May 8, 2019 — On Wednesday, May 8, as part of Education Week, OSSTF/FEESO celebrates the thousands of educational support staff whose hard work and daily contributions have helped to ensure that Ontario’s public education system remains one of the best in the world.

Education Week was initiated in Ontario by OSSTF/FEESO almost 90 years ago to celebrate the important role publicly-funded education plays in the life of our province. Support Staff Appreciation Day was introduced as an integral part of Education Week in 1999 to ensure that the roles of secretaries, technicians, educational assistants, instructors, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, social workers, child and youth workers, plant support personnel, attendance counsellors, early childhood educators and other education workers would be fully acknowledged.

The entire spectrum of publicly-funded education – elementary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities – relies on a diverse, highly-skilled education team. Every person on that team plays a part in ensuring safe, clean and welcoming environments for learning, and in equipping Ontario’s students with the knowledge, skills and sense of community they need to succeed in a rapidly-changing world.

We invite all Ontarians to join us in celebrating Support Staff Appreciation Day, and to acknowledge the crucial roles educational support staff play in ensuring that all students receive the supports they need to succeed.