Parachute Digs into Why Teachers Feel Undervalued

In this episode, Dr. Nichole Grant (CTF/FCE’s Director of Research) and Rolf-Carlos Klausener (CTF/FCE’s Strategic Communications Coordinator) discuss the fourth edition of the Parachute Survey. They unpack the theme of this edition, why it matters, and how educators can share their voices. 

This edition of Parachute runs until May 21, 2026.

📝 Take the survey: https://survey.alchemer-ca.com/s3/50558135/3770502fbde2 

📊 View findings from past editions on class size, retention, violence in schools, and more: https://www.ctf-fce.ca/take-action/parachute/#fall-2025 

(Episode in English with episode highlights in English and French.)

Pourquoi le personnel enseignant se sent-il dévalorisé?

Dans cet épisode, la directrice de la Recherche et le coordonnateur des communications stratégiques de la CTF/FCE, Nichole Grant et Rolf-Carlos Klausener, discutent du thème du quatrième sondage Parachute, de son importance et de la façon dont le personnel de l’éducation peut faire entendre sa voix. 

Cette édition du sondage Parachute se déroule jusqu’au 21 mai 2026.

📝 Répondez au sondage : https://survey.alchemer-ca.com/s3/50558135/91e00f5ece2a

📊 Consultez les résultats des éditions précédentes sur l’effectif des classes, la rétention, la violence à l’école et plus encore : https://www.ctf-fce.ca/fr/passez-a-laction/parachute/

(Cet épisode est en anglais, mais il s’accompagne d’un résumé en français et en anglais.)

The Source podcast is produced by the CTF/FCE in Ottawa, on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People. | La balado Source est produite à Ottawa, sur le territoire traditionnel non cédé du peuple algonquin anichinabé, par la CTF/FCE.

Follow us on social media | Suivez-nous : Facebook @CTF.FCE, Instagram @ctffce, Bluesky, X @CTFFCE

Views expressed do not necessarily represent the policies nor the views of the CTF/FCE. | Les points de vue exprimés dans cet épisode ne représentent pas forcément les principes directeurs ou les points de vue de la CTF/FCE.

Transcript

Julieanna Mawko: 0:00

Teachers are highly trained, deeply skilled professionals, but what happens when the people we trust to shape the next generation aren't treated with the respect or the value they deserve? And that's exactly what we're unpacking in this episode. Welcome back to Source, a podcast by the Canadian Teachers' Federation produced on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People. I'm your host, Julieanna Mawko, with the CTF/FCE Public Affairs Team. Today we're talking about the CTF/FCE's Parachute Educator Survey Series. It's a national project that brings together the voices of educators from across Canada to help shape system-wide change in Canadian public education. The fourth edition is running from April 21st to May 21st, 2026, and is open to all Canadian, K to 12 public school teachers, education workers, and principals, and vice principals employed in the 2025-2026 school year. Ahead of the launch, I sat down with the dynamic duo behind Parachute, Dr. Nichole Grant, director of Research, and Rolf-Carlos Klausener, strategic Communications Coordinator. Throughout our conversation, Rolf and Nichole unpacked the theme of this edition, why it matters, and to share some exciting news. Welcome, Rolf and Nichole.

Rolf-Carlos Klausener: 1:12

Hey, Jules.

Nichole Grant: 1:13

Thank you.

Julieanna Mawko: 1:15

So, I think it's fair to say that Parachute series has been very successful with three editions to date, and I'll start with you Nichole. Can you give us an overview of the theme of this edition?

Nichole Grant: 1:25

Yeah. thanks Julieanna. So this edition will focus on Deprofessionalization. And Deprofessionalization is the systemic erosion of the teaching profession as a profession. And this erosion has been shown through the literature for a long time to be what they call a pushout factor worldwide. So it's an interconnected issue facing educators across the country, and we're really looking to understand how the changes to the professional standards, credentials, and sense of professional expertise are affecting teachers and educators on the ground. The topic is so important because it's foundational to so many other facets affecting teaching and public education, and very much linked to our efforts to address retention and recruitment in the long term. We are seeing provincial and territorial ministries are trying to change entry credentials for new educators in ways that are really damaging to professional status. So they're shortening practicum time, online only teacher education programs, they're issuing increasing numbers of temporary certifications or letters of permission, and so this edition of Parachute is really looking to understand where the profession is now, what they are concerned about moving forward, and of course, what supports and solutions this trend they see are most beneficial to them moving forward.

Rolf-Carlos Klausener: 2:46

it's not really this direct obvious issue, like it might be violence or class size and complexity. When I was recently at OSSTF/FEESO's AMPA Conference or AGM, talking with educators there, bringing up the concept of deprofessionalization, it really feels like a sort of shadow issue, a sort of underlying permeating problem that affects all other, or it's affected by all of these other major pillar issues. So it really felt like by the time we got to this fourth edition of Parachute it was really the most obvious topic that we had to cover.

Julieanna Mawko: 3:22

Now I'll address the elephant in the room. When we hear about surveys, we're always like, oh no, not another survey. So what makes parachute so important and why should Canadian educators participate?

Nichole Grant: 3:33

Oof. Good question, Julieanna. And always a question we keep in top of mind as we continue to ask educators to provide their voice. So we do think that this survey for educators is how they get their voices heard. It's about their experiences and validating those and having them feel engaged, and their solutions to problems like Deprofessionalization seriously considered. Parachute's always been about uplifting the professional voice of educators across the country, but also about working to understand and advocate for solutions to retention and recruitment issues that educators themselves are actually seeking. So we're not thinking of the solutions, we really wanna build those ground up. Parachute's able to provide a space for educators to speak for themselves and the facet of deprofessionalization we feel are vital parts of naming their reality. They need that strong professional status and we are hoping this survey does that for them.

Rolf-Carlos Klausener: 4:30

And I think something we've also talked about a lot in trying to justify yet another survey, is this idea that all the provinces and territories do really incredible, really strong research and data collection. But the part that was missing in what we think parachute serves is this amalgamated whole national perspective where we're asking the same questions to every teacher and education worker across the country, and we're better able to disaggregate that data and show the differences in how the issues manifest in all the different regions in the country. Because as any educator will know, the issues really morph and evolve in different parts of the country and have different personalities. So having a national survey is like the best way for us to understand those different personalities.

Julieanna Mawko: 5:18

Absolutely. And is there anything else that educators should know about this edition?

Rolf-Carlos Klausener: 5:23

yeah, this is our second last edition of our biannual survey series. It's been really great so far and it's been really great to engage with educators across the country and sharing this data with our member and associate organizations. But we are excited to announce that it will be going forward as an annual survey once a year, likely happening in the spring. So, we're really excited that the reception has been strong and that the federation wants parachute to continue.

Julieanna Mawko: 5:51

Well, you heard it here first. That's some excellent news and a great way to wrap up this episode. So thank you Rol and Nicole for being here and for giving us a sneak peek. Thank you for tuning into Source. Now we wanna hear from you. Tell us what Deep professionalization looks like for you and your students. The fourth edition of the Parachute Survey Series is running from April 21st to May 21st, 2026. Visit the take action webpage on the CTF/FCE's website or see the link in the description to take the survey and see the findings from the past editions. Sources produced by the CTF/FCE. This episode was hosted and edited by me, Julieanna Mawko, and sound engineered by Rolf-Carlos Klausener.