CBE now ready to rescind all 317 temporary teacher layoffs

The Calgary Board of Education is poised to rescind the planned layoffs of 317 teachers on temporary contracts by re-allocating school maintenance money, according to a budget update sent to trustees.

In the update, contained in the agenda for Tuesday’s CBE meeting, superintendent Christopher Usih says teachers who were to be laid off later this month can now finish out the school year.

The public board last week received $15 million in additional funding for classrooms when Education Minister Adriana Lagrange lifted restrictions on annual interim maintenance renewal funding. The one-time decision allowed school boards to use the money for classroom supports or other needs, not only maintenance.

“The remaining funds will be used to moderate the impact of fee increases and eliminate the need for service level changes related to student transportation for the 2019-20 school year,” Usih wrote.

The Calgary Board of Education had previously announced more than 300 teachers would lose their jobs due to a $32-million shortfall in the UCP’S 2019 budget.

A revised budget report to CBE trustees last week stated the $32-million hole has grown to as much as $48 million because the cuts came in the middle of a school year when teacher contracts and payouts were still owed.

Grade 10 student Karmen Naugler was ecstatic to learn her teacher, Shaheen Allibhai, could stay at Sir Winston Churchill High School. She had started an online petition calling on the government to prioritize education, immediately after hearing her teacher was one of the 317.

The “Savemsallibhai” petition received more than 750 signatures by the time the budget update was released.

“My class broke into tears when we were told she would be leaving. It was a burden on the class that has been lifted now,” said Karmen, who would have lost two of her teachers to layoffs.

“This will impact so many students’ lives who were going to lose their teachers and it impacts the teachers’ lives, who now get to keep teaching and mentoring students.”

The last few weeks have been an “emotional roller-coaster ride” for teachers, principals, parents and students, according to Alberta Teachers’ Association Local 38 president Bob Cocking.

“One day all these teachers were laid off, then kids heard their teachers were leaving, then there was the possibility some would be getting their jobs back and now we know they can all return in the new year,” said Cocking. “There’s been a lot of tears. It would have been heartbreaking for these students to have bonded with these teachers for four months just to lose them.”

Cocking added the whole situation could have been avoided if the government gave the right amount of funding to the school board but he’s relieved for the temporary fix.

“When the government does their new funding model for the school boards, they need to address some enrolment growth, class-size reduction for earlier grades and proper funding for our special education students because these cuts to the education budget shouldn’t be on the backs of our students’ learning,” Cocking said.

Lagrange had called the CBE’S planned teacher cuts “reckless” and said an independent auditor would be appointed to assess its finances and conduct a governance review.

Other money-saving initiatives in the revised budget plan include the redeployment of CBE office staff to teaching roles, effective next fall, a reduction of 33 administrative positions, a $10-million cut to capital spending and changes to some busing fees.

The update also recommends drawing an additional $5 million from the CBE’S $14-million operating reserves, for a total of $10 million.

“The CBE will continue to be constrained by climbing enrolment, lack of operating reserves, age of facilities, and cuts to services provided by central service units in the 2019-20 budget year,” the update states.

The CBE declined to speak with Postmedia on Monday.

This will impact so many students’ lives who were going to lose their teachers and it impacts the teachers’ lives, who now get to keep teaching and mentoring.