The Rocky Mountain School District (SD6) has made what it calls the difficult decision to start looking for persons without teaching certificates to deal with a lack of teachers teaching on call (TTOC).
Right now the lack of available on call teachers is limited to the Windermere zone of schools says Steve Wyer, Assistant Superintendent for SD6
“The district is not currently facing the same pressures in Golden or Kimberley,” he said. “However, should the district face the same level of difficulty recruiting and hiring Teachers Teaching on Call in Golden or Kimberley, this solution may be considered as an option.”
Non-certified TTOCs will be required to hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or a trades certificate. They will also follow the school district’s usual hiring practices which includes obtaining a criminal record check and obtaining a letter of permission from the Teacher Regulation Branch. The District has put together contingency plans to ensure continuity of learning for students with the collaboration of teachers, principals and district leadership.
While the school district will be seeking to hire persons without teaching certificates, those successful applicants will only be in front of students if no TTOC possessing the necessary qualifications and certification for the assignment was available.
SD6 is not the only zone in the province that has gone this route.
“There are districts in the province who rely on non-certified teachers in several roles who work on a letter of permission from the Teacher Regulation Branch,” Wyer said..”Workforce pressures in the Kootenays are not dissimilar to those felt in other areas of the province.”
READ: Rocky Mountain School District seeks input on draft operational plan