As you will have heard in the news, last night the Toronto District School Board voted on staffing allocation for the 2015-2016 school year. Per the chart that follows, secondary allocation is down an overall 168.5 FTE positions from last year. While this is still a substantial number, it is a smaller number than in years past perhaps foreshadowing the beginning of the end of the steep enrollment decline that we have endured for the past few years.
Below is a comparison of allocation this current year to next as passed by the Board last night. School allocation will be provided to your principal on Monday, March 23 at a meeting at which OSSTF will also be in attendance. Your staffing Committee will receive the data from the administration staffing committee members at your school and will then be able to commence building your school’s 2015-16 Staffing Model in accordance with the Collective Agreement and Blue Binder.
| 2014-15 Allocation | 2015-16 Allocation | ||
| Regular Program | 3,900.0 | 3,784.5* | |
| ESL | 158.5 | 124.5** | |
| Learning Opportunities | 30.0 | 30.0 | |
| Library/Guidance | 294.5 | 291.0 | |
| Special Education | 532.0 | 517.5*** | |
| Section 23 | 62.0 | 62.0 | |
| Caring and Safe Schools | 18.0 | 18.0 | |
| Attendance/SAL/CIC/Alternative Programs | 23.0 | 23.0 | |
| Profile Teachers | 37.0 | 36.0 | |
| E-learning | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
| Learning Teachers | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
| Total | 5,065.0 | 4,896.5 | |
*Declines in relation to overall projected decline in enrollment result in this reduction.
**ESL funding is on a sliding scale with students who are in their first year of being new to Canada generating the most funding, and a lower amount generated by students new to Canada in each of the subsequent three years. The number of students in their first year new to Canada enrolled in TDSB is declining, as is the overall number of ESL students, therefore the allocation also declines.
***Last year, after allocation, the provincial government announced a further reduction of almost $8million in special education funding, to be implemented over four years. As allocation for last year had already been agreed upon, the TDSB did not implement the reduction for this current school year. This year’s decline in staffing reflects two years’ reduction in funding.
On an unrelated note, but a good news note none the less, and as announced at February Council, we were able to fully place all surplus/Recall List teachers and there was no job loss as a result of the staffing reductions in the 2014-15 school year.
On behalf of the OSSTF Staffing Officers and the rest of the Teacher Bargaining Unit Executive, have a great March Break!