A Toronto teacher has become the province’s — and possibly the country’s — first Black president of a provincial teacher affiliate union. Karen Brown was elected president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) at the union’s annual meeting on Tuesday. According to a press release, Brown has been the union’s vice-president since 2015 and was first elected to the provincial executive team in 2009. Brown expects to lead with the passion and resolve necessary to ensure ETFO members are protected and supported. She joined the Toronto District School Board in 1993 as a teacher and is also a qualified early childhood educator. In 2008, she earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in adaptive instruction and special education. In addition to her positions as chief negotiator, grievance officer, benefits co-ordinator, and strike team co-ordinator, she served as vice-president of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto from 2003 to 2012. Brown is a member of the Women’s Advisory Committee of the Canadian Labour Congress, a governor of the Ontario Teacher’s Federation, a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and a volunteer with the Canadian Alliance of Black Educators.