Teacher reassignments could impact music, health education at WCDSB schools
Teacher reassignments will be put under the spotlight at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) meeting Monday night.
Retired teacher and delegate Tim Moher will be asking the board to hold off on any more reassignments, until a plan can be put in place to ensure elementary students will still get a music education in line with the curriculum.
“Even if we come up with a five year plan to move forward so that we don’t lose what we had,” said Moher. “What we had was wonderful.”
Moher taught for 28 years. The last seven years were spent as a music educator in local Catholic elementary schools.
He said those specialized teachers are being pulled to cover regular classrooms because of a shortage overall of teachers.
Patrick Etmanski, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association’s Waterloo Region chapter, said they have about 39 teachers who are currently re-assigned to classrooms.
He said some of these happened in October and November, and more in January.
Etmanski said it’s also affecting health, art, and French teachers.
“Core French teachers are being pulled form their classrooms to cover in other classrooms when there’s somebody off sick,” he said. “So, same thing can be said about the FSL (French as a second language) program, where the kids are not getting the required number of hours of French. They absolutely aren’t.”
Etmanski said part of the problem is increasing enrolment at the Catholic board, with fewer teachers to cover the classes.
“When does the school board say we’re full? We don’t have enough teachers but the kids keep coming. It’s a real problem.”
He said there needs to be new conversations about how to recruit more potential teachers to the board.
“The minister of education always talks about funding, right?’ We funded this many more teachers.’ That’s great, but we don’t have people to actually fill the positions,” said Etmanski.
In a statement, the WCDSB said the reassignments include kindergarten to grade three health and art teachers.
“Coverage for these subjects is dependent on the specific school and class arrangement.”
Moher hopes by starting a conversation, it will draw more people into the teaching profession – and specifically, music.
“It’s the joy of learning and the motivation it provides,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
With DNA break, police ID victim in decades-old Newfoundland case
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing plan defeated in House of Commons
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.
B.C. man to be extradited to U.S. on charges of sexually assaulting stepdaughter
A British Columbia man will be extradited to the United States, where he faces a possible life sentence if convicted of charges that he repeatedly sexually assaulted his stepdaughter, after losing his appeal of the extradition order Tuesday.
Trudeau must more publicly support ICC decisions amid Israel-Hamas war: ex-ministers
A group of prominent former politicians and current academics is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to change his tone on the possibility of arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders.