Trying To Get More New Teaching Blood In To Ontario’s Classrooms

A Foreword by NAL publisher Doug Draper

Last year The Globe and Mail published a story about the difficulty new teachers, fresh out of teachers’ college, are having getting a foot in the classroom door.

One of the problems for newly minted teachers is demographics. There are simply fewer kids to teach in our elementary and secondary schools than there were a decade ago. Another key reason new teachers are having trouble getting hired, according to The Globe report, is that a goodly number of retired teachers aren’t really retiring.

Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten

These retired teachers, some of whom were quoted saying that their retirement pensions were not adequately covering the cost of their retirement, were signing up with school boards in their areas for supply teacher positions. And with the backing of their unions and area school administrators who would rather take a chance with a veteran than a rookie, they are typically the first to be called when a staff teacher cuts out for days or weeks on end due to illness or some other reason. That has been leaving many new teachers missing out on what opportunities there are left these days to show their stuff.

For anyone who believes it is important to bring young people with new ideas and energy in to an area as important as the education of our children, a system that makes it hard for young teachers to get a foot in the classroom because teachers who have retired won’t retire enough to give new blood the right of way, ought to be a concern.

In that spirit, Ontario’s education minister Laurel Broten has announced steps this August 13 to improve opportunities for new teachers to prove what they can offer our kids in the elementary and secondary classrooms of our schools. 

“We know the tremendous value that young teachers bring to the classroom,” says Broten in a statement accompanying the submission we are posting below from her office on initiatives the provincial government is taking to encourage the hiring of new teachers. “By supporting them, we’re giving committed teachers a chance to do what they do best

— bring excellence, new ideas and a fresh perspective to the classroom to help our students succeed.” 

Niagara At Large is posting the following submission from the office of Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten on this topic for you to digest and discuss, and to share your views on below if you like. Along with health care and air we breathe, the water we drink and the general health of our environment, few issues are more important to the health and wealth of our communities than the education of present and future generations. NAL may not agree with all the methods the current government of Ontario is taking to educational reform, but we sure do believe those methods should be open for discussion and debate. So what follows is the education minister’s statement on the need to give new teachers more of a chance to take their place at the front of the class, then let’s hear from you. 

More Opportunities, Better Supports For Young Teachers

A Submission from the Office of Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten

Ontario has some of the best teachers in the world, and that’s why the government intends to make a regulation that would ensure fair hiring practices are applied in every school board in the province. 

Since coming to office in 2003, the McGuinty government has been a strong supporter of Ontario’s young teachers.  And with the province’s recently signed agreements with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) and the Association des Enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), the government continues that support with even more training and work opportunities for young teachers. 

As a result of our initiatives and these agreements, new teachers will benefit from:

• A fair, consistent and transparent approach to hiring of long-term occasional teachers and permanent teachers.
• A 32 per cent increase in the number of retirement applications, meaning more opportunity for young teachers to step into the classroom and launch their careers.
• Less competition with retired instructors returning as supply teachers. Beginning in September, retired teachers will be limited to a maximum of 50 supply teaching days a year, down from 95 supply teaching days, and only in the early part of retirement.
• Greater autonomy for teachers in applying diagnostic assessments, allowing teachers to individualize the support they provide to their students.
• Protection of 10,000 teaching positions, the majority of which are held by young teachers with little seniority.
• A 1.5 per cent pay cut for all teachers that will allow the youngest and lowest paid teachers to continue to move through the salary grid for their experience and qualifications.
• A restructured sick-leave plan that would provide income protection for serious illness on day one of employment, as well as improved maternity leave provisions. 

The requirement for fair hiring practices and greater teacher autonomy in diagnostic assessments are components of the agreements signed with OECTA and AEFO that would benefit Ontario’s education system, including students. In addition to the regulation on fair hiring practices, the Ministry of Education will work with our education partners to develop a policy directive on diagnostic assessments that will also be applied across the sector.

By supporting Ontario’s young teachers, the McGuinty government is ensuring students benefit from the talent, dedication and creativity that these teachers bring to the classroom. This will help protect the gains Ontario has made in education over the past eight years and ensure that schools have the talented professionals they need to continue to provide a world-class education system.

QUICK FACTS

• Under paragraph 26 of subsection 11 (1) of the Education Act, the Minister of Education is provided authority to make regulations governing the appointment of teachers, subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
• Since 2003, the McGuinty government has funded the hiring of more than 13,600 new teachers.
• In addition to the agreements signed with OECTA and AEFO the province also recently signed an agreement with the Association of Professional Student Services Personnel.  
• The New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) provides orientation, mentoring and professional learning opportunities that help new teachers start their career with confidence.
• The Building Futures program provides support and guidance to new teacher candidates about to embark on their teaching careers. 

LEARN MORE

• Read more about the New Teacher Induction Program.
• Read here for a timeline about ongoing labour discussions