SD57 Hiring Unqualified TTOCs
Prince George, B.C. – The Prince George School District is pulling out all the stops to ensure there is an adequate number of teachers teaching on call in the district.
Better known to most as substitute teachers, there’s been a shortage of TTOCs ever since the hiring of more staff began in the wake of the BCTF’s Supreme Court victory over the provincial government regarding class size and composition late last year.
“So, right now the human resources department have put out a posting for what we refer to as C list subs – which are individuals who have a post-secondary degree but may not be qualified teachers,” says Tim Bennett, chair of the Prince George School Board. “The district of course will be committed to ensuring that wherever possible that we have A list subs in the classrooms but at this point with the hiring of all the staff due to the Supreme Court ruling, the district has a severe shortage of TTOCs in the district and we need to make sure that we have individuals in the classroom.”
Superintendent of schools, Marilyn Marquis-Forster, says it’s always the rule to use all of the district’s certified teachers first but says using C list subs already occurs in the more rural parts of the district.
“Where supply teachers are sometimes not available – in a short-term situation. It’s also been used in many of our neighbouring districts quite regularly.”
She says it’s too early to say how many they’ll be hiring.
“I don’t know right now because we don’t even know what sort of response we’re going to have. And of course we want to be screening these people very carefully, says Marquis-Forster.
“We don’t know how many we will be looking at. I can give more information as the process unfolds but we currently on any given day may have between two, five, 10 classrooms that require coverage.”
Comments
I’m sure they couldn’t be any worse then some of the fully qualified people out there masquerading as teachers these days.
if they are hiring unqualified, that kind of slaps, those who are in the face, and makes a mockery of the training system.
And yes axeman like all other professions there are the good and those who would be better working at McDonald’s or for one of the political parties
TTOC, BCTF, SD57… What a lazy society we have become when complete words cannot be typed. By the way, what is a TTOC?
I believe it’s “teacher teaching on call”. But yes, the headline makes no sense if one did not know that.
A teacher teaching on call, often referred to as a TTOC, is a casual or substitute public school teacher of various subjects from Kindergarten to grade 12.
So what happens as the graduates come out of the education program. Are they below the uncertified teachers in the seniority ladder? Or will the automatically bump the unqualified? I hope this hiring is just temporary until they can get enough qualified teachers out there.
There is no TTOC seniority in this district. They don’t even consider the existing TTOCs as internal candidates when hiring for temporary contracts or continuing positions. Perhaps that is part of the reason for their current situation. Any TTOC that is not tied here by other commitments leaves this district for more desirable districts (anywhere else) that have fair hiring practices and offer some stability and reward for loyalty and hard work – or they just get fed up and quit. True story…..
Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 @ 11:18 PM by Hart Guy with a score of 0
Smooth, if you and your wife think the grass is greener in Alberta, you should go there!
There is NO teacher shortage in BC! I’m sure that someone in short order will step up to the plate to replace the both of you!
I hear that Wetaskiwin is nice! Be sure to send us a post card!
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Say, I have an idea, maybe we can get Hart Guy to make a trip to Alberta and see if he can convince some of our teachers to come back to BC? But that would mean he would probably have to apologize to them… fat chance of that happening, unqualified TTOC’s it is then!
Or, or, here’s a thought. YOU could hire him as a tutor, he could probably teach you lots, but alas, you probably couldn’t afford him.
What I think is cool is that they will be able to hire TTOC’s who want the job, who will do well, as they have in other rural areas.
I thought teachers were classed as professionals. If so, how can they be replaced by these TTOC’s. Perhaps they have been improperly classified over the years.
I guess the rush to fill the **void** trumps professionalism .
A couple of observations: (a) especially at the secondary level, a teacher needs both subject matter knowledge and training in teaching. To a very large extent, the system of teacher training and certification focusses on the latter. A sub without a teaching certificate may well be a better choice if he or she knows the subject than a certified teacher who doesn’t. I reminder what a waste of time it was to have subs who couldn’t actually teach class because they didn’t know, e.g. analytic geometry or Latin. (b) no one can deny that there is knowledge and experience that teachers ought to have about teaching and learning and child development, but compared to other “professionals”, teacher training is somewhat of a joke. There really isn’t much comparison between the rigorous and lengthy training undergone by such people as physicians, nurses, engineers, speech pathologists, and foresters and the training that most teachers go through.
To be fair, to obtain teaching qualifications one must successfully complete several years of university.
So, a “TTOC” may have the same qualifications as a full time teacher, without the full time job. Some like the part time nature of a TTOC, others are biding their time as a TTOC until they get a full time position.
A so called ‘C’ list sub may have almost as much relevant university education as a full time, fully qualified teacher.
By the way, the article quotes Bennett and Marquis-Foster on “A” list and “C” list teachers, where are the “B” list teachers?
metalman.
axman:
“I’m sure they couldn’t be any worse then some of the fully qualified people out there masquerading as teachers these days.”
Always able to drag out a negative comment axman you miserable, sorry SOB.
lol…love you too!
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