Union says staffing ‘crisis’ compromising student safety in Hamilton public schools
The union representing Hamilton educational assistants (EAs) says recent incidents involving two special-needs kids left unattended in the schoolyard earlier this month are a result of a crisis within our classrooms."
Our schools are underfunded and understaffed. Students with special needs are often without the (one-to-one) support they require, often receiving highly limited educational-assistant support as a result," Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) Local 527 president Susan Lucek and vice-president Linda Kowalski said in a statement Wednesday.
Two Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) special-needs students in a Grade 1/2 split class at R.A. Riddell Elementary School were left unattended at recess in separate incidents on the same day during the first week of school. Parents say an EA - one in the morning and another in the afternoon - oversaw three special-needs students in the class.
This recent incident is one of several recent incidents across the HWDSB, and is not a reflection on the staff, but is a result of the understaffing within our school system," union leaders said.
Unprecedented staffing challenges have plagued Ontario school boards in recent years, often leaving positions unfilled. From September to January of the last school year, an average of between 35 and 40 per cent of occasional education worker positions, which includes EAs, went unfilled on a daily basis.
In an attempt to find a solution to the shortage, HWDSB chair Dawn Danko called on the province in a Dec. 17, 2021, letter to correct the wage disparity for educational assistants" hoping for a solution to this problem."
The same problem has continued this year at Hamilton's public board.
Despite HWDSB's ongoing recruitment efforts to maintain healthy pools of occasional staff, administrators are unable to fill all vacancies each day," said spokesperson Rob Faulkner on Friday.
The pandemic is in part to blame, as educators suffer from burnout and leave the profession, unions say.
Kowalski said an exodus" of workers continues, with at least 22 resignations since June 30. COPE previously told The Spectator it had more retirements and resignations than ever last fall, with more than 30 members leaving their jobs between September and December in 2021.
Typically, the union would see a handful" of EA resignations, and between 20 and 30 retirements in a year.
The HWDSB is currently hiring for casual EAs, who support educators in long- and short-term assignments on an on-call basis. The salary range is listed as $20.47 to $24.86 per hour.
COPE says unions have been advocating for adequate funding and staffing." They say the low pay does not align with the responsibility they have to provide support and personal care to the most vulnerable students."
They say classroom violence remains a huge" concern for COPE members.
Our members are feeling unsupported and unsafe," Kowalski said, adding that most EAs provide support for two or more students, and some as many as eight. Members report not having coverage to take lunches, and some are having to supervise multiple students at a time in order for their co-workers to take a break."
Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com