B.C. students ‘going to feel the pinch’ from teacher shortages: Union

Sharon Grattan’s 14-year-old son, who has autism, has had some good school years and some very difficult years.

The best years were grades 4 and 5, when he had consistent teachers and an educational assistant who worked together to address his specific needs, said Grattan.

The shortage of teachers and educational assistants was a major factor in Grattan’s decision to enrol her son in a program called SelfDesign, a hybrid education model which allows him to learn both from home and in the classroom.

“Now with the (staffing) shortages, if we had the level of consistency we had in elementary school with the teacher and EA, he would still be in a brick and mortar school,” she said. “What we’ve always seen was the years that were more successful, it was because of the consistency in their relationships. That was the biggest factor to my child’s success in the traditional education system.”

Grattan, a program coordinator for Autism B.C., is also concerned by the growing use of uncertified teachers in the Prince Rupert school district, as they don’t have the training to deal with students with extra needs.