Teachers in Holy Trinity Catholic School Division have a combined 165 years of experience, while 45 per cent of them have been teaching for less than 10 years, a new report says.
There were 165 educators — or roughly 155 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions — who were teaching in Moose Jaw’s Catholic school division as of June 30, 2021, according to a human resources accountability report presented during the recent board of education meeting.
The report showed:
- 33 educators (20 per cent) had taught for fewer than five years
- 42 teachers (25 per cent) had six to 10 years of experience
- 43 educators (26 per cent) had taught for 11 to 15 years
- 21 teachers (13 per cent) had 16 to 20 years of experience
- 11 educators (seven per cent) had taught for 21 to 25 years
- Nine teachers (five per cent) had 26 to 30 years of experience
- Six educators (four per cent) had taught for more than 31 years
“The big thing to note is the diversity of our staff regarding years of service. We have a great balance with staff at various points in their career,” education director Ward Strueby said. “Also, it is nice to see so many of our staff members commit to lifelong learning and pursue a master’s degree.”
As of June 30, Holy Trinity employed 284 total staff, including 79 CUPE staff, 28 non-unionized employees, and 14 out-of-scope staff. Of that total staff number, 149 were considered substitute or casual employees.
In Moose Jaw, this included 57 teachers, 27 support staff and four bus drivers. In Shaunavon, this included 24 teachers and 14 support staff, while in Swift Current, this included 12 teachers and 11 support staff.
Division administration normally conducts teacher evaluations under Administrative Procedure 421, but due to the pandemic, such evaluations were postponed to this school year, Dave DePape, superintendent of human resources, said in his report. However, in-school administrators did monitor and support all first-year teachers throughout the 2020-21 year.
Succession planning and leadership development occur every year, although faith development sessions for principals and vice-principals were postponed due to the pandemic, he continued. However, staff are supported and encouraged to continue their education, usually through other university graduate-level opportunities.
“One staff member completed their master of education degree, while 10 teachers continue to work towards completion of their master’s degrees,” DePape said.
Last year, the division handed out dozens of Catholic education services awards to celebrate employees’ years of service with Holy Trinity. This included:
- 13 teachers and four support staff for 10 years of service
- Nine teachers and seven support staff for 15 years of service
- 10 teachers and one support staff for 20 years of service
- One teacher and two support staff for 25 years of service
- Two teachers for 30 years of service
Division administration is facing some challenges with staffing, DePape said. This included supporting employees’ mental health during the pandemic, ensuring staff can maintain a work-life balance while facing increased workloads, dealing with higher-than-usual absences, recruiting bus drivers, and recruiting qualified educational assistants.
However, some celebratory items included having teachers and support substitute staff be reliable and committed to students and schools, the division having a good relationship with its unions, having high staff retention, and not facing any formal grievances from its unions.
The next Holy Trinity board meeting is Monday, Nov. 8.
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