Specialist teachers: Who are we and what do we have to offer?

Teacher Magazine: 2008 March
By Paul Boscariol and Janice Neden

The term specialist teacher is often heard and used, but do we really know what it refers to? A specialist teacher can be defined as one who has training in a specific discipline taken as a major in undergrad studies or taken throughout the university education program. This training has prepared the teacher with the knowledge and skills necessary to most effectively teach that area.

What is the importance of a specialist teacher? The specialist teacher is extremely important to ensure that our students are receiving the best level of education in that particular discipline. In the case of technology education, a person trained in that discipline knows far more than what the tools and equipment are and how to use them. The training includes how to safely manage a class of students who are in constant motion, using the tools and equipment, performing tasks and operations that have inherent safety risks. This is achieved through both the course of study and supervised practicum in a shop. Another example is that of learning assistance and special education, where teachers have specific training that gives them the tools and skills necessary to identify learning challenges that students may have. The second part of this process is to develop and implement appropriate programs to assist the students to be successful. These are but two examples of many areas where a specialist teacher is required to ensure that grade and age level, subject area, safety, identification of special needs, and learning support of students are effectively met.

The BCTF Provincial Specialist Association Council (PSAC) has identified and supported the need to recognize the importance of specialist teachers in our schools. To that end, PSAC put forward the following recommendation to the Executive Committee in November 2007. This was developed from an ad hoc committee consisting of: Irene Lanzinger, BCTF president; Fran Robinson, past EC member; Pat Clarke, BCTF staff; Janice Neden, Learning Assistance Teachers’ Association president; and Paul Boscariol, BC Technology Education Association president.

PSAC Recommendation—Specialist teachers
That the AGM amend BCTF policy 47.D. 01 to read:

1. That all assignments to teaching positions should be appropriate in terms of the member’s specific qualifications and teaching experience, and appointments should be made in consideration of relevant qualification and experience factors pertaining to grade and age level, subject area, special needs, learning support, and student safety in any proposed teaching assignment.

2. That where teachers are assigned or choose to teach in areas where they may lack specific qualifications and/or relevant experience, a plan of professional support and development be provided through such programs or activities as district/local joint mentoring programs, post-certification training opportunities, and local union, PSA or LSA organized professional development.

While it is the hope of PSAC that specialist teachers be employed in these positions, it is also understood that this cannot always be achieved for a number of reasons. To accommodate this situation, the ad hoc committee developed a second part to the proposed amendment that would provide proper training opportunities for non-specialist teachers who find themselves in such a position.

The Executive Committee, after much debate, deleted part 1 of this recommendation. Part 2 was amended to read:

That professional support such as district and/or local mentoring programs post-certificate training opportunities and local union, PSA, LSA organized professional development be made available when teachers are assigned or choose to teach in areas outside of their relevant experience and the teacher requests such assistance.

It is difficult to understand how, on one hand the BCTF recognizes specialist teachers through the individual Provincial Specialist Associations and through our collective PSA Council, yet they do not want to recognize the same in policy. A precedent has been set with the recognition, in policy, of counsellors as specialists, yet there is a resistance to recognize the rest of the specialists. The intent here is to give due recognition to all, and not to have the counsellors’ recognition removed.

The focus should not be on preventing recognition of specialist teachers, but rather on recognizing specialists in policy and improving the training opportunities and support for those who, for whatever reason, have found themselves teaching in an area they have not been trained in. Within our membership, we have a wealth of expertise and experience that can be utilized to assist with post-certification training opportunities and mentoring programs. Let us not lose this opportunity to recognize specialist teachers.

Paul Boscariol teaches at LV Rogers Secondary School, Nelson and Janice Neden teaches at McGowan Park Elementary School, Kamloops.

Agree? Disagree? More to add? Send us your views (newsmag@bctf.ca) and we may print them in the next issue.

Foundation Skills Assessment—no end of problems

BCTF: 2008 February 6
http://www.bctf.ca/

As Grades 4 and 7 students began writing FSA tests on Monday, the problems came pouring in by phone and e-mail: computer crashes in all parts of the province; administrators denying parents the right to exempt their child from the tests; children walking to neighbouring schools to take the online portion of the test; libraries and computer labs off limits to the rest of the school for up to two weeks while the tests are being written. At a news conference held at the BCTF on Monday, February 4, teachers, a local president, and a retired superintendent raised similar concerns about the Foundation Skills Assessment.

News Conference on FSA

• Nancy Zegarchuk

Students begin writing FSAs--Ministry out of touch with reality

BCTF: 2008 February 4
http://www.bctf.ca/NewsReleases.aspx

Video: Teachers concerned about FSA
http://www.bctf.ca/multimedia/mediaframe.cfm?asset=167

Today thousands of Grades 4 and 7 students in British Columbia will begin writing Foundation Skills Assessment tests. Teachers know these tests are not useful and they take valuable time away from teaching and learning.

This year for the first time, all students will be required to complete the multiple-choice portion of the test online. Some school libraries and computer labs will be closed to students for up to two weeks during the writing of these tests.

“The Ministry of Education is completely out of touch with the realities in our schools,” says Irene Lanzinger, president of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. “Many elementary schools, particularly those in poorer economic regions of the province, will be scrambling to find enough computers for all students. Some students will have to walk or take a bus to a neighbouring school to complete the online portion of the test.”

Parents have been calling the BCTF to ask how they can have their child exempted from the tests. Many report being bullied by the principal or superintendent who are insisting that their child write the test. In some instances, parents are resorting to keeping their children at home for the duration of the tests then find that the administrator has administered the test once the child returns to school.

“Parental requests have been completely ignored,” says Lanzinger. “If parents really want this test as the ministry keeps insisting, why are they forcing students to write?”

The Federation is advising parents whose rights have been denied to exercise their right under Section 11 of the School Act to appeal to their school board.
For a detailed backgrounder on the issues involved with FSA tests, please see: http://www.bctf.ca/fsa.aspx


For more information, contact Kathleen MacKinnon, BCTF media relations officer, at 604-871-1881 (office) or 604-340-1959 (cell).