Students First Merit Or Seniority Teaching

Students First: Merit or Seniority Teaching?

Tien Truong Monday, February 4, 2018 Are veteran teachers betters than newcomers? That’s what the existing rule is telling school boards. Implemented in 2013, under the Wynne Administration, Regulation 274 outlines that successful candidates for long-term and permanent teaching positions are chosen from five applicants who have the most seniority within the occasional teachers list. The purpose of this regulation is to curb nepotism within school boards, especially smaller ones. This rule relies heavily on seniority as the main criterion for school boards and principals. Consequently, the candidate's skills and teaching abilities take a “back seat” along with the student's success and overall education. Why is merit not being considered? For the past couple of years, Regulation 274 has forced school boards to follow a strict hiring process based on the top five most senior supply teachers. This means that despite other qualifications such as special skills and strengths, many occasional teachers will not be considered.

This rule was created to bring greater transparency, fairness and consistency when hiring long-term and permanent teachers. Advocacy group Parents for Merit-Based Teacher Hiring believe that hiring those with the most seniority doesn’t necessarily translate to a good outcome for the students and school in question. Many, also, believe that hiring based on senior status negates the importance of hiring those who bring special skills such as working with special education students. How will rookie teachers get jobs? With this regulation, it is truly discriminating younger teachers entering the workforce. It imposes a barrier to hiring new, diverse and talented graduates who are starting their teaching career. Many of these new professionals will struggle to make it on the occasional teacher's list but will still continue to wait, an undetermined time, to secure a teaching position. This impact will make a huge difference when students who have completed the newly extended two-year Bachelor of Education program enter the industry looking to put their fresh ideas and technology to use in the various school boards across Canada. In conjunction, many teachers are not willing to change school boards to spread the skill sets across Canada because they lose their seniority. This causes a concentration of skills in some boards and a lack of skills in others. What about the students? The number one priority should be the students. The student's success and wellbeing should always come before the hiring process. Regulation 274 negatively affects all students because these confining mandates don’t allow for the best-suited teacher to be hired for the job. Many educators have special skills and abilities such as speaking French or working with special education students but are not being considered because they are not one of five of the most senior occasional teachers. School is the most-important out-of-home factor to a student’s learning, especially for elementary children. This is why teaching quality is so crucial. Having an educator who is enthusiastic and understands the students’ needs will translate into success in and out of the classroom.

With so many students across Canada, this regulation unfairly puts their education at risk. Teachers should be assigned based on need and skill set rather than who has been out in the workforce for longer. As a result, Regulation 274 has caused complications in the hiring process and doesn’t allow for the best-suited candidate to be placed based on student needs. This negates all chances of diversifying the workforce and providing the world-class education that Canada is known for. Parents for Merit-Based Teacher Hiring are asking those who are affected by this Regulation to speak out on their experience to their M.P.P. and local government representatives to review this current regulation to get the seniority clause removed to allow for a better tomorrow.