Once again many of our members are unsure of their future.  Teachers who have been bumped or declared surplus and placed in a new school, who are partially placed, or who are yet to be placed all face a particular kind of stress that some – by virtue of experience – may be getting used to, but that all none-the-less still experience as difficult.

Your OSSTF Executive assures you that we continue to work with the Board to ensure that the staffing rules are followed in order to place teachers as soon as vacancies arise.  For those who have questions, we remain available throughout this month and into mid-July.

In the remaining weeks until the end of the school year we remind all OSSTF Toronto Teacher members to treat each other with kindness and understanding as many go through this unsettling time once again.  Solidarity is key to our strength, and we need to support each other through the tough times.

BY THE NUMBRS

At the start of this year’s Staffing Process, there were 500 FTE members who were surplus to their school.  By the time the “Cone of Silence” period began, some had already been pulled back, others were placed by virtue of the first round of teacher postings.  At the start of the Central Placement Process, there were just over 440 FTE members who remained unplaced (compared to 492 last year at the same time).

After Transfers, Quadrant Placements and Central Placements we were left with just under 400 unplaced teachers (compared to 437 last year).  Of those, approximately 255 members were bumped (compared with 270 last year).  The number of members bumped this year includes 58 POR holders (last year was 53), 9 members who were appointed to teaching jobs as a result of the Round One Posting Process (last year was 18); 12 who were appointed to Central DD teaching jobs as a result of the DD Teaching Posting Process (last year was also 12).

At the end of the Cone of Silence Period, and FTE of 357 members remain unplaced, broken down as follows:

Unplaced Teachers as of June 8:

Category	Head Count 392 (457 last yr)*  *Bracketed numbers contain data from last year	FTE 349 (396.5 last year)
Full Time Teachers who remain fully unplaced	306 (336)	306 (336)
Full Time Teachers who are partially unplaced/partially placed	48 (67)	24 (33.5)
Half Time Teachers who remain unplaced	38 (54)	19 (27)

As you will deduce from these numbers, we remain in a marginally better position this year than last, but of course the placement of teachers who remain unplaced still relies on vacancies.

NEXT STEPS:

Staffing meetings will continue in accordance with the Staffing Dates calendar, with one more central placement meeting scheduled for June 23 and then a number of further meetings planned over the course of July and August.  Those who remain unplaced at the end of the school year will receive a letter to that effect on June 26 along with information about how to ensure the board can contact you should a job arise for you over the summer.

OTHER STAFFING PROCESSES:

MAPS:  MAPS is the acronym for Mutually Agreed Position Switch which is a teacher-initiated school/timetable trade which must also be approved by both each of the teacher’s principals.  For more information about the MAPS process, or to participate, click this link to our website: http://osstftoronto.ca/?s=MAPS&submit=Search

Placement to be Reviewed

 a) Principal-initiated:

• If you are a teacher who bumped a POR holder from their time table, you will have likely received an email from the principal who hired that POR holder indicating that the Principal has completed a form requesting that central staffing add your placement in that timetable to the list of those requiring review. This means you have a job, but that if another vacancy comes up that is suitable for you, and is available when we arrive at your name on the Seniority List during future Central Staffing Placement meetings, you will be placed in that vacancy in order to allow the hiring principal to pull back the POR holder to his/her home school.
• If you are a teacher who was bumped into a school/program that would normally be a Try On by virtue of the distinct nature of that school/program, either you or the principal may initiate the review process by completing the Placement to be Reviewed Form

b)  Teacher-initiated:

• Per item (b) above, if you have been bumped into a school/program that would normally be a Try On by virtue of the distinct nature of that school/program, you may initiate the review process by completing the Placement to be Reviewed Form
• As we get closer to the start of the school year, you may be placed into a job for which you would otherwise be required to give Mutual Consent. You may choose to ask to have that placement reviewed by completing the Placement to be Reviewed Form.

Placement reviews are based on available vacancies and are considered in order of seniority.

Geographic Concern:

If you have been bumped or placed into a school that you believe creates a significant issue in relation to location, you may complete a Geographic Concern Form to request placement on the Geographic Concern List.  Placement on this list is based on the Board’s determination that your new commute constitutes a difficulty relative to your last commute. This list is only considered once all teachers are placed

QUESTIONS?

As always your Executive remains available to you should you have questions or concerns.

STAFFING COMMITTEES:

Branch Presidents are reminded that the role of the Staffing Committee in June is as follows:

• Immediately following the lifting of the “Cone of Silence” a meeting will be held to share information regarding Teachers in the school who have been transferred or placed in other schools, or who remain tentatively surplus to the Board, or pulled back, including time table changes;
• Review staffing changes as they occur during the month: Pull Backs, resignations, retirements, leaves, etc.;
• Review for Accord compliance of tentative timetables prior to distribution to Teachers
• The Principal and the Branch President or designate inform Teachers identified as surplus to the needs of the Board
• NOTE: In addition, under the responsibility of September to June monitoring the Schedule of Availability for Coverage and Supervision, ask to see for the purpose of review the Principal’s draft of next year’s schedule of availability.  If your school does not have a separate Schedule of Availability, please inform your EO IMMEDIATELY.