The school year is just wrapping up, but teachers are already stressing about next year.
According to the B.C. TeachersB次元官网网址� Association, a shortage of classroom teachers, teachers on call (TTOC) and special education teachers around the province is affecting students, including on the Island.
B次元官网网址淒espite the fact that weB次元官网网址檙e the most desirable location in the province, weB次元官网网址檙e still experiencing teacher shortages,B次元官网网址� said Sooke Teachers Association president Ian Johnson. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e still experiencing challenges filling positions, and having replacement issues.B次元官网网址�
The shortage of TTOCs to cover for absent teachers, and the frequency of redeploying specialist teachers from those roles to fill regular positions prompted the BCTF to file a provincial grievance, which is currently in arbitration.
Filling French immersion and special education positions has reached a point in School District 62 that senior managers have gone outside the province to recruit teachers.
The problem, Johnson said, is the high cost of living on Vancouver Island. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e the second-lowest paying province in the country, so people go to Alberta.B次元官网网址�
To stem the loss French immersion teachers, the Capital RegionB次元官网网址檚 three school districts have put protection agreements in place to exempt those teachers from being laid off, even if they were temporarily covering for maternity or educational leave, or a sabbatical year.
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B次元官网网址淭here was this absolute fear about the challenges of filling French immersion jobs, and the districts didnB次元官网网址檛 want to see them move to a different province,B次元官网网址� Johnson said. B次元官网网址淭his was rather alarming to us that a large chunk of them arenB次元官网网址檛 being treated to the same equitable treatment.B次元官网网址�
In a release, BCTF president Glen Hansman pointed out that itB次元官网网址檚 been six months since a government task force on recruitment and retention strategies made recommendations for immediate actions, yet only some of those have been implemented.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 now June 1 and there are still reports of non-certified teachers working in classrooms, students with special needs losing out on their programs or being sent home, and hundreds of classes with class compositions that donB次元官网网址檛 meet the learning needs of students,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淲hile there were some announcements in February to slightly increase [the number of teaching positions], the lack of bold action and provincial co-ordination means the shortage will make the next school year challenging as well.B次元官网网址�
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Johnson said locally the number of students identified as having special requirements is B次元官网网址渙ff the charts,B次元官网网址� especially those on the autism spectrum. B次元官网网址淭hose kids have special needs and thatB次元官网网址檚 brand new teachers trying to manage that,B次元官网网址� he said, noting that some teachers have been hired without the preferred qualifications for the specialized jobs.
Further complicating SD62B次元官网网址檚 situation is the geography of the district, which extends from Colwood to Port Renfrew, and the fact baby boomer teachers are nearing retirement.
While 120 new educators were hired across the three districts for the 2017-18 school year, SD62 estimates it will need 14 and 20 more for the coming year to accommodate more than 500 new students.
This huge intake, along with a recent Supreme Court decision to shrink class sizes, has left many schools scrambling.
B次元官网网址淪pace is a huge challenge for us; we have more portables than IB次元官网网址檝e ever seen, weB次元官网网址檙e shutting down computer labs to make classrooms and teachers are teaching in rooms not really designed for classrooms,B次元官网网址� Johnson said.
Mandating smaller class sizes was still a good decision, he added. B次元官网网址淭he students have had a tremendous benefit. I think everyone won on that one.B次元官网网址�
