Is this the time to be focusing on hiring processes? The Elimination of Bill 274

BY PAUL JUNOR

As Ontario’s school boards grappled with the challenges of finding teachers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister of Education moved to eliminate Bill 274 which spells out hiring by seniority. This bill (which has been in effect since 2012) was intended to ensure that teachers with experience are first in line for new teaching positions. There has been a glut of new teachers on the job market across Ontario. Now that demand outstrips supply, there is an immediacy and urgency that prompted this response from the government.

Now that most boards across the province are having a hard time finding teachers to teach online classes, Stephen Leece, Minister of Education announced on Thursday, October 15th, 2020 that he intends to get rid of this seniority rule as reported by CTV News. The current legislation gives preference to Ontario certified teachers who have been on the supply list the longest as the first to be hired. Minister Lecce announced, “Moving forward, merit will lead hiring within our schools. Teacher hiring now in our schools will be dictated by merit, diversity and the unique needs of schools and communities within our province over seniority.”

Minister Leece believes that Regulation 274 hampers the hiring of newly minted teachers who he thinks have more to offer than experienced teachers. He states, “They are bright, they are motivated. They are often tech savvy, and yet they wait five, six, seven, eight years just to be hired. This is counter to our vision.” He has framed it in terms of representation because, “Students perform better when they see themselves in the class, this includes the educator at the front of their classroom-we know this to be true.”

Harvey Bischof, president of the 60,000 strong Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation responded that this change may mean favouritism during the hiring process. He states, “Regulation 274 was brought in originally because there was rampant nepotism in the hiring of teachers. So, the best teacher, the one whose experiences best fit the classroom and so forth wasn’t getting hired. Rather it was somebody with a relationship with the person doing the hiring.” This is the basis for Regulation 274.

Sam Hammond, President of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, is supportive of Bischof’s views. He states, “Why is it that as we are entering the second wave of a global pandemic, when schools are closing and teachers and parents are stretched to the limit, that the minister’s focus and priority is on a hiring practice.”

Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Board is in favour of the proposed change. “Transparent and equitable practices are essential in order to ensure a highly qualified teacher workforce that reflects the diversity of students and school communities and meets local needs.”

The Ministry of Education has not indicated if it will engage in a discussion with education stakeholders regarding a new hiring policy. It plans to revoke it by October 29th, 2020 and replace it with an interim policy. It will come up with a Policy/Program memorandum that will involve principals directly in the hiring process. Many have expressed criticism of this, as they believed it would lead to rampant nepotism.

This new hiring rule would be unfair to teachers with seniority who have waited for years for full-time teaching contracts. Many of these teachers are from racialized communities.