Staff shortages forces classroom closures at Ottawa's largest school board
Ottawa's largest school board says it's doing everything it can to find replacement staff, as staffing shortages result in classroom closures this school year.
Two classes at Roberta Bondar Public School in Ottawa's south end were closed on Thursday due to a lack of teachers, leaving parents and guardians scrambling to make accommodations for their children.
Since early November, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board has closed 173 classes due to a shortage of replacement staff.
Former Ottawa Public School Board Trustee Mark Fisher shared a letter from Roberta Bondar Public School on Twitter Wednesday night that informed parents of the classroom closures on Thursday.
"Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to secure enough replacement staff to cover all classes," the letter from the school said.
"Until we find enough replacement staff to support student learning and provide adequate supervision, we must close (classes) to in-person learning."
Fisher says her daughter was "disappointed" she wouldn't be in the classroom today.
"She wants to be in the classroom."
The school said asynchronous learning is available via Google Classroom for students.
In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board says two classes were closed at Roberta Bondar Public School on Thursday "due to the inability to replace absent staff."
The board says since November, there have been 173 classes across the city, which is down from 462 class closures between January and June 2022. Most classroom closures usually last a day, according to the OCDSB.
"Like other school boards in Ottawa and across the province, the OCDSB is currently experiencing staffing shortage challenges," the OCDSB said.
"While we will do everything we can to find replacement staff, we have had to temporarily cancel classes at schools in the past year. These closures typically last for a day."
The board says staff are working on a number of "immediate and long-term measures" to recruit more educators, including conducting 500 interviews for "occasional teacher" positions over the last month.
The board is also exploring arrangements for teachers to work at multiple schools and attending career fairs across Ontario.
Ontario's Ministry of Education has also changed the rules to allow retired teachers to spend more time in the classroom. A retiree may now work up to 95 days this school year without violating the pension rules, instead of the 50 days.
"We are hopeful this will increase availability of retired teachers in accepting replacement work," the OCDSB said.
The Ontario Teachers Federation announced the increase in employment days for retired employees on March 2. The temporary increase in the re-employment rule to 95 days covers retired teachers, principals and vice-principals in publicly funded schools or in a designated private school.
The 95-day work limit for retired teachers will be in effect until the end of the school year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.