Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Well we have got our perm residency visas and now just need to settle on a location! I know teaching is a tough profession to find a post in in Canada but does anyone have any advice or success stories re securing a job in primary schools in Alberta? I guess I'm pretty desirable in terms of experience, I'm a head teacher of a very successful primary school in Yorkshire but I'm happy to go back into the classroom. We are in Alberta in July for a week and was wondering if I should touch base with the education board with my cv? All advice / stories appreciated.

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

First place I'd look is the professional body for teachers in Alberta , crazy as it may sound , you need to check if they even recognize your degree.

I think that Alberta is one of the places that often insists that you take extra credits to bring your degree up to their standards ( although I may be thinking of BC)

That is the first thing I would check. I guess as an experienced head you have a better chance than most to break into something

Good luck :fingerscrossed:

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Check these links

http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Pages/Home.aspx

http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/certification.aspx

http://www.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Memb.../AboutTQS.aspx

http://www.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollec...PD-TQS-2E).pdf

Good luck.:thumbsup:

Alberta has a very good system and it's a decent job here.

You can touch base with the board you want to teach in, but you have to go through the "filter system" before they will even consider you.

BTW you may want to get a security check done ASAP in the UK. To teach here you need something called a "vulnerable sector search" which checks if you have ever been a person of interest in a case involving a minor.

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Triumphguy is correct we do have a very good education system but at present it is under severe pressure.

The provincial government has just in essence cut education spending across the province by approximately $110 million.

In Calgary this is going to result in a lay-off of somewhere between 350 and 400 teaching staff and a significant numbers of support positions.

Not a good time to be a beginning teacher in Alberta generally and Calgary specifically.

Sorry to be the one to cast a pall over your efforts but in addition to going through the process of getting your qualifications evaluated, with the current funding model it's not going to be easy to get a position once that process is complete.

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Hey , normal I'm the pessimistic one when it comes to teaching jobs ;)

Another place to look would be independent schools , who often welcome international experience

Checkout the CAIS website ( I think it covers all of Canada)

Any chance you have IB PYP experience?

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Just curious really, but if you are looking for a teaching job at an independent school is it up to them who they employ or do you still have to belong to some kind of provincial teaching organisation or board of education at all?

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

It depends I think

I know we ask for Ontario teaching certificate or equivalent ( not sure how far that equivalency can stretch , to different province or different country ?)
But I don't know of anyone at the moment who isn't a member. I suspect we employ some of our teachers while registration is still pending

We have two different payscales for tutors depending on if they arecregistered or not

Incidentally that seems to be another way in , we recruit teaching staff from our private tutors

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

From the Alberta Education website.
http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/certification.aspx

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

The thing of it is over here is that a lot of experience is considered in a negative way. They'd much rather employ younger teachers, firstly they cost less, secondly the research suggests they're much more successful than older teachers. Apparently enthusiasm and cultural understanding are more important factors than experience in pedagogical success. I know school districts that have a hidden policy that they won't take anyone over 35. :blink:

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Yep but I would say it's ambiguous about what constitutes a school authority

We have to follow Ontario ministry regs but are not part of The Toronto school board so don't have to follow their procedures

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

A lot of these losses may be made up by attrition though.

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Possibly but unlikely. As far as I know the CBE is not offering any incentives. The policy is if you're not on a permanent contract you're going to be vulnerable.

Sadly last in first out.

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

Surely it does not matter if the positions are lost by attrition or not; the key word is that they are 'lost"! Gone, if not forever, then at least for the near future.

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

I became a teacher just when the Klein Government was hatcheting education in the early 90's. There's always jobs.

In May they talk about cutbacks. In June and July people start to put in their retirement requests, or they just walk out of teaching (50% in the first five years). In August they are scrambling because they don't have enough teachers.

Re: Primary school teaching in alberta
 

That hasn't been happening for the past few years. There are many good young graduates that have been trying for two or three years but just just can't get on with the CBE. This year there are a large number of specialists who's positions have disappeared with the cutbacks and have become "must place", they're too young to retire and have too much invested to quit.

Perhaps it's different in the Separate system.