Happy New Year, colleagues. I recently saw a comment suggesting that teachers are fortunate to celebrate the “new year” twice, once in September and again in January. There’s some truth to this. Each of these times offers us a moment to pause, reflect and reset. And though I am not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions, I am a fan of renewed resolve.
Many of us are likely relieved to see the calendar turn from 2025 to 2026. It has been a difficult year for public education, marked by extraordinary challenges but also moments of real strength and solidarity. And while a new year brings hope, we also know that many of the pressures facing our classrooms will not disappear simply because the date has changed.
For me, the new year presents two important opportunities. The first is reflection: taking stock of where we have been, what has tested us and what we have achieved together. Often, our greatest challenges are also our greatest successes. The strike is a clear example of this. It tested us all, but also put a spotlight on public education.
The second opportunity is to look ahead. We know what lies before us, because many of the challenges we faced last year remain unresolved. Classroom complexity continues to grow, and teachers, school leaders, students and parents will be watching closely to see whether the government takes meaningful action. At the same time, we must remain vigilant about emerging issues, including potential changes to teacher certification that risk undermining our profession in unprecedented ways.
Our advocacy will also continue when it comes to curriculum implementation. Even as the government quietly slowed the rollout of several junior high courses, it also quietly released the latest Provincial Achievement Test results. Grade 6 math scores were deeply concerning, as teachers and school leaders predicted. Along with the Association, you raised red flags about the new curriculum, and now there is clear evidence that it is not serving students well. The government also quietly released the results of the early years literacy and numeracy screeners survey. And guess what? Those results echoed the concerns teachers and school leaders had expressed earlier in the year.
It is striking how often new initiatives are announced with great fanfare, while reversals and corrections happen quietly, sometimes on Friday afternoons or school breaks. That is not accidental, and we will continue to use our voices, advocate forcefully and stand together with renewed resolve in the year ahead. And, as the new year arrives with fireworks and bright displays meant to mark a fresh beginning, we know that real change is not found in the spectacle of the “new,” but in thoughtful, collective work in support of public education.
