Move to online learning has some London teachers awaiting assignments

With almost 16 per cent of students in London's public school board opting for online learning when classes resume, some teachers are still waiting to have their teaching assignments confirmed.

Kidswill be in class for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak on Sept. 14, but more than 12,000 of Thames Valley board's 77,000 students have opted for full remote learning. To accommodate those students, the board has created seven online-only schools, one for high school students, one focused on kindergarten, one for French immersionand four others for elementary students.

Each of those online schools will have a principal and vice-principal, along with a full contingent of teachers.

More than 460 teachers will need to be assigned,along with seven principals and six vice-principals.

"The assignments that teachers were given by the contact in the spring may need to be adjusted," said Craig Smith, head of the Thames Valley local of the ElementaryTeachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO).

Layoffs unlikely: ETFO

Some teachers have stated a preference for teaching the online courses. Smith said teachers with health conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19will be given priority for the online teaching spots.

Students moving to the online courses will reduce the need for in-class teachers at some schools but Smith said the online learning will add to the overall demand for teachers. For that reason, he doesn't expect layoffs will happen but says some teachers will have their assignments changed.

"People will be teaching somewhere, it's just a question of where," he said.

He said in some cases, the uncertainly about where they'll be working has added to teachers' stress.

"Usually by this time, people are well on their way to return, they've done their planning and right now all of that is up in the air," he said.

Smith said some teachers likely won't have their assignments confirmed until next week, after all the reshuffling of teaching positions is finished.

The move to full-time online learning is one of dozens of changes laid out in the board's return to learn plan released last week.

• Read the full Return to Learn plan here