Today the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education, attended a virtual Teachers Think Tank hosted by the Provincial Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association (NLTA). The Provincial Government, in collaboration with the NLTA, will implement a number of initiatives to help address some of the immediate issues identified during the Teachers Think Tank to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers in the province.
The Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education and Trent Langdon, President of the NLTA, will be available to the media today (Friday, February 23) at 4:00 p.m. to discuss these measures. The availability will take place outside the House of Assembly, Confederation Building.
Initiatives that will be implemented immediately following the Teachers Think Tank include:
- Formation of a committee to address recruitment and retention, led by the Deputy Minister of Education and President of the NLTA, which was a commitment made in the new collective agreement;
- Provincial Government to provide a $450,000 grant to the NLTA to help expand mental health supports and initiatives for teachers;
- Provision of an additional 125 hours per day to the total allocation of student assistant hours in English public schools for the remainder of this school year to support student needs; and,
- Assignment of an additional two floating teacher positions within rural schools of the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial to ensure coverage during teacher absences.
Furthermore, beginning in the 2024-25 school year, one professional learning day per school year will be added to focus on mental health issues affecting teachers. This will continue for the next three school years. In addition, Education Accord NL will focus on delivering a 10-year Education Accord with short, medium, and long-term goals for an education system that better meets the needs of students and learners in Newfoundland and Labrador.
These initiatives build upon commitments made in the recently signed NLTA collective agreement which fairly and responsibly reflects the value placed on educators in the province.
More than 2,200 teachers and administrators in the province completed an online questionnaire related to recruitment and retention which informed the topics discussed at the Teachers Think Tank. An overview of the results of the questionnaire is linked below.
The Provincial Government will continue to work on other initiatives with the NLTA and other stakeholders to address challenges related to recruitment and retention of teachers.
Quotes
“Supporting our educators is critical to creating a prosperous future for Newfoundland and Labrador, and I thank all teachers and staff for the work they do. The Teachers Think Tank demonstrated how these types of discussions can yield honest conversations and innovative solutions. I believe the initiatives we announced today are a starting point for positive change moving forward. The work continues to address recruitment and retention of teachers to our public education system and we will work together with the NLTA to find further solutions.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
“The Teachers Think Tank was a truly valuable experience, and I appreciate the frank conversations and feedback from all educators today on what is needed to improve the teaching environment. We hear the challenges that teachers are experiencing in the classroom and in the system daily. The Think Tank and the initiatives announced today have laid a solid foundation to further our work and collaboration to address recruitment and retention.”
Honourable Krista Lynn Howell
Minister of Education
“The Teachers Think Tank offered a unique opportunity for teachers in the field, the front-line workers in our education system, to tell their story directly to the decision makers in this province. We are grateful for the participation of all our members in this event. Our Association has been shining a light on the issues impacting recruitment and retention of teachers in this province for some time. We are optimistic that the measures announced today are the start of a meaningful action plan to improve the working conditions of teachers. Afterall, the working conditions of teachers are the learning conditions of students.”
Trent Langdon
President, Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association
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Learn more
Provincial Government and Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association Sign Collective Agreement
Teachers Think Tank to be Held in New Year to Inform Recruitment and Retention Initiatives
What We Heard – Recruitment and Retention Online Questionnaire
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