The effects of the loss of forty teachers in the Green Bay Integrated School District in the school years: 1994-95 and 1995-96

• Main Author: MacDonald, Patricia C.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1996
• Subjects: Canada; Green Bay; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/5137/; https://research.library.mun.ca/5137/1/MacDonald_PatriciaC.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/5137/3/MacDonald_PatriciaC.pdf

Declining enrolment and teacher redundancy have been crucial issues for many provinces in Canada and the United States for more than two decades. -- In Newfoundland and Labrador, declining student enrolment surfaced as a serious problem in the late 1970's. At that time lobbying by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association played a major role in Government's decision to enact legislation (The Schools Act (Teachers' Staffing) Regulations) stating that no more than 2% of any school board's teachers could be lost in any one school year. In 1994, the 2% regulation was amended to phase out, over a two year period, the total number of teaching units accumulated as a result of allocations under the 2% regulation. Amending the 2% regulation meant considerable saving in teacher salaries to the government. -- The Green Bay Integrated School District was one of the most severely hit districts in the province. During the 1970's and early 1980's enrolment was fairly consistent, but by the late 1980's steady declines had begun. A Welcome Back Program created by the district during the late 1980's and early 1990's encouraged adults to take courses in local schools and these students were included in enrolment numbers. When the program was discontinued, the district's student enrolment plummeted. This decline in student enrolment meant that fewer teachers would be needed. As a consequence of the 2% regulation, the surplus teachers were not all lost at one time. Each year the district cut its numbers by only four teachers, the maximum that could be lost in any one year. -- In 1994-95, the district had to remove twenty-four teachers, and another sixteen in 1995-96, as decided by the Department of Education. It is expected that up to twenty-seven more teachers may be lost in the Green Bay Integrated School District for the 1996-97 school year as the phase out of the 2% regulation ends. One would expect that such drastic measures will affect students, teachers, and administrators in this district. -- This thesis looks at ...