TORONTO, ON – Juan (Yahya) Gairey, a teacher with the Peel District School Board (PDSB), has been elected to the provincial Executive of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO).  

“We are not just educators, but barrier breakers against systemic racism and the privatization of publicly-funded education,” says Gairey. “Breaking down barriers in the name of justice is rooted in my family’s legacy. My ancestors sought freedom in Canada through the underground railroad. I learned from their tenacity and spirit to always speak truth to power and to bring the voices of the voiceless to life. We must always advocate for the most marginalized in our society.”

Before receiving a bachelor of education from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Gairey was an educational assistant with the Toronto District School Board. Gairey joined the PDSB as a teacher in 2006 and is currently teaching and supporting students in a special education Autism Spectrum Disorder class in Peel. Beginning in September 2021, Gairey will be a resource teacher for Black student success with the PDSB.

At the local level, Gairey has served as a local steward for over a decade. Gairey has also co-chaired the local’s Annual General Meeting Black Caucus and served as a member of the Political Action Committee. Gairey is the current chair of the local’s Standing Committee on Disabilities and has been an ETFO Annual Meeting delegate provincially.

In the community, Gairey has volunteered as a mentor and community advocate with the Alexander Park Community Centre since 2003. Gairey was also a founding member of the York University Black Students’ Association in 1995 and the Muslim Mosque Students’ Association at York University in 2003. 

ETFO represents 83,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and education professionals across the province. Its Building Better Schools education agenda can be viewed at BuildingBetterSchools.ca.

Media Contact: Carla Pereira, ETFO Media Relations, 416-576-9074 or cpereira@etfo.org.