Substitute Teacher's Info Pack

1. Contacts

Local 10 Table Officers

Please refer to Parkland Local's website

Centre for Education (Head Office)

780-963-4010

Substitute Placement Office

Nicole Mazer

nicole.mazer@psd.ca

780-963-2684

Payroll

Carla Tonhauser

carla.tonhauser@psd.ca

780-963-4010

Human Resources

Shae Abba

shae.abba@psd.ca

780-963-4010

PSD70 Technical Helpdesk

780-963-8425

support@psd.ca 

https://helpdesk.psd70.ab.ca 

2. Salary

According to the most recent 2018-2020 Collective Agreement we have here (ATA login required to view)

5.1 Rates of Pay 

Refer to our most current collective agreement.

5.2 Commencement of Grid Rate 

5.2.1 Number of days to go on grid: Rate of pay for a teacher employed on a substitute basis who fills the same teaching position for more than five (5) consecutive school days, shall be paid effective the sixth day, according to placement on the salary grid, subject to the terms of this agreement. 

5.2.2 Effective September 1, 2017, the period of consecutive employment during the school year shall not be considered interrupted or nonconsecutive, if a holiday, teachers’ convention, professional day or such other system-regulated breaks interrupt the substitute teacher’s continuity in the classroom. 

5.3 Other Substitute Teacher Conditions 

5.3.1 Professional Development: 

5.3.1.1 Provided there is space available, substitute teachers are invited to attend division based or school based professional learning activities or workshops without pay 

With Regards to Grid Pay

Please refer to the chart under Section 3.2.3 in the Collective Agreement for rate.

Substitute teachers will accrue 1 year of experience every 120 school days taught.  Substitute teachers shall not gain more than 1 year of experience for salary purposes in 1 school year.  Please refer to Section 3.4 for full details.

Your current grid rate will be calculated by payroll only if you are expecting to be on grid.  They will not calculate this for you otherwise.

Pay Day

It is the substitute teacher’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of their time sheets for the payroll department by the 5th of the following month, to be paid via direct deposit on the 10th of the following month or the Friday prior if the 10th falls on a weekend or holiday.

Time sheets are kept and automatically updated on the Workboard as you complete each assignment.  It is your responsibility to check the accuracy of the time sheets by the 5th of each month and notify payroll department of any discrepancies.  You may view your time sheets by going to My Info>Time & Attendance>View or Change on the Workboard navigation menu. 

Pay stubs are also distributed electronically via the Workboard.  To access, simply follow the path My Info>Docs & eForms>Employee Statement and select Earning Statements and the applicable year. then the month you wish to view and click to download.  Payroll department will send an email to your PSD email account when these become available.

T4s for taxes are also distributed electronically via the Workboard.  To access, simply follow the path on the navigation menu My Info>Docs & eForms>Employee Statement and select T4 Statements and then select the year you wish to view and click to download.  Payroll department will send an email to your PSD email account when these become available.

3. Certification

In order to receive a Permanent Professional Certificate, a teacher must complete the equivalent of 400 days of teaching, as per Alberta Education.

From Alberta Education:

Teachers cannot apply to receive a Permanent Professional Certificate (PPC) – they must be recommended by their employing school authority. A school authority is required to recommend a teacher for a PPC if a teacher working for them has successfully met requirements in the Certification of Teachers Regulation.

To be eligible for a PPC, you must:

• have 2 years of full time teaching (approximately 400 days equivalent) in an Alberta accredited school while holding a valid IPC

• received 2 successful, formal evaluations based on the knowledge, skills and attributes for permanent certification outlined in the Teaching Quality Standard

• pay the $50.00 processing fee through TWINS after your school authority has recommended you for the PPC

A “Statement of Experience” can be ordered free of charge through the payroll department so that you may see your progress.

Substitute teachers are required to be observed by a principal on three to five separate occasions and have a written evaluation on each occasion for the purpose of receiving written recommendation to apply for Permanent Certification.

It is the substitute teacher’s responsibility to approach a principal of their choice and arrange observation dates.

Written recommendation from a principal is required for the application of Permanent Certification.

In order to renew your Interim Teaching Certificate, follow these steps outlined at Alberta Education:

IPC extensions or re-issuance

If your IPC has expired or will expire soon and you haven’t met the requirements for a PPC, your school authority may recommend you for an extension or re-issuance. Among other documents, you may be required to submit a new criminal record check.

A self-disclosure form must be completed online through TWINS. There is a $25.00 fee.

You may need to ask Human Resources to write an recommendation for your extension on top of the above procedure. 

4. Benefits

Substitute teachers can choose to participate in a paid-by-user health and dental benefits programs designed for Parkland School Division employees via the Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan (ASEBP).  

For how to enroll and details on what ASEBP offers to substitute teachers in PSD, please call ASEBP office and inquire.

Substitute teachers do not enjoy 

• sick leave, 

• professional improvement leave, 

• leaves of absence

• maternity leave

• paternity leave

• adoption leave

• Association business leave   

• Health Spending Accounts

• Health and dental benefits via ASEBP subsidized by Parkland School Division which are paid as contract teachers do.

However, in the event that substitute teachers are asked by a school to or must isolate due to contracting COVID-19 at a school, they will be paid their daily substitute rate for the full duration of their isolation, minus non-teaching days such as weekends, holidays, and PD Days.

5. Professional Development

Teachers’ Convention

Teachers' Convention for our district is typically held on the first or second Thursday and Friday of February at the Edmonton Convention Centre.

Substitute teachers are eligible to attend Teachers’ Convention hosted by the Alberta Teachers’ Association free of charge.  Just simply sign up for sessions released on the NCTCA website when they become available.

Teachers’ Conventions are not considered as a substitute teacher’s place of work for those days and therefore will not receive pay if attending.

Substitute Teachers' Conference

This conference is typically held mid-October and the location alternates between Edmonton and Calgary.  Sign up opens in September on the ATA website.  Simply search for Substitute Teachers' Conference.  You may also sign up for an ATA account and receive these updates.

There is a registration fee for this conference which normally the Local will reimburse.  Simply notify the Local President of your intentions, and once approval has been obtained, you may register and then submit your receipt for reimbursement.  The ATA also offers mileage for out of town teachers attending the conference. 

Other Professional Development Opportunities

Other professional development opportunities, such as ones sponsored by the school division, are viewable via PSD's The Compass website.  Link to The Compass is at the bottom of PSD's official website.  Your PSD login may be required to access The Compass.

Access The Compass and on the navigation menu and drop-down: 

Home>Staff>Professional Development

Before you sign up for those sessions, it is suggested that you contact Human Resources that you wish to attend as it is not customary for substitute teachers to be interested in attending.

Cost, if any, may be the responsibility of the substitute teacher.  However, you may place a request with the Local Office for subsidy; they will usually gladly pick up the cost provided that it is within reason.

Substitute teachers will not receive pay for attending a professional development session.

6. Employment Insurance

According to payroll department personnel, each day you work at a school will count towards your EI eligibility.

1 full day = 7 hours

1/2 day   = 3.5 hours

You will need to accrue a certain number of hours depending on the type of benefit you wish to apply, as dictated by Employment Insurance, within 52 weeks prior to your application.  You may check the current requirements via Service Canada's EI Economic Regions webpage.

Your weeks of eligibility for EI and how much you will receive depends on your previous 52 weeks earnings.  You can read about how it is calculated and other information here.

Record of Employment (ROE) 

PSD will automatically and electronically submit your ROE to Service Canada for EI purposes in early July.  You will not receive a paper copy; however, if you have access to Service Canada, you may view and print them online.

Regular Benefits

Substitute teachers are not paid over summer holidays (neither do contract teachers since payroll deducts 1/12 of their salary each month and save it towards their summer pay☺).  Therefore, many of us may want to apply for Employment Insurance to help subsidize our daily living cost over the summer months.

Employment Insurance is a taxable benefit.  Therefore, you will receive a T4E slip in February which you will use to report benefits received as part of your taxable income on your income tax.

If you are successful in apply for Employment Insurance, you will need to file bi-weekly reports online to declare your work and income status.  Keep these things in mind when filing you reports:

• • The intention to return to work when school resumes.

  • Be “ready, willing, and capable of working each day” on jobs which match your skill set and provide comparable pay.

You may lose your EI benefits if you have accepted a contract position with a school board to commence in September.

Application

You may want to start filling out the application form, which are available online, as soon as you finish your last day of work.  There is a mandatory 2-week waiting period before any benefits are paid out even if your application has been approved long beforehand.   You do not need to have an ROE issued at the time of application – just know that one is coming shortly will suffice.

Other Useful Information

You may continue to receive EI benefits during the school year after the summer is over.  EI gives benefit recipients a set amount of “allowable earnings” on top of their benefits depending on their benefit rate each week.  If you have maximized your “allowable earnings”, EI typically will deduct proportionately from your weekly benefits – some weeks where you have worked very little and will thus receive full benefits; other weeks where you have worked lots and may therefore not receive benefits at all.  For each week that you do not receive benefits because of maximized “allowable earnings”, your benefit period expiration date will be postponed accordingly.

The time that you are working and receiving benefits will not affect the number of hours you are trying to accrue for your next EI application.  Since Service Canada is paying out benefits for the hours that you have worked and the hours you will be reporting biweekly is only to let Service Canada know that you are “are ready, willing, and capable of working each day” so that you may continue to receive benefits. However, your Qualifying Period maybe shorter if you are going from one EI claim to the next, as explained here:

The qualifying period is the shorter of:

• the 52-week period immediately before the start date of your claim; or

• the period from the start of a previous benefit period to the start of your new benefit period, if you applied for benefits earlier and your application was approved in the last 52 weeks.

For most substitute teachers, statement “b” will apply.

Check with Service Canada for full and most updated details.

Maternity Leave

Neither contract teachers nor substitute teachers enjoy paid maternity leave as per Section 11.1.2 in the Collective Agreement.  Substitute teachers may then subsidize their decreased earnings by applying for Employment Insurance.

Maternity Employment Insurance is a taxable benefit.  Therefore, you will receive a T4E slip in February which you will use to report benefits received as part of your taxable income on your income tax.

For full details and how to apply, check Service Canada website.

7. Pension

Day-to-day substitute teaching does not qualify for pension contributions.

Pension contributions occur when a teacher is on contract.

Substitute teachers may seek out 2 different types of pensions – one offered by the Government of Canada, known as the Old Age Security Pension; one offered by the ATRA, also known as the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund.

Both types are subjected to eligibility when applying for benefits.

Both types are taxable income, which means you will have to report benefits received as part of your taxable earnings on your income tax.

Substitute service can be purchased at a subsidized rate in 186-day blocks. You can purchase service in those blocks at any time in your teaching career. But any amount of service can be purchased at the time of retirement, also at the subsidized rate.

There are specific rules concerning pension funds and gaining access to them before retirement. Teachers are eligible for a pension after five years of service. The funds are then “locked in” and must provide retirement income.

Contact the Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund (ATRF) for more details.

Old Age Security Pension

The Old Age Security Pension is a monthly payment available to most Canadians aged 65 or older. You must apply to receive benefits. If you meet the eligibility requirements explained below, you may be entitled to receive the Old Age Security pension even if you are still working or have never worked.

Old Age Security Pension is a taxable benefit.  Therefore, you will receive a T4/NR4 slip in February which you will use to report benefits received as part of your taxable income on your income tax.

Eligibility

Information as per Service Canada:

Service Canada looks at three factors to determine if you can receive the Old Age Security pension: your age, your legal status, and the number of years you have lived in Canada.

If one of the two scenarios listed below describes your situation, you may be eligible to receive the Old Age Security pension.

If you are living in Canada, you must:

• be 65 years old or older

• be a Canadian citizen or a legal resident at the time we approve your OAS pension application

• have resided in Canada for at least 10 years since the age of 18

If you are living outside Canada, you must:

• be 65 years old or older

• have been a Canadian citizen or a legal resident of Canada on the day before you left Canada

• have resided in Canada for at least 20 years since the age of 18

If you are not covered by either of these two scenarios, you may still qualify for a pension since Canada has social security agreements with many countries. If you have lived in one of these countries or contributed to its social security system, you may qualify for a pension from that country, from Canada or from both countries. For more information, contact Service Canada or see International Benefits.

Application

You should apply 1 months before you turn 64 years old.

You can either apply online or print out the forms to fill out and send them in via this link.

See Service Canada website for further details regarding calculation of benefits and payment schedules.

Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund (ATRF)

Substitute teachers do not contribute to their ATRF account automatically through their monthly pay as evident on their pay stubs.

However, contributions can be arranged if you contact an ATRF representative. 

8. Network Use

All substitute teachers are provided with a PSD70 network user ID and password which allows you to log in to any computer in the PSD70 school division.

Your network user ID will typically be [first name].[last name] to login to places such as school computers, Workboard, etc.

Network access is becoming prevalent in many classrooms as lessons and students are demanding the use of technology (E.g. SmartBoard).

E-mail (GMail)

Substitute teachers have access to a @psd.ca email domain.  You can access your PSD email via any devices with connection to the internet via GMail.  You may also wish to add the email account to your GMail/E-Mail app on your mobile devices.

Login is the same user ID and password as the one for logging on to a PSD70 computer.

Email address is [first name].[last name]@psd.ca

The benefit of the email service is that you may search and contact any teacher or staff at any school, and maintain a professional appearance.  Often, teachers will share lessons plans via Google Drive with your PSD account.

NOTE: Correspondences with the ATA and the Local shall be kept separate of work email.

Google GSuite

PSD uses Google GSuite with staff and students to communicate easily, share efficiently, and work collaboratively

• GMail [first name].[last name]@psd.ca

• Google Drive (cloud storage)

• Google Classroom

• Google Docs, Spreadsheet, Slides

• Google Meet (for remote learning)

Google GSuite login is the same as your Gmail address and PSD network password

Internet Use

As per PSD70 Network Use Agreement, users are not permitted to use PSD70 computers and its network to perform personal business for personal or monetary gain.

Intranet Use

PSD70 maintains an authentication required webpage called Chalkboard for teachers and staff filled with information from various departments around the school and school board.  Substitute teachers may also access this information website via “Employee Tools” link located at the bottom of PSD70’s homepage.

Substitute teachers are given network storage on the PSD network where one may store computer files and such for various teaching-related purposed.  Information on the network storage will be erased at the end of the year.  Network storage path is typically found in My Computers>H:\(your user ID).

As well, substitute teachers are provided with cloud storage via Google Drive under the PSD domain.

Substitute teachers have the ability to print from a PSD70 computer to a local school printer.  There should be a budget for printing for substitute teachers shall you receive funny looks from other school staff wondering how you managed to print things.  Please use your discretion when printing large volumes.

9. Employee Self-Serve (Workboard)

Workboard is a self-serve, automatic substitute teacher booking system maintained by Human Resources department and IT department.

Workboard can be accessed on any PSD70 computer, at home, or any smart phone cellular device with internet capabilities.  Link to Employee Self-Serve can be found at the bottom of PSD's homepage.

Subbing jobs will be posted on this Workboard almost at all hours of the day. It is your responsibility to check the board and accept any jobs you are capable of teaching.  You may also view your individual information, monthly payroll statements, T4 statements, and change your phone number on the Workboard.

Booking Procedure

Only contract teachers can enter an absence and book a substitute teacher.  Substitute teachers have the ability to cancel and decline jobs using the Workboard.

Teachers can see who will be filling their absence.  Therefore, if you intend to hog and cancel, proceed with care.

If you are booked for a specific day, you will no longer see postings which will conflict with your schedule.

Absences are posted until the first bell of the day (E.g. Absence for Thursday, posting taken off Thursday at 8:30am).  After which any unfilled absences will be handled by Nadine Morrison at the Substitute Placement Office the morning of by placing phone calls to various substitute teachers.

Absence: a day when a teacher is away and a substitute teacher is required

Request: when a teacher either a) fills out the name of their preferred sub during the booking procedure, or b) personally contacts a sub to arrange for a replacement (prearrangement)

Specialty subject: for substitute teachers, this is where on your annual renewal application, you have checked off subjects you are or feel competent teaching.  E.g. French, Music, CTS, etc.

Prearrangments

It is common practice to personally arrange a booking between a teacher and a substitute and then log it directly onto the Workboard.

To ensure you will receive the booking which has been promised if it was arranged personally, remind the teacher (or secretary) to check a box that states “I have contacted the substitute teacher”.  Otherwise, the absence may become public and anyone can take the job.

Requests

Teachers can request certain substitute teachers by logging their absence on the Workboard and indicating their top 3 preferred substitutes during that process.

More than 1 day before the absence

• Only the requested substitute teachers can see the posting

• If the teacher did not put in a request, and it is a specialty subject, only the substitute teachers matching that specialty subject can see the posting

  • E.g. Music teacher requires a sub – only subs who have indicated they are music-capable on their application form will see the posting

1 day before the absence

• Requested substitute teachers and matching specialty subject substitute teachers can see the posting

Less than 1 day before the absence

• Public – everyone can see the posting

Exception

• The booking is made AND confirmed when the teacher checks off “I have contacted the substitute teacher” box when logging their absence.  The posting will NEVER become public and will go directly to the requested substitute teacher’s confirmation box regardless of the above time constraints.

It is of the UTMOST importance that teachers follow the booking and request procedures fully to guarantee that you and only you will receive the job confirmation and to also minimize conflict when double bookings occur. 

Cancellation

You may cancel the job on the Workboard up to the day-of the absence.  If you are having troubles cancelling, please contact Nadine at the Sub Placement Office.

If the teacher cancels you:  You will typically receive a phone call from the Substitute Placement Office notifying you of the cancellation.  However, it is suggested that you periodically check your work log on the Workboard.

PSD70 takes cancellation very seriously as it may create a negative impression on everyone.  In the event that substitute teacher is cancelled, you are encouraged to find out the reason for cancellation either from the teacher directly or from the Substitute Placement Office.  If you still feel the cancellation is unjust, you may bring the incident forth to Human Resources or Substitute Placement Office and the appropriate actions will be taken.  Teachers also have a right to know when YOU cancel a job, it is suggested that you call or email the teacher with an explanation.

Unavailability

Substitute teachers are asked to enter their unavailability on the Workboard.  Once entered, you will not be called for work for that day.

It is recommended that you enter your unavailability rather than ignoring the phone because ignoring the phone will automatically bump your name to the bottom of the call list for next time.

If you are unavailable for an extended amount of time (E.g. vacation, contract, etc.), it is recommended that you send an email to Substitute Placement Office to notify them of the reason for your absence before you have been misunderstood that you no longer wish to work for PSD70.

You will continue to see job postings on the Workboard for the days which you are unavailable (perhaps in case you change your mind).

Professional Conduct

Since teachers can find out which substitute teacher will be filling their absences, it is recommended that you do not overbook yourself and cancel as you see fit.  It may appear unprofessional.

You may wish to send an email to the teacher as soon as you have accepted the job.  You may also wish to inform the teacher of your strength and weaknesses so that s/he may plan accordingly (E.g. music class and you play the piano).  Some teachers will also send you the lesson plan well in advance so that you may prepare for the day.

If you are unfamiliar with the subjects the teacher teaches, do not take the job for the sake of the students.  Example: 

French Immersion 🡪 no French background, no notes indicating that no French is okay

Mechanics class 🡪 no journeyman ticket

Music class 🡪 no knowledge of basic music theory

Job Posting and Checking

PSD70 has indicated at various points in time that the Workboard is a service for contract teachers.  Therefore, teachers may log their absences at any time they deem convenient. 

Substitute teachers may access the Workboard even during work at their discretion.  Furthermore, PSD70 stresses that as substitute teachers, when working at a school, their priority is the students who are in front of them.

Some schools frown upon Workboard use during school hours.  Though, more and more schools have become increasingly understanding of our desire to work and thus the need to check the board whenever possible.  Please use your discretion if you wish to access the Workboard during school.  You may also wish to inquire about specific school policy regarding this matter.  

Remember, even if the school allows substitute teachers to use the Workboard during school, students may exaggerate to their teacher the amount of time you spend on the computer.

Fairness

PSD70 strives to be fair to all staff members.  The Workboard is set up in such a way that it suits substitute teachers with various lifestyles.  PSD70 understands that the Workboard is not perfect and teachers may not be perfect and mistakes can happen.

Double Booking: 

• Scenario 1 – A school teacher calls Substitute Teacher A to cover for the day, Substitute Teacher A agrees.  School teacher logs absence on the Workboard improperly (did not check that little box), making the posting public.  Substitute Teacher B picks up the job.  Both Substitute Teacher A and B show up on the day of the absence.

• Scenario 2 – Similar to Scenario 1 except the teacher also puts a note on the comments area whom this job is intended for but Substitute Teacher B still picked up the job.

In the event of a double booking, theoretically, the substitute teacher who has the confirmation number gets the job, regardless of what was indicated in the comments area in the posting.  Most principals are willing to keep both substitute teachers to appease everyone and PSD70 do encourage principals to employ this win-win method, though it is a costly lesson for the absent teacher.

It is strongly recommended that substitute teachers do not pick up jobs that are clearly intended for someone else as this may affect your reputation.  You may even end up being asked to cover various odds and ends classes rather than going into the classroom you signed up for on the Workboard.  In the event that you accidentally picked up someone else’s job, it is best to cancel the booking yourself on the Workboard.

10. Teacher Sharing

It is common practice in some schools to ask a substitute teacher to fill in for another teacher while on their prep, or take an extra supervision duty during break.

This practice has been brought to school representatives and thus administrators’ attention as excess practice can cause a substitute teacher to be overworked.  Some of the immediate concerns with teacher sharing are as follows:

• Not what you bargained for when you accepted the position

• May not be your area of expertise

• May not be prepared (E.g. outdoor P.E. in winter) 

• Can greatly affect student engagement and learning 

• Fear of not getting call backs if you refuse the extra assignment

  • Affects your reputation

  • Affects your income

Fact: If a substitute teacher works full days for the entire week and every prep and break is filled with extra assignments, we would be working more than FTE 1.0

School administrators have been asked to be more considerate of substitute teachers’ situation and put their students’ learning first.

Currently, it is up to the school principal’s decision as to how a substitute teacher’s spare time may be used.  You still have the right to refuse assignments as per Teacher’s Rights and Responsibilities.

Breaks and Assignable Time

According to our current Collective Agreement, all teachers, including substitute teachers are entitled to the following:

8.3.2 Effective April 7, 2019, the school jurisdiction will provide each teacher assigned work for five hours or longer a thirty (30) minute rest period during each five (5) hours worked. 

8.3.2.1 Where an unbroken thirty (30) minutes of rest is not practicable, the rest period may be broken into two periods of no less than fifteen (15) minutes each. Effective September 1, 2019 such arrangement must be agreed to in writing by the teacher and the school jurisdiction. 

8.3.2.2 When reasonable, this break shall occur in the middle of the assignment. 

8.3.2.3 These provisions may be waived if an accident occurs, urgent work is necessary or other unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances occur, or it is not reasonable for the teacher to take a rest period. 

If you feel that this has been violated, please document the incident and report to the Local President.

With regards to Assignable Time, substitute teachers follow the schedule of the teacher that they are replacing, even if it is for multiple days in a row.  Issues arise when the absent teacher has agreed to a special breaks and supervision schedule that does not follow Section 8.3.2 above and puts the substitute teacher in an overworked position.  This issue is currently being advocated by your representative.

11. Grievance Procedure

Refer to Section 15 of the Collective Agreement

12. COVID-19

Due to the ever changing direction from our government, PSD has devised its own School Re-Entry Plan.  You may find that on PSD's website, as well as other COVID-19 related procedures.

Some basic common practices are:

• masks where appropriate

• hand sanitizer upon entry and leaving the rooms

• sanitizing desks, chairs, and high touch areas and items between classes/cohorts

• daily cleaning checklist provided by the school

• self-screening and staying home if feeling unwell, COVID testing when necessary

Furthermore, in the event a substitute teacher is asked to isolate or needs to isolate due to contracting COVID at school, they will be paid the daily rate for the duration of the isolation, minus non-instructional days.

One may also apply for Employment Insurance to top up their income shall they need to isolate.  You will need to ask HR for an ROE (Record of Employment) and you will also need to have met the requirements for EI.

13. Criminal and Vulnerable Sector Checks

Effective September 1, 2022, Bill 85 amended the Education Act by adding a requirement to have updated criminal records and vulnerable sector checks. Section 2(7) of Bill 85 amended the Education Act by adding section 229.1, Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Checks. Bill 85 applies to those whose employment requires a certificate of qualification as a teacher, a leadership certificate or a superintendent leadership certificate. The legislation requires that the checks be completed by January 1, 2024 and must be updated every five years.

All school divisions must enforce the legislation and are required to ensure the results of those checks demonstrate that the teacher continues to be suitable for employment in their position. Failure to provide the necessary checks by the deadline imposed by the legislation, without some clear and demonstrable proof of the steps taken to obtain them, may result in a member encountering significant issues related to their employment relationship with their division. Teachers must comply with the legislation by providing the checks, even if their division has not offered a method or system to address the requirements.

Teachers do not have to incur the cost of the five-year criminal record check. Many divisions have worked with local law enforcement detachments to provide opportunities for members to obtain the checks. However, teachers who cannot provide the checks due to loss of the documents or failure to pick up or download them by the issuing agency’s deadline or starting new employment will be responsible for the cost of the initial check or its reissuance.

If you have a criminal conviction (or charge, subject to the terms of your employment contract) and failed to report this to your division, you should seek the advice of Teacher Employment Services (1-800-232-7208). In this situation, most members would benefit from proactively addressing the issue with their division rather than waiting until their updated criminal record and vulnerable sector check is submitted.