Teacher unions weigh in on public board turmoil as new school year approaches

CBC

13 hours ago

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Following a tumultuous summer for London's largest school board, local teacher unions weighed in on some recent local developments as the new school year approaches.
With the upcoming year already affected by budget cuts, teachers and education workers are busy preparing their classrooms for incoming students, said Michael Thomas, president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario's (ETFO) Thames Valley branch.
"Their creativity, resilience, and dedication are what make me optimistic about the year ahead," he said.
The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) has been undergoing major restructuring after the province took control of the board in April, punting locally-elected officials out of the decision-making process and appointing lawyer Paul Bonifero as a supervisor to clean up financial mismanagement and a budget deficit of more than $30 million.
Roughly 115 staff positions have been cut, with around 47 being teachers, library and guidance staff, and learning support. The board also recently announced it will allow unqualified education students to be added to supply teacher lists, which are typically filled with experienced retirees.
'Inappropriate measures' continue to be necessary.
The board seeking not-yet-qualified first- and second-year education students to join the supply lists speaks to how deep staffing challenges in education have become, Thomas said.
In Ontario, there are 40,000 certified teachers who are not currently working in education, he said, adding that this begs the question: Why are so many qualified professionals choosing not to enter or remain in the classroom?
Unsustainable workloads, increasing class sizes and lack of support are all contributing factors, he said.
"Until those systemic issues are addressed, inappropriate measures like relying on student teachers will continue to be necessary."
For secondary schools, student teachers will only be accepted to teach subjects with a shortage of qualified teachers, said John Bernans, local branch president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation. This could include courses on native languages or technology.
"By and large, I don't think that there's much impact on our retirees. They're trying to fill some areas of need."
Schools stretched thin amid budget cuts.
When funding does not match student needs, school boards need to make difficult decisions, Thomas said. This can mean fewer teachers and education workers, larger classes and less specialized programming, all of which directly impacts students most directly, he said.
According to data from ETFO, 95 per cent of schools require more mental health support, and 77 per cent of ETFO members have personally experienced violence at school or witnessed it against another staff member.
"Cuts to funding have compounded annually since 2019, leaving schools stretched thinner and families concerned about the level of support their children receive."
Union officials will be watching closely as under-funding creates larger gaps in student support, he said.
In secondary schools, staffing cuts are largely affecting areas such as learning support, guidance and libraries —positions that help to support important areas like special education and student mental health, as well as technology and extra curricular activities. The absence of these supports will be especially felt by low-income families, Bernans said.
"I think we can anticipate worsening problems with violence in schools and dysregulated students," he said. "That's been an ongoing issue and I don't think it's going to get any better given the cuts that have had to be implemented in order to try to balance the budget."
This is not limited to TVDSB, Bernans added, pointing out that 40 per cent of school boards in the province are in a deficit. Still, it's a fundamental problem that will start having a bigger impact on students, he said.
Teachers still optimistic, unions say.
Despite ongoing and anticipated issues, both elementary and secondary teachers are looking forward to the start of the new year, both union heads said.
TVDSB is dedicated to helping find solutions to budget constraints, Thomas said, adding that the ETFO will be working closely with the board to ensure teachers' and students' needs are being met.
OSSTF members are also feeling optimistic, Bernans said, working with the board to place a greater emphasis on teachers' professional judgment and fostering increased expectations for students.
"We are hopeful that we'll make some ground there and improve things that way," Bernans said.