January 23, 2019
Dear NVSD community:
Subject: Update: Staffing of Learning Support Teachers
In June 2018, the North Vancouver Board of Education approved an additional eight full-time equivalent (FTE) learning support teachers (LST) for the 2018/2019 school year. These eight FTE were in place in September 2018, providing support for students with special needs. These positions were funded through the North Vancouver School District's surplus funds approved through the 2018/2019 budget process.
In November 2018, the North Vancouver School District received confirmation from the Ministry of Education that we received funding for these already allocated eight LST, plus an additional seven FTE – bringing the total to an additional 15 FTE for LST staffing this school year. Since receiving the written commitment from the Ministry of Education in November, the school district has been increasing current LST positions/time at schools across the school district to fill the staffing that was provided.
To meet the need of qualified LST teachers, the North Vancouver School District has adopted a number of strategies:
1. The North Vancouver School District is continually recruiting for full-time LST positions. These positions are posted on the Make a Futureeducation employment opportunities website. Please note: instead of posting multiple postings for the same job, the school district posts one position and then hires as many individuals as required.
2. The North Vancouver School District has allocated, through the North Vancouver Board of Education, $100,000 to support 12 teachers to ascertain Special Education qualification(s) through the Simon Fraser University Diploma of Inclusive Education program.
3. The North Vancouver School District continually recruits at universities across Canada.
4. In some cases, the North Vancouver School District has increased LST time to trained Vice Principals and subsequently backfilled their teaching time with a qualified generalist teacher. This strategy is meant to continue to provide the best service to our students via the most qualified staff. When new qualified LST teachers are hired, they will take up the LST positions currently filled by Vice Principals.
All of these strategies are geared at providing excellent service to our students, while also supporting staff and meeting the LST requirement(s) of our Collective Agreement with the North Vancouver Teachers' Association.
The North Vancouver School District is pleased that the Ministry of Education has committed to funding additional LST staffing, and we look forward to having this staffing in our schools moving forward. We continue to recruit and hire qualified staff to best support our students. Please visit Make a Future to see current job postings.
Sincerely,
Mark Pearmain
Superintendent
North Vancouver School District
