The President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association is calling the hiring of 70 substitute teachers to alleviate the pressures of back-to-school during a pandemic “a positive first step” but cautions it doesn’t amount to additional resources.
Dean Ingram says the 70 positions will help to streamline things on an administrative level, but does not mean additional teachers will be available. He says more steps are needed.
He says yesterday’s announcement means that the 70 substitutes will be brought in each morning, so that if a teacher is out, administration will not have to call someone in to fill that position.
Ingram says social distancing measures and class sizes still need to be addressed to meet the public health mantra of “People, Space, Time and Place.