Not surprisingly, the union local that represents public elementary school teachers in Windsor-Essex is slamming a so-called "snitch line" for parents who want to report teachers who use the repealed sex-ed curriculum.
Adelina Cecchin, the president of the Greater Essex Elementary Teachers Local, calls it a waste of taxpayer money that will only create more tension between parents and teachers.
"It's unnecessary," Cecchin told BlackburnNews.com the day after the Ford government announced an online reporting tool for parents called "Fortheparents.ca".
"There are already established practices that exist in schools. If there is a concern, we say teachers and parents should talk about this," she continued. "They can go to their principal, and they can move up higher in the chain. There's also if teachers want to go to the College of Teachers to file a complaint, that exists already."
The Ford government also announced plans to start consultations with parents this September on the overall curriculum taught in Ontario schools. That will include an online survey, telephone town halls, and a submission platform to present ideas to the Ministry of Education.
"We promised to deliver an education system that put the rights of parents first while getting back to the basics when it comes to teaching fundamentals like math," said Ford.
The government says it intends to create a new age-appropriate health and physical education curriculum that includes subjects like mental health, sex-ed and the legalization of cannabis.
Cecchin said it is worrisome the Ford government has not yet reached out to teachers for feedback with the school year starting in less than two weeks.
"It's teachers who teach students every day," she said. "The research piece is important, but there's also the practical piece. That input is a very important piece of any kind of consultation that impacts teaching in classrooms."
The Ministry of Education has released a revised interim curriculum to be used by teachers during the course of the upcoming school year. It includes the 2014 Health and Physical Education curriculum and changes to math instruction.
Ford hinted teachers who do not fall in line could face a penalty.
"We expect our teachers, principals, and school board officials to fulfill their obligations to parents and children when it comes to what our students learn in the classroom," he said Wednesday. "We will not tolerate anybody using our children as pawns for grandstanding and political games. And, make no mistake, if we find somebody failing to do their job, we will act."
Minister of Education, Lisa Thompson plans to use her authority under the Ontario College of Teachers Act to strike a public interest committee that will help inform the creation of a new Parents' Bill of Rights.