New Teacher in BC? Explore your options...

If I knew then what I know now... 6 years ago I began my teaching career. Back then you were almost always hired as a TTOC, nowadays, not.so.much.

Yes, it was 6 years ago that I finished my teacher-training program and entered the world of teaching-on-call.

6 years later and I am still waiting, hoping, trying to get my own classroom or continuing contract.

But after that, I get to enter the lay-off/recall procedures, which means I may not have my "own" class for a few more years... I may be moved around several times before I can settle into one grade/level/subject...

and so, my garage is still filled with boxes and boxes of resources for every grade level and subject I have ever encountered... much to my husbands dismay... 22 boxes...

My friends considering teaching in BC, I say, explore your options... I love it here, yes, but if I knew I would be on-call for this long, with unpredictable work and the government's net-zero mandate that aims to destroy public education... well... I may have moved my then young family to somewhere with a brighter future....

This was a great read from a blog I enjoy:

Ah BC, the greatest place on Earth. Let me count the ways:

1. Highest child poverty rate
2. Greatest inequality
3. Expensive housing

The mountains are beautiful, but is it really worth it?

Probably not, if you are a new teacher, starting your career.

Here are some facts to consider about cross Canada comparisons (Out of the 13 Provinces and Territories) for teaching salaries, education spending and working conditions:

-Starting salaries with 5 years of university education: 11th
-Starting salaries with a Masters degree: 12th
-Student teacher ratio (number of students for each teacher): 2nd
-Total spent on education per capita: 10th
-Number of classes with 4 or more students with special needs: 12, 240
-Number of classes with more than 30 students: 3, 627
-Loss of learning specialist teacher in last decade: 1459
-Time available for lesson planning, preparation and marking: 90 minutes per week
-Percentage of Teachers Teaching on Call earning $10,000 or less: 36%
-Percentage of Teachers Teaching on Call earning $30,000 or less: 78%

For details on salary comparisons, see: http://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/BargainingContracts/U102-SalaryDocument.pdf
For funding data: http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/Publications/Briefs/2011EdFundingBrief.pdf#p8
BCTF Teacher Teaching on Call Survey: http://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/TTOC/2008survey.pdf
Child poverty report card: http://www.firstcallbc.org/pdfs/economicequality/3-reportcard2011.pdf
BC Stats report on income inequality: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/releases/info2012/in1204.pdf

[Via Staff Room Confidential Blog]