Thread by @_MissAStewart

Okay #nsed, let’s address this op-ed by @HomeMattersCB (long thread ahead) #nspoli

https://twitter.com/nsgov/status/1393244114850881541

It states that “no teacher is losing their job” and that “there will be at least 70 new teachers hired.” Great! But based on current staffing numbers, is appears that there will be teachers on fixed-term contracts ending in July who may not receive a subsequent contract. /2

https://twitter.com/bsichel/status/1393226530700988419

These teachers are currently at the senior high schools, so are licensed to teach at the secondary level (7-12). While there may be a net increase of 70 teachers to the system, the bulk of the new positions that have been created are at the lower elementary level. /3

Most teachers presently in a high school won’t be licensed for those positions (with some exceptions for specialist teachers, or teachers who trained elsewhere). /4

So, while this first claim of the op-ed does contain two statements of fact, it presents a falsehood. /5

The next point is about additional staff— again, great! But a. they’re not classroom teaching positions and b. these supports are long overdue. It can take years to be seen by a school psych. I often have students with complex and differing needs sharing the support of 1 EPA. /6

Our guidance counsellors, too, are stretched too thin: they’ve been funded at a rate of 1:500. Ontario secondaries fund at 1:385. The ASCA recommend 1:250. So this increase in counsellors is very much needed; /7

However, it seemed to have been suggested that their skills will be used in other capacities. /8

https://twitter.com/nspfpe/status/1393166422013001729

The op-ed then details the increases to the education budget under the Liberals. Funding increases are always appreciated, but it’s important context to remember that previously, Early Childhood Development fell under the Department of Community Services and /9

Additionally, this was the period in which pre-primary was rolled out. I won’t criticize either of those moves, but again, we have disingenuousness here. I don’t have the figures to say what proportion of those numbers represent the p-12 education budget, but /10

It seems reasonable to assume that those increases aren’t a true reflection of funding if the increased scope of the new DOEECD (versus the former DOE) isn’t acknowledged. /11

The op-ed then goes on to detail how cuts aren’t really cuts. Unsurprisingly, I disagree (as I touched on above). There’s an attempt to justify lower staffing numbers at the senior high level with the graduation of the double cohort /12

I.e. that the 3-month shift birthdate cut-off for school entrance means that this year’s graduating class has 15 months of students, versus a normal year’s 12 months. This group exiting public education will affect staffing, as we’re mostly staffed at a per-pupil rate /13

But not by the 10%+ that we’re seeing /14

https://twitter.com/halifaxcitynstu/status/1393163828029005825

Now, this next bit is where I’ll argue semantics (lucky to those of you still reading, I’ve done multiple graduate-level courses in linguistics!). @HomeMattersCB states that “no teacher will lose their job.” Yes, my permanent contract ensures that I will maintain employment /15

However, the position I am currently in will not exist next year, so I will be looking for a new job. @nwhiteway articulates what that means on an individual level; think also about the loss of institutional knowledge and the implications for school culture /16

https://twitter.com/halifaxcitynstu/status/1393229275235602432

When teachers with years and even decades of experience in a given setting are unceremoniously uprooted. In the wake of a devastating global pandemic, we need to nurture these community connections, not sever them as is being done now. /17

I’m also hearing about senior high teachers who maintained “their” jobs... but are now being assigned to teach new courses, in new subject areas, beyond their specialty. Course content can be quite niche at the secondary level; /18

Whereas elementary teachers are (largely) subject generalists, we’re subject specialists. Prepping a new course is a huge, time consuming endeavour. Believe me— I’ve taught approximately 25 different courses in the past decade. /19

To make these assignment changes amidst cuts to UIC creates an untenable situation for teachers. /20

https://twitter.com/sgann_dart/status/1392571057555509251

(Another context note: Mike Harris essentially tried to do the same thing in Ontario in 2000, i.e. shift teachers from 6/8 classes + duties to 7/8 classes... Ontario teachers currently have 6/8) /21

Missing from our discourse also seems to be discussion of the fact that to support timetabling teachers at 7/8, many @HRCE_NS high schools will have to create full-year schedules for incoming gr 10s. This is not best practice; /22

Research supports semestering for high school students. Next year’s grade 10 students will have to manage 8 courses, instead of 4 for most students currently. This is not being done for pedagogical reasons, but budgetary ones. /23

Returning to @HomeMattersCB ‘s op-ed: he states that “all teachers in the province will have the same instructional time and the same marking and planning time.” Some teachers did have an appallingly low 10% prep time and the system had been supported by their unpaid overtime /24

Perhaps we could look to HRCE’s successes and extend the supports we’ve benefited from to other RCEs, instead of increasing our load to match theirs. This is a gov’t that knows the cost of everything and value of nothing. /25