlog" at schools. Nanak Sidhu, a Grade 12 student at Chippewa Secondary School in North Bay, and a student trustee at the Near North District School Board, said as a first-time voter, education is important to him. "It definitely is a huge factor in who young people might be voting for, just because we are currently in the system and we're able to see kind of those big struggles or gaps that we may have experienced in our past, or are currently still facing," he said during the panel discussion. Sidhu said he's feeling overwhelmed as he prepares to vote in a provincial election for the first time. I'm trying to consider the best party for myself, that represents my beliefs as well," he said.
