The St. Clair Catholic District School Board (SCCDSB) is trying to find a healthy balance between hiring qualified religion teachers and meeting union standards.
Employees who teach Grade 11 and 12 religion courses need to have special credentials, called "teachables," to instruct in the course. In the past the SCCDSB has paid special attention to candidates with backgrounds that go above and beyond those minimum requirements, like having a Master of Divinity or Theology Degree.
But in the new agreement the Ontario government recently reached with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), it states boards must equally consider any and all candidates who meet minimum standards for teaching a religion course. So Superintendent Scott Johnston says the board now has to adjust their hiring protocol.
"The determination of a teacher's qualification is 'you either have it or you don't.' There aren't degrees of the qualification," says Johnston. "So we have to align our policy so that it matches that of the provincial agreement between the unions and the boards."
But board officials are trying to maintain their right to hire who they think will be the best candidate. During discussion at the SCCDSB's recent meeting, trustees made a point of saying "some people live their faith, and some people know it," indicating their desire for religion teachers to not only be qualified, but also carry a similar value system as the board. Johnston says this can still be ironed out in the interview process.
"Over the course of the interview, in conjunction with their references and background, we'll take in consideration who we think is best to teach, walk, and talk our faith and our religious education in classrooms," says Johnston.
SCCDSB administration will contemplate changes to the hiring policy, and come back with a new proposal to board trustees before the end of the year.