Students First: Merit or Seniority Teaching?

Tien Truong
Monday, February 4, 2018

Are veteran teachers betters than newcomers? That’s what the existing rule is telling school
boards. Implemented in 2013, under the Wynne Administration, Regulation 274 outlines that
successful candidates for long-term and permanent teaching positions are chosen from five
applicants who have the most seniority within the occasional teachers list. The purpose of this
regulation is to curb nepotism within school boards, especially smaller ones.

This rule relies heavily on seniority as the main criterion for school boards and principals.
Consequently, the candidate's skills and teaching abilities take a “back seat” along with the
student's success and overall education.

Why is merit not being considered?

For the past couple of years, Regulation 274 has forced school boards to follow a strict hiring
process based on the top five most senior supply teachers. This means that despite other
qualifications such as special skills and strengths, many occasional teachers will not be
considered.
This rule was created to bring greater transparency, fairness and consistency when hiring
long-term and permanent teachers. Advocacy group Parents for Merit-Based Teacher Hiring
believe that hiring those with the most seniority doesn’t necessarily translate to a good outcome
for the students and school in question.

Many, also, believe that hiring based on senior status negates the importance of hiring those who
bring special skills such as working with special education students.

How will rookie teachers get jobs?

With this regulation, it is truly discriminating younger teachers entering the workforce. It
imposes a barrier to hiring new, diverse and talented graduates who are starting their teaching
career. Many of these new professionals will struggle to make it on the occasional teacher's list
but will still continue to wait, an undetermined time, to secure a teaching position.

This impact will make a huge difference when students who have completed the newly extended
two-year Bachelor of Education program enter the industry looking to put their fresh ideas and
technology to use in the various school boards across Canada.

In conjunction, many teachers are not willing to change school boards to spread the skill sets
across Canada because they lose their seniority. This causes a concentration of skills in some
boards and a lack of skills in others.

What about the students?

The number one priority should be the students. The student's success and wellbeing should
always come before the hiring process. Regulation 274 negatively affects all students because
these confining mandates don’t allow for the best-suited teacher to be hired for the job. Many
educators have special skills and abilities such as speaking French or working with special
education students but are not being considered because they are not one of five of the most
senior occasional teachers.

School is the most-important out-of-home factor to a student’s learning, especially for

elementary children. This is why teaching quality is so crucial. Having an educator who is
enthusiastic and understands the students’ needs will translate into success in and out of the
classroom.
With so many students across Canada, this regulation unfairly puts their education at risk.
Teachers should be assigned based on need and skill set rather than who has been out in the
workforce for longer.

As a result, Regulation 274 has caused complications in the hiring process and doesn’t allow for
the best-suited candidate to be placed based on student needs. This negates all chances of
diversifying the workforce and providing the world-class education that Canada is known for.

Parents for Merit-Based Teacher Hiring are asking those who are affected by this Regulation to
speak out on their experience to their M.P.P. and local government representatives to review this
current regulation to get the seniority clause removed to allow for a better tomorrow.