Teachers in the K-12 system across the province are preparing to go back to school in less than two weeks, and while schools will be open, there’s a big “weight” on the system to keep it running .
This is how the president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association, Trent Langdon, explains.
Langdon disagrees: Yes, there is a teacher shortage in the province that has been growing for some time, made worse by the pandemic.
He characterizes the school closings in June as a “pressure release” for the system, but says it’s difficult behind the scenes to keep facilities running.
He says there are teachers covering other classes, heavy workloads for specialists as these same specialists are moved around to cover things and emergency supplies are being used in some areas.
According to Langdon, the areas where these problems are most common are the most rural and remote areas.
He says teachers are excited to return to school, but there are some doubts because they know they will face the same challenges as when they left. However, they are focused on making the return as positive as possible.