With less than two weeks before schools open, the area's two school boards are busy preparing to hire new teachers for split classes and virtual learning.
The Upper Grand District School Board is preparing to hire 65 teachers for their junior and intermediate classes and approximately 100 teachers for their highschools. These teachers will help students with in-person and remote learning.
Heather Loney, communications officer at the UGDSB said in addition to training specific to each teacher, new staff will complete mandatory COVID-19 training, mandatory anti-racism training, mental health and well-being training.
They will also receive training on topics such as hazardous materials, accessibility, information privacy, data security, workplace violence and policies and procedures.
“It is challenging to hire teachers close to the reopening of schools. There are many different variables that affect the process,” said Loney.
“For instance, our secondary schools will require teachers with specific subject qualifications based on the needs and vacancies throughout the system. Having said that, the UGDSB maintains a roster of qualified teachers on our casual list who will have the opportunity to apply to posted positions.”
Loney said new teacher positions will be posted as soon possible.
“Due to the short timelines, we will engage in a central hiring process. This process will align with our negotiated collective agreement protocols,” said Loney.
The Wellington Catholic District School Board plans on hiring approximately 25 elementary teachers for their virtual classrooms to teach approximately 600 students who selected online learning.
"Whenever you have a movement of students out of classrooms of that magnitude, it will have a ripple effect. As a result, we have had to consolidate some of our elementary classes while still maintaining the smaller class cohorts to which we have committed," said Michael Glazier, superintendent of education at the WCDSB.
He said the board is anticipating both in-person and virtual classroom positions for secondary schools and have already added staff to secondary schools to reduce overall class sizes. He said the exact number of new secondary teachers has not yet been finalized.
Glazier said while the board often hires teachers close to schools opening, this year will be different.
"This year is going to be a little bit different because now we're also staffing for virtual schools for those students who have selected an online format," said Glazier.
He said all teachers will undergo three days of professional training that covers health, safety, online technology training, the revised math curriculum, and how to teach in the new environment.
“We are sort of working day by day and keeping track of all the things that need to be done to make sure things are ready,” said Glazier.
“For any of the staff that are teaching the virtual school, there’s going to be intensive professional development to help them get ready for teaching for those longer blocks of time online.”
He said hiring teachers for secondary school teachers is particularly challenging because staff needs to access each individual student’s timetables.
“Because we’re drawing students from potentially four different high schools within Wellington Catholic, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to honour the selection and pathways schools have selected,” said Glazier.
Apart from hiring new teachers, Glazier said the board will also assign existing teachers who are unable to return to in-person school for their personal reasons to teach virtual classrooms.
“There are lots of moving parts,” said Glazier.
“In all of our planning, we’re trying to ensure that the health and safety of our students and staff are at the forefront of our thinking and when we do our planning, we’re trying to do what will be in the best interest of our students.”
