The Toronto Star today discusses the increased need for teachers representing minority groups in Ontario schools. With 40% of the population representing visible minorities, and 7 in 10 high school students (at least in the Toronto District School Board) being non-white, school boards are looking to foreign trained teachers to fill the gap.
In booming Peel Region, where the public school board is hiring hand over fist to serve an explosion of new Canadian families, schools need more diverse teachers than universities can churn out, so they’re turning to foreign-trained teachers to fill the gap, said education director Jim Grieve. (The Toronto Star)
That is a confounding statement when one looks at one school in Peel, where for the first time in 20 years, 7 teachers have been declared surplus. In total 57 teachers in the secondary panel have been declared surplus by the school board. They are all contract teachers and have to be placed before anyone new can be hired. In the midst of this ‘hiring boom’ we have 57 surplus teachers who will be placed before any new teachers can be hired.
What gives Jim Grieve? when you say ‘hiring boom’ are you talking about hiring teachers in general, or specifically a hiring boom for foreign trained teachers? The goal of hiring teachers should be to hire the best teachers available, regardless of other considerations. A good teacher can motivate, teach, and connect with students regardless of race or creed.
3 responses so far ↓
Devalina Mitra // August 16, 2008 at 1:28 am
As an Internationally trained(degrees from 4 countries including USA and Canada) and Canadian private school experience, I am yet to get a full time job. Schools principals are intimidated by highly qualified teachers and boards want to hire fresh graduates to save costs. It’s all on paper, in reality they seldom hire internationally trained teachers. It is also an open secret-unless you know a principal you will never get a job. I am sick and tired of listening to the same old comment after an interview-”We were very impressed by your knowledge and experience but we had to settle for someone else.” Only people like me know the nepotism goes on in all boards.
Gary Hunt // September 1, 2008 at 9:49 pm
How does this nepotism continue to go unchecked? I hear this from highly qualified teacher applicants applying to other boards as well.
Richard Philip // May 6, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Nepotism in education is the big white elephant in the room that everyone knows about but nobody involved will admit it is there. Afterall, their son or daughter got a job with the board too! I’ve been a supply teacher with my local board for six years now and continue to see young, new graduates get hired right out of school or shortly there after because they are related to somebody. It’s a joke. I’ve had 5 long term assignments, coached all the sports, started all the clubs, had good evaluations, taken AQ courses, raised EQAO scores…but it doesn’t help at all. It’s all who you know. It’s not about finding the best teacher. Of course when you question the boards about this and ask them to justify hiring a certain person, then you are being critical.and probably blacklisted! (blacklisted..what is this? 1950 – Joseph McCarthy) It’s 2009 people. Wake up!