Uncertified teachers an ‘escape valve’ in the school system

Alison Orr describes herself as a natural teacher. With a bachelor of arts, and years of experience as a registered massage therapist and instructor at Eastern College, she says she has a “natural ability to explain things to people.”

But she’s not a certified teacher. She’s a mother of three who stepped into the school system last year in response to a growing demand for teachers.  

Orr taught in six different schools last winter in the Woodstock area and calls it a “fabulous” experience. 

“I was able to teach from kindergarten right up through high school,” she said. “I really enjoyed my time and I did English classes as well as French-language classes. Once the principals knew that I was willing and able to do the gymnasium classes, I did a lot of gym classes as well.”

Uncertified teachers are becoming the norm in just about every province in Canada, with teacher shortages now ranging in the thousands. 

Qualifications can vary, but a bachelor’s degree is preferred. People can apply to the school district for a local teaching permit for short-term work, and substitute positions up to one year.

But there’s a growing call for changes to certification guidelines, as the demand for teachers continues to climb.

According to the New Brunswick Teachers' Association, there were more than 1,100 non certified teachers in the anglophone sector last year, who, like Orr, filled in as substitutes on an as-needed basis. 

There were also 132 non-certified teachers who were hired for contracts in anglophone schools last fall. That number jumped to 180 contracts this September. And those numbers are expected to climb.

Heidi Ryder, the president of the teachers' association, said the most up-to-date numbers project that 1,300 teachers and 157 school principles and vice-principals in the anglophone sector are likely to retire in the next five years.

That’s about 25 per cent of teaching positions in the anglophone sector. 

Orr said she believes there is a strong, intelligent population of community members who could help the school system as it navigates the teacher shortage that's swept across the country. 

But walking into “a completely new environment every single day” can be challenging, and the sporadic staffing and sudden cancellations for permit holders made it difficult to depend on. 

“There were several times where I had been booked for a job, and I lost that bid on that job less than 24 hours before I was supposed to be in school,” she said, adding that certified teachers are given preference for available jobs.