BARRIE -- Thousands of educators are rallying along Bayfield Street in Barrie on Friday in a massive joint job action to show the government they aren't backing down.
Among those in the picket lines is Amanda Iles, a Designated Early Childhood Educator at Maple Grove Public School in Barrie.
"A lot of people don't know who we are," she says of her position. "It's been an ongoing struggle."
The 41-year-old educator admits she is frustrated that as the job action escalates, the focus seems to be entirely on the teachers.
"It's like being a small kernel in a bag of popcorn. I definitely support the teachers. I work with one - she's my partner. We deliver the kindergarten program together. But we [DECEs] are on the picket lines as well. But when you're that small kernel in that big bag of popcorn, it's hard to be heard."
Iles says it's disappointing that early childhood educators have been lost in the mix. "My neighbour came to me the other day and asked me what D-E-C-E-S stood for," she chuckles. "People don't know what it is that I do. We deliver the kindergarten program alongside the teachers. It's a partnership. One isn't one without the other."
In Simcoe County, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents permanent elementary teachers, occasional elementary teachers and designated early childhood educators.
Iles has been with the Simcoe County District School Board for the past four years, but she has dedicated her life to educating children, saying it's always been her passion. "I have loved children forever. The way they learn - I love developing their little minds."
Iles says it can be hard to make ends meet with the average DECE salary at $36,000 per year. "I want to fight for the students, ultimately. The money would be great, but it's really all about the students." Still, the married mother admits a wage increase would help. "I would like to be able to meet the bills, of course. It's difficult with what I make now."
While teachers are paid year-round, DECEs are laid off during the summer months. Iles is already looking for another job to fill that void until school resumes in the fall.
Iles says she loves what she does and says the parents have backed them every step during the recent battle against the government. "They have come by with donuts and stuff. It's been a lot of support out there. No negativity. Lots of honking as they go by."
Today, she marched along Bayfield Street with her sign in hand, with hopes that their voices will be heard, along with the teachers and other union members.
"We may be a small kernel, but we have a big passion for this."
