TVDSB seeks 'emergency supply staff' to keep up with staff illnesses and growing enrolment

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) put out a call for emergency supply teachers at 21 of its elementary schools, Wednesday.

The board, which is the largest in southwestern Ontario, has opened applications for people who have an interest in working with students, without having to be certified by the Ontario College of Teachers.

"We do have shortages in some areas of the board in terms of personnel, and this is a provincial issue in the education sector," said Riley Culhane, associate director of education with the TVDSB.

While staff shortages mount now, Culhane expects the need for additional staff to grow in the future as well, he said. One reason for this is the increasing absenteeism due to illness as Ontario's respiratory illness season begins.

Increasing enrolment has also contributed to the need for more staff.

"We are seeing significant growth in terms of student population as a result of migration, in particular from the GTA area. We're welcoming more and more students every day," Culhane said.

The TVDSB has struggled to keep up with the growth recently in other areas, including ensuring enough space is available in brick-and-mortar schools. This year, Summerside Public School opened for the first time with multiple portables, and one new school —still in planning stages— for south London is set to open with portables as well.

Eligible emergency supply staff candidates, as explained in a TVDSB news release, are people with an educational and/or work background that supports their use for coverage purposes in emergency situations.

Ideal candidates are those who hold a four-year university degree or are currently enrolled in university as either a third-year, fourth-year, masters, or PhD student.

The board is also requesting candidates that have a minimum of six months of experience working with children.

Applicants can submit applications directly to the principal of the school they hope to work at.

A list of schools seeking help has been provided by the TVDSB, with 13 being in London, five in Oxford County, and three in Elgin County.

A list of those schools is below:

London: