Ontario class size changes to shuffle elementary teachers in Windsor-Essex
CBC News | Posted: April 12, 2019 7:27 PM | Last Updated: April 12, 2019
A third of the 90 to 100 teachers declared redundant is due to projected class size changes
The Greater Essex County District School Board has declared '90 to 100' elementary teachers redundant for the coming school year, partly because of projected class size changes.
According to John Howitt, superintendent of education for the public board, a third of the redundancy notices this year are given out due to class size changes.
This means the teachers will be fulfilling other assignments, sometimes at other schools. Howitt said they will continue to receive their full salaries and benefits.
The rest of the notices are funding related, according to Howitt, as some monies for the new school year have yet to be committed.
In March, the Ford government announced changes to the average class sizes for the 2019-20 school year.
- Kindergarten: No changes.
- Grades 1 to 3: No changes.
- Grades 4 to 8: Funded average class size increased from 23.84 to 24.5.
- Grades 9 to 12: Funded average class size increased from 22 to 28.
Howitt said the redundancy notices don't mean those teachers will be laid off.
"Under the collective agreement, layoff is possible, but it's for teachers who have been declared redundant for multiple years. And we have no redundant teachers currently," he said.
In the last six to eight years, Howitt said all the redundant teachers have been called back within the school year following the redundant notice.
However, 90-100 notices are the most given out by the board in the past five years.
Howitt said there is a potential for recall of some of those notices. That usually happens in September.