Teachers across Ontario are taking legal job action with student report cards.
The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) will not be distributing term one report cards for elementary students because of an Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) job action that will see teachers withhold inputting student marks electronically or inserting any comments in report cards.
Secondary teachers at the UGDSB will distribute report cards with student marks but will not include any comments on student report cards.
“I understand that this is disappointing — and I share that disappointment. At the same time, the report and is not the sole source of assessment data we have for your child. It is a summary of student progress. Our elementary teachers are skilled professionals and I am confident that throughout the school year they have kept you informed on the progress of your child,” said Rogers in the letter.
In a letter to parents from the UGDSB, Director of Education Martha Rogers stated that providing marks without comments and proper context would not be considered fulsome feedback on student achievement of curriculum expectations.
The Wellington Catholic District School Board, represented by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), will be taking part in a partial withdrawal of services and as a result, students in elementary and secondary students will receive their report card with assigned grades, however, comments for learning skills will not be entered in the report card.
Communications coordinator at the UGDSB Heather Loney said report cards are one way in which teachers communicate to parents and with report cards not being distributed, parents and teachers can still communicate with each other in a variety of ways throughout the year addressing any concerns parents have about their child’s progress.
“Teachers will still have the information that typically appears on report cards and will continue to program based on the assessment and evaluations they are completing on an on-going basis,” said Loney.
Superindentent of education at the WCDSB, Michael Glazier said the board recognizes that report cards will look different than the ones parents are accustomed to but the report cards are one of a variety of tools by which school staff communicates with parents regarding their children.
"As a board, we respect that the imposition of sanctions are a legal part of the collective bargaining process. At this time, our focus continues to be on the safety and well-being of the students. It is our hope that a fair collective agreement will be reached between the Province and the various unions in the near future," said Glazier.
On Tuesday, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce released a statement saying teacher union leaders are yet again risking student success and preventing parents from seeing valuable information about their child's performance in class.
“It underscores our government's insistence that teacher union leaders cancel these strikes that are hurting our kids. And it only strengthens our belief that parents want our government to invest in front-line services, not in compensation and other demands, for some of the highest-paid educators in the country," said Lecce.
