L. Substitute Teachers
1. Substitute Teacher Pay
a) The Association is to vigorously defend against a deterioration of the rate of pay for substitute teachers so that we can continue to attract and retain qualified and competent substitute teachers of the highest professional calibre.
b) A substitute teacher should be paid no later than two (2) weeks following the date on which the work was performed.
2. Pensionable Service
Time spent as a substitute teacher should count for pensionable service and the counting of such service should be retroactive to the date when the person first began teaching.
3. Paid Leaves
a) Substitute teachers should be eligible for paid sick leave credits subject to the following:
- Time limit of accumulated sick leave credits.
- Paid sick leave would not extend beyond the terminating date of the contract in existence at the time when the illness occurred.
b) With the exception of educational leave, substitute teachers should be eligible for all paid and unpaid leaves which are available through the Collective Agreement and The Schools Act.
c) The concept of educational leave for substitute teachers should be examined in more detail to determine if such a scheme is viable.
4. Voting on Collective Agreements
Substitute teachers who qualify for active membership as per By-Law III are eligible to participate in a ratification vote. [1985 AGM]
5. Collective Agreement Provisions
Except where provisions to the contrary are included, the Collective Agreement should apply in its entirety to all teachers who are members of the bargaining unit.
6. Curricular Duties
Substitute teachers are to be expected to assume all curricular duties of the teacher being substituted for and the substitute shall be granted all preparation and planning periods which are regularly scheduled for that teacher. [Mar/3-4&6/83] [1983 AGM]
7. Hiring of Substitute Teachers
a) Substitute and replacement teachers should be recognized as defined in Clause 42.01 (h) and 42.01 (n), and in accordance with Clause 49.08, of the Provincial Collective Agreement.
b) Subject to Clause 6.11(a) of the Provincial Collective Agreement, preference in the hiring of persons for substitute and replacement positions shall be given to individuals who have served in substitute and or replacement positions with the employing school board.
c) Subject to b) above, preference in hiring of substitute and replacement teachers shall be given to persons other than those in receipt of a pension under a teachers’ pension plan, unless there are no other persons capable to fill the position. [June/6/03] [JC Nov/03] [2005 BGM]
d)
- Subject to b) and c) above, and the requirement of capability, hiring of substitute and replacement teachers shall be on the basis of accumulated seniority in a substitute or replacement position in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. [June/6/03] [JC Nov/03] [2005 BGM]
- Teachers who have been laid off and are still unemployed in a full-time position shall have service accumulated in any continuing position included in the calculation of seniority as a substitute or replacement teacher.
e) Capability shall be recognized and determined on the basis of the overall ability of the candidate to perform the job function required.
f) A substitute/replacement teacher list shall be compiled on a district-wide basis comprising candidates approved by the director or designate, subject to the candidates’ holding a valid teaching certificate.
g) A school list of substitute and replacement candidates shall be a sub-set of the district list and shall contain names of teachers who have indicated a particular desire to be considered for call-in to a given school or schools.
h) A substitute/replacement teacher whose name appears on the school list shall remain on that list for that school as long as the teacher indicates a desire to continue substituting/replacing at that school. Removal of a substitute’s name from the list by the school board may be undertaken only for just cause and shall be subject to the grievance and arbitration process.
i) Subject to Clause 6.11(a) of the Provincial Collective Agreement, and the requirements of capability and seniority, a teacher who has been hired on a substitute or replacement basis at a specific school shall be given preference for hire for substitute and replacement positions at that same school over a candidate who has no previous experience at that school. [Oct/14-15/93] [1994 AGM]
j) A substitute teacher will be provided and paid (salary and benefits) by the employer when any teacher is away from their regular place of employment for any period during the school day, including teacher absences to accompany groups/teams of students for field trips, sporting events, etc. [1997 AGM] [2007 BGM] [June/8/07]
k) School administrators and/or regular teachers should provide feedback to substitute teachers who are hired to carry out duties in the school. [Sept/22/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
l) Substitute teachers who are hired into a term or replacement contract should be encouraged to request that an evaluation be conducted. [Sept/22/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
8. Professional Development and Inservice Sessions
a) School districts should be encouraged to invite substitute teachers to school-based and board-based professional development/inservice sessions. [Sept/22/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
b) School districts should cover the cost of travel and meals for substitute teachers wishing to attend professional development/inservice sessions. [Sept/22/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
c) During district-wide close-out sessions, the school district should be encouraged to provide relevant professional development/inservice sessions related to the needs of substitute teachers, e.g. Winschool, e-class, First Class, etc. [Sept/22/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
9. School Board/School Web Access
Substitute teachers should be provided full access to school board and school website information, e.g. passwords be made available (if applicable); e-mail accounts, etc. [Sept/22/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
10. Substitute Teacher Kit
All schools should be encouraged to develop a regular teacher kit that would be provided to a substitute teacher. The kit would include class lists; daily school schedule; teacher’s schedule, including supervision; list of students with special and/or medical needs; school discipline policy and procedure; fire drill plan and procedure; student assistant name (if applicable); substitute teacher registration form; photocopy access; and any other relevant information that a substitute teacher needs to know. [Sept/22/06][JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
11. Posting of Information from NLTA
School reps should be asked to ensure that information relating to substitute teachers is posted on the NLTA bulletin board in their school. [Sept/22/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM]
