Staff shortages and rising absences in the COVID-19 pandemic's sixth wave are taking a toll on classrooms.
Pandemic, supply staff shortages taking toll on teachersIn Ontario, calls are growing for the province to reimpose mask mandates inside schools to alleviate staffing challenges caused by teachers getting sick with COVID-19.Schools have struggled with ongoing staff shortages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Normally when a teacher is absent, an outside occasional or substitute teacher is called in, although sometimes in-school peers might cover off for a colleague in a pinch. Amid the pandemic it's increasingly been the latter option, Small-Greenall said, with teachers losing their preparatory periods — time used for marking, preparing and organizing upcoming lessons and assignments, holding meetings, communicating with parents and more.
While everyone feels "tired of COVID" and is trying to resume pre-pandemic life, "it's not back to normal in the schools," the teacher said.When short-staffed, 'work is not getting done' While school officials don't know exactly how many absences are due to COVID-19, "we know that COVID would be contributing to it," she said, adding that this is the first stretch of time when students have been in school without protective measures like masking.Without enough qualified supply teachers to replace absent educators, principals must turn to other district staffers like guidance counsellors, resource teachers, coaches or mentors.
Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario president Karen Brown says her members have been calling for action, including reintroducing pandemic safety measures.
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