Local teachers’ unions are raising the alarm on violence in classrooms.
Together in Education (TIE), a group representing education workers from the Catholic and public school boards of Waterloo region, held a press conference Thursday to share survey results that found a majority of local teachers are experiencing workplace violence.
Amy Brillinger Tuka has been a teacher in Waterloo region for 20 years and she’s currently a kindergarten teacher. She says she’s experienced violence in classrooms at all grade levels.
“Every single class from kindergarten to Grade 12 has violence, threats, actions, near misses happening daily. Daily. And that’s not OK. It’s not OK for the employees and it’s definitely not OK for the other students who are witnessing that and making it become normal for them.”