Twitcher1958

There are often comments on these forum about the difficulty in getting teaching opportunities in Canada.
Durham District School Board is currently advertising for Uncertified Emergency Supply Teachers, closing date of 30 November.
Seen locally as an opportunity of breaking into the teaching world if location works.

Siouxie

According to their website teachers need to have registered for an Ontario Teaching Certificate

comet555

I live in BC and there is a huge shortage of teachers where I am (East Kootenays - Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie). We have some teachers on letters of permission here who have undergrad degrees but not teaching degrees. They can only hold temp contracts though and not permanent.

There’s also an elementary school that has parents with no teaching degree on their emergency list, and they get called frequently. If you have some teaching credentials or want to work while finishing up courses it’s a good place to come!

Siouxie

Many many teachers don't have a 'teaching degree' - many take post graduate courses in teaching to gain certification for their Province. Not the same as not being certified or in the process of registration with the Provincial body
My former stepson has a degree in Kinesiology but then took a post graduate teaching certification course and has been a high school teacher for years.

comet555

Agreed, when I say degree I should have said certification or teacher education.

So what I meant for our area is we have some people who have no teacher education at all and just undergrad degrees in other topics, or in some cases parents (not sure of their background) teaching classes.

scilly

Being on the TOC (teacher on call) list is not easy.

You can be called in at very short notice (7:30 am for an 8 am class), offered a longer time than 1 day because someone is on medical leave or will be away for x weeks, then suddenly laid off. For a longer term, I believe longer than a month, you will be put on the payroll.

A TOC teacher is paid the full salary appropriate for their qualifications, eg entry level, BUT there are NO deductions taken here in BC. So the TOC has to pay their own tax, own OAS and CPP, and for other benefits paid by a salaried teacher such as pension, extended health and dental plans.

So the salary looks great but isn't really, and you may only get paid that for 2 or 3 days a week or nothing for a month or longer, or be lucky and get many jobs. But then again, TOCs are up against the same problem as qualified and provincially certified teachers union rules of seniority (first on last off) with bumping allowed, and getting themselves known to teachers, principals and the School Board. A principal may specify that only 1 certain TOC will be accepted if that person has proved themselves.

The subject plays no part in bumping ............. doesn't matter if a history teacher was laid off if the Latin teacher has seniority and needs a placement because their position has been cut.

I have a niece who was a TOC for 16 years before she got a permanent position, but that only lasted 2 years because her OH got another job back in her home town. Despite being well known there and her skills in demand, the economics of teaching here means that she still seems to alternate between being a TOC and getting a "permanent" job that then disappears after only 1 or 2 years, usually because someone is laid off due to financial cuts, but they have more seniority as a permanent staff, so they "bump" my niece back to being TOC.

This has now been going on for well over 20 years. She is NOT unusual.

You really cannot be a TOC unless you have other income, or a partner to support you and able to do it on only one salary.

bats

Not for the emergency supply teachers jobs

comet555

Some of the things you mention vary by district. In our district we have a huge shortage so we actually have full time contract TTOC’s that are on salary and go where they are sent everyday. Sometimes it varies day to day, other times they fill vacancies during the posting process until they are filled. They are however paid like normal teachers and have a guaranteed salary. Last year I think our district advertised for 4 of these positions and 1 they couldn’t fill.

In our district you can’t request a specific sub unless there is a very, very good reason for it that would impact the students (as in a particular student on IEP who could not handle it). They have really tried to reduce favouritism. I don’t recall TTOC’s not getting tax and other deductions taken off. I don’t believe that was the case when I started off as a TTOC here. So my guess is that’s unique to each district.

Siouxie

Link?

bats

The quote from the Durham website isn't enough for you?

scilly

I'm not that out of touch!!!

From the latest contract between the BC School Employers Association and the BC Teacher's Federation ...................

https://bcpsea.bc.ca/wp-content/uplo...-2019-2022.pdf

PROVINCIAL COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022 BETWEEN: B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) As bargaining agent for all school boards established under the School Act AND: British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) On behalf of all employees included in the bargaining unit established under the Public Education Labour Relations Act (PELRA)
COMMON PROVINCIAL ARTICLES

ARTICLE B.2 TTOC PAY AND BENEFITS
1. The employer will ensure compliance with vacation provisions under the Employment Standards Act in respect of the payment of vacation pay.
2. For the purposes of Employment Insurance, the employer shall report for a teacher teaching on call (TTOC), the same number of hours worked as would be reported for a day worked by a teacher on a continuing contract.
3. A TTOC shall be entitled to the mileage/kilometre allowance, rate or other payment for transportation costs, as defined by the Collective Agreement, for which the employee they are replacing is entitled to claim.
4. TTOCs shall be eligible, subject to plan limitations, to participate in the benefit plans in the Collective Agreement, provided that they pay the full cost of benefit premiums.
5. TTOCs shall be paid an additional compensation of $11 over daily rate in lieu of benefits. This benefit will be prorated for part days worked but in no case will be less than $5.50. Any and all provisions in the Previous Collective Agreement that provided additional or superior provisions in respect of payment in lieu of benefits shall remain part of the Collective Agreement.
6. Rate of Pay: a. An Employee who is employed as a TTOC shall be paid 1/189 of their category classification and experience, to a maximum of the rate at Category 5 Step 8, for each full day worked.[/QUOTE]


Your TTOCs and uncertified teachers are part of a special arrangement that the Provincial Government and the BCTF and School Boards made after the Government lost its case re the withdrawal of a contract ageement that was made by good old Christie. That of course ended in more teachers being required both general and specific. Hence major problems attracting teachers.

But it is only a TEMPORARY agreement. The first to go will be the uncertified teachers, and then gradually the TTOCs will be reduced to a more normal level, and they will have to be paid as agreed in that contract.

I cannot see the BCTF agreeing to anything that will make permanent this current situation.