Lack of specialist teachers leading to 'violent episodes' in Surrey classrooms, union says
Pulling specialist teachers away from the vulnerable students who need their assistance has led to an increase in violent outbursts in Surrey classrooms, according to the local teachers' union.
The Surrey Teachers' Association said the district has been filling scheduling gaps by using specialist teachers to substitute for regular teachers, which means taking supports away from some of the most marginalized children in the city.
Those specialist teachers include educational assistants and integration support staff, whose job is to tailor the learning experience for students who might have issues sitting still for an entire class, or controlling their behaviour for extended periods of time.
"These kids with difficulties are acting out because their support is not there, and sometimes that leads to violent episodes," said Lizanne Foster, first-vice president of the union.
"There are stories we've got from our members talking about how you can have a desk thrown at you, you can have your arm bitten."
Those incidents disrupt learning for other students as well, Foster added, and over time can push teachers from their chosen careers.
"Teachers find themselves in classrooms like this with five children with no supports, who clearly need supports, and then they're phoning us and telling us they need to leave," she told CTV News. "That's a huge problem for all of us."
The union stressed that the students who rely on specialist teachers can thrive in classroom settings when their unique needs are met. Specialists also help students with vision or hearing challenges, Foster said.
"There's a range of obstacles that stand in the way of learning, so the specialists help with ameliorating that," she added.
The Surrey Teachers' Association called on the district and province to hire more staff so specialist supports are consistent, even when the teachers are called to fill in elsewhere or away for health reasons.
According to the union, in the "best-case scenario," some specialists are only backfilled after being absent for three days – and in other instances, they might not be backfilled for an entire school year.
In an email statement, the Surrey school district acknowledged that specialist teachers must sometimes be reassigned, citing an ongoing struggle keeping up with the "rapid pace" of the city's population growth.
"We track these occasions and re-invest teaching resources to make up for lost services, as per our agreement with the union. But we also recognize the impact this has on staff, and in particular, our speciality teachers who play a critical role in student learning and wellbeing," the statement said.
The district said absences among regular teachers are primarily filled using teachers on call, of which there are about 1,500 in the city's pool – though "the vast majority have varying availability, and are not able to cover full-time," according to the statement.
There are about 1,650 speciality teachers in the district, and officials said they are in the process of posting around 40 new positions.
"The challenge will be filling these roles in a timely manner as it has been difficult finding qualified candidates," the district's statement said.
Speaking to reporters in the B.C. legislature Tuesday, Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said she was not aware of the Surrey Teachers' Association's concerns, but that she's hopeful the tentative agreement reached last week with the BC Teachers' Federation will help improve recruitment and retention in the province.
"The safety of everyone in our school environment, both staff and students, is our primary concern," she added.
If ratified by BCTF members this month, the deal would see teacher salaries increased from some of the lowest in Canada to among the highest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.