Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Nova Scotia
Teachers’ Voices:
An Independent Survey of
Nova Scotia’s Teachers
Authors:
Pamela Rogers, Ph.D.
Angela D. Gillis, M.Ed.
Hope Lemoine, M.A.
Molly Hurd, M.Ed
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
Question #1:
As a teacher what do you think has worked well since the imposition of the new collective agreement?.........................8
Question #2:
In your opinion, what still needs to change? What would improve your experience in your classroom,
and more broadly, your school?......................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Question #3:
What do you love about teaching? Why do you teach?..................................................................................................................................... 20
Question #4:
Is there anything else you want to tell us?.................................................................................................................................................................. 24
An Alternative Perspective.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Concluding Thoughts............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Educators for Social Justice – Nova Scotia
F
ounded in 2015, Educators for We believe in a robust, well-round- A democratic, participatory,
Social Justice – Nova Scotia ed public education system that member-driven union
(ESJ–NS) is an independent supports social justice and challeng-
caucus of educators whose goal is es oppression. Every member of a union should
to advocate for greater social justice Education should be universally have the opportunity to engage
in our schools and communities. free and public. Curriculum should meaningfully and regularly in union
Meeting once a month, the caucus is be rich, diverse, broad, culturally affairs, including participating in
comprised of members from across relevant and holistic, not narrowly decision making. Union structures
the province, hailing from a variety focused on skills measured on stan- should facilitate rather than discour-
of educational backgrounds. With in- dardized tests. age member participation. Union
put from public elementary, second- We oppose the top-down “da- leaders should seek out and encour-
ary, and community college faculty, ta-driven” agenda in our education age rank-and-file members to partic-
university professors, independent system, which reduces education ipate. Current union structures need
educators, and parents, ESJ–NS is to a numbers game and removes to be re-examined and re-vamped in
well poised to examine our edu- meaning from learning. a way that builds grassroots power.
cation system and identify areas of The education system should not Elected union leaders should be
focus to improve supports for Nova just prepare students for “job-readi- accountable and transparent in their
Scotia’s students and communities. ness”, but rather all aspects of partici- dealings with members.
pation in society.
The education system must also Building alliances
actively challenge colonialism,
racism, sexism and all systems of Educators have natural allies in
oppression, and encourage auton- parents, students, other unions, pro-
omy and self-determination for all gressive education advocates, and
peoples. community organizations. We seek
to build and strengthen connections
Strong contracts for education with community members in order
workers to create the education system
and the society we want to see. In
Education workers, like all workers, a province where so many people
deserve adequate compensation struggle close to the poverty line,
and working conditions as well as and with an extensive history and
job protection. Teachers and oth- current reality of racism and colo-
er workers being valued by their nialism, we believe it is necessary to
employer creates better learning work towards a fairer, more equitable
conditions for students. Strong society for all.
contracts provide a foundation for
improvements to the education
system as a whole.
A little background two years, stripping the teachers’ In early February, the NSTU
long-service award and failing to pulled out of the Council to Improve
The past few years have been turbu- provide desperately-needed relief for Classroom Conditions, claiming
lent ones for education in Nova Sco- classroom conditions. that they were not consulted on
tia. A majority Liberal government During all this labour unrest, the recommendations of the Glaze
started its mandate vowing to “live Province House saw some of the report, many of which they saw as
within its means” with the first priori- largest demonstrations in its history, directly undermining the work of the
ty being to reorganize and bring the as teachers gathered by the bus- Council. By February 27, 2018, after
public sector into line. The govern- load from all parts of the province. some negotiation with the NSTU, Bill
ment started with the healthcare Many parents were also outraged, 72 was passed and the contentious
sector, cancelling regional health and a Facebook group representing recommendations, with the excep-
boards, and rolling a large number them grew to over 22,000 members tion of the creation of a College of
of unions into four major ones. during this period. Educators and a body to oversee
The government then passed the As part of its negotiating strategy, standardized testing, were enshrined
Public Services Sustainability Act the government set up the Council in law.
(Bill 148), which imposed a four-year to Improve Classroom Conditions,
contract on all public sector workers, with a $20 million budget over two The survey
basically freezing wages and cutting years. It met during March and April
some benefits. When the Nova Sco- 2017 and issued a report on April It was against this backdrop, and
tia Teachers Union (NSTU) contract 28 of that year. New teachers were due to skepticism about the par-
came up for renewal, a contract to be hired, and “class caps” for high tisan nature of the Council and its
offer was made in September 2016. schools were set in place. Some new intention to research conditions in
However, the membership voted the policies (attendance) were imple- schools, that Educators for Social
contract down, paving the way for mented and promises elicited to Justice – Nova Scotia decided to
strike action and starting a round of reduce paperwork and standardized provide an alternative reading of
protests, work-to-rule (WTR) and a testing. classroom conditions in Nova Scotia
history-making lock-out of teachers In October 2017, the government through the eyes of teachers and
by the government. Three times announced the hiring of Dr. Avis others who work within the school
the membership of the NSTU voted Glaze to conduct a “comprehensive system.
down tentative agreements until education system administrative re- A Google Forms survey of four
the government proposed Bill 75 on view” of Nova Scotia’s education sys- open-ended questions was created,
February 21, 2017, after a one-day tem. After a month of consultations, and it was launched on social media
walkout by teachers. Dr. Glaze presented 22 recommen- on January 19, 2018. It was also
During the debate around this dations, 11 of which were accepted distributed by word of mouth and
bill, the Law Amendments Commit- almost immediately by the gov- through email. Originally the plan
tee heard presentations from about ernment in January 2018. Many of was to close the survey by March
100 educators and other citizens these were extremely controversial, break, but because of the Glaze
until they were cut off, leaving and included eliminating all English report and the dramatic changes to
another 300 people unheard. The language school boards, setting up the education system that ensued,
enactment of Bill 75 imposed, essen- a College of Educators and forcing as well as requests from teachers,
tially, the first rejected contract offer principals and vice-principals out of it was decided to keep it open for
on the teachers, freezing salaries for the teachers’ union. another few weeks.
“Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nothing” Of the 134 responses that gave were working, and six mentioned
examples of things that have worked the attendance policy in high school,
There were approximately 291 replies well since the imposition of the new although several acknowledged
to this question, although five an- collective agreement, most of them that there were problems with these
swered that they didn’t feel qualified were qualified and could be interpret- policies. There were another 23 varied
to answer for various reasons. Several ed as backhanded criticisms. The two positive responses ranging from “we
long responses were split into two main categories of those “positive” reduced the accessible areas during
thematic categories, bringing total re- responses were related to the work to lunch to reduce supervision areas and
sponses to 297. Out of the total num- rule (WTR) strike that teachers carried ensure more teachers get a real break”
ber, over half gave answers that could out before the imposition of the to “money for more classroom teach-
be construed as “negative,” meaning collective agreement (52 responses): ers.” Three mentioned the suspension
that either things had not changed “For me I feel empowered and justi- of standardized testing, two men-
or had become worse. Of these, 104 fied to say no to extras (beyond my tioned getting additional guidance
simply said nothing had changed, contract) that I typically would have support, two mentioned “the 50,000
but 34 replied that things were worse, said yes to” and to teacher solidarity given to priority schools,” two appre-
and gave reasons. Another 14 said (28 responses) “teachers supporting ciated some extra literacy support
nothing much had changed, but tried each other and voicing their con- and two felt that parents were glad to
to find something positive to say: cerns.” have extracurricular activities back.
“I have a healthier work/life balance On the unreservedly positive side,
because of the lack of respect I have 28 teachers answered that class caps
been given by my employer.” that resulted in smaller class sizes
Nothing, in fact worse “Nothing has changed in my teaching whatsoever. I am, howev-
(34 responses) er, stressed with wondering what indignity or foolishness will
Sixteen respondents answered that come from the Department of Education with every new press
“morale is at an all time low” and release. The new attendance policy has meant one less student
another five made comments about in my classes this term, but nothing was done to help that stu-
the greater workload. The rest were dent become successful. I have not seen any difference in support
a variety. for students with special needs at the high school level, and the
deficits of students entering high school will take years to work
through the system, if changes are currently being made at the
lower grades.”
Nothing/Not much but… “Nothing! Our action WTR allowed me to put a perspective to my
(15 responses) work/life balance. The collective agreement has done nothing to
Two respondents were happy that improve the education system.”
more learning centre jobs had been
created, while eight mentioned that “teachers communicating across the province with one another
their work life balance had im- more than ever before…nothing in my classroom is better and I
proved. Others mentioned that caps am poorer,”
on class sizes, where implemented,
“I tried but I have nothing. Wait, the council seems to be a slight
were helpful.
improvement.”
“I hear attendance officers have been hired but that has done
nothing to help conditions in my classroom”
Teacher solidarity “Honestly, the only thing working well is the teachers. They
(28 responses) continue to persevere and stick with it, no matter how bad things
Twenty-eight respondents were get in their classrooms. They are working hard to support the
appreciative of the increased many academic, socio-economic and behavioural needs in the
teacher solidarity and collegiality classroom. Teachers continue to work in the best interest of
as well as the council on classroom students.”
conditions.
“When NSTU members are at table working on class conditions.”
Attendance policy “I have heard that the attendance policy, from the Council to
(5 responses) Improve Classroom Conditions, has led to reduced absenteeism,
but I have not noticed any change in attendance in the P–3 wing
at my school.”
Other “All I can think of is that a lot of people/parents are happy that
(23 responses) extracurricular activities are back.”
“We have been able to hold a small number of kids back a grade
when the repetition could benefit them.”
When compiling the statistics, it was comment had to include the word of the teachers who took part in the
sometimes difficult to parse the dif- “nothing”. Other comments, no mat- survey were able to find an unre-
ference between the negative com- ter how grudging, were considered servedly positive change since the
ments that answered the question “positive”. Therefore, I find it useful to imposition of the contract. Of those
with “nothing much, but…” and the combine those two categories into positive responses, the most cited
qualified positive comments that one, which I have labeled “qualified concrete improvements were the
were often thinly veiled criticisms. responses”. Of these 94 qualified class caps—when they resulted in
After all, there may be improve- responses, it is worthwhile noting smaller classes—and the addition
ments from work-to-rule to teachers’ that 68% of teachers mentioned of a small amount of extra support
mental health and quality of life, work/life balance as being the only —an extra support teacher, extra
and increased teacher solidarity may improvement, and the other 32% money for priority schools, more
impact the classroom positively, but cited teacher solidarity. awareness of teacher workload,
they were certainly not the intend- Considering the positive bias in reduction of standardized testing.
ed consequences of promises made the question, which was designed The other four-fifths (80%) are still
by the government when the con- to elicit positive responses, it is waiting for the positive changes
tract was imposed. It was decided telling that a mere one fifth (19.6%) promised by the government.
that to be considered negative, the
Positive w. qualifications
Q1a: Q2:Percentage
Q3:
Percentage
Q4:Percentage
Positive Percentage Breakdown
of Qualified
Breakdown
Breakdown of
Responses
of
of
Question 1: Q1: Percentage Breakdown
Responses,Total 392 ofTotal =
from Q1 Responses,
(Positive and
Total == 197
Negative),
297
As a teacher, what do you Responses, Total = 290More human resources
think has worked well since 3% 94 1
“Help. I am not reaching all “We have a ridiculous limit on photocopies and print credits that
of my students because it is only allow us to copy 15 pages double-sided per student. This only
not possible… Our school is covers tests and nothing else. We are forced to beg other teachers
swamped with needs and not for copies or many use their own money to copy outside of school.”
even close to enough EPAs.”
“I am a PE [Physical Education] teacher, all of our classes are
Question 2 elicited the most lengthy double—this means we can have over 60 kids from grades P–9 in
responses. Many covered more than the gym at one time. While we try to make it work day to day, the
one issue, and as such were the- students do not get as much out of the program as they could if
matically divided into more than the size of the class were smaller.”
one category, bringing the total
“We need $ for classroom resources. I’m tired of taking money
number of responses to 392. The
from my family to buy the things that I need in my classroom.”
most commonly reported changes
mentioned for this question were “Teachers are tired, bone-tired of feeling overworked and under-
lack of resources, both material and appreciated. NS still seems to want schools to ‘fix’ every issue
human (a shortage of teachers, with children aged 4–19 but we are not given the supports or
specialists, and support staff ), insuf- resources to do so. The people who are making major decisions
ficient preparation time, problems that impact my day-to-day classroom reality have no idea of
with inclusion, and the perceived what that reality is, or how their choices will impact it. “
lack of trust in the professionalism of
“The amount of data entry and collection is still unwieldy and
teachers. Responses also highlight-
the systems used for it are poorly designed. Children with needs
ed an increase in student mental
do not receive the support they require to progress. If anything
health concerns. our current system guarantees that they fall further behind every
Concerns about resources year. Despite all the promises very little did actually change, and
include everything from a lack of what was gained during WTR appears to be already ceded back.”
items and space the public assume
educators have—books, seating for “[We need] more teachers for us to give a more inclusive and
all, washroom facilities (33 respons- differentiated learning environment. School nurses for treatments
es) to not enough qualified staff, for children with medical needs during the day. Staff should not
medical services, staff to support be doing medical procedures even with education from IWK
students one-on-one, or specialists [children’s hospital]. Rules and regulations about removing
students who are violent numerous times.”
(163 responses). Teachers report
that existing resources in public “Nova Scotia teachers have been doing more with less for
education are stretched all too thin decades; however, it has become too hard to maintain the status
as schools try to support students quo! Teachers have more complex classrooms, needs, adaptations,
who are hungry, need daycare, and [and] violence in the classroom, mental health issues, and
health support (mental and phys- students living in poverty.”
ical). As well, programs, such as
pre-primary, have been added and “Major behaviour challenges (often linked to trauma and/or
extended without thought to how mental illness) are taking significant resources from our learning
this increases workload and strains centres. We simply do not have the resources we need to cope, it
human and physical resources for feels like we are constantly putting out fires rather than address-
ing core issues. Our students deserve better.”
public schools.
Respondents report that they “Our system is beyond broken. We do what we can with what we
perceive a loss of trust and re- have but it isn’t enough. We are just patching up the holes in the
spect for the teaching profession in lifeboat. We need so many things. We need a government that
Nova Scotia by those who legislate respects us. We need to feel valued. We need hope.”
public education (49 responses). The
“The system needs restructuring… [Teachers] are strong minded,
interests of taxpayers in education
highly educated autonomous people and we will not be moved by
have also been dismissed as school
anything less than what is best for our students. We can look to
boards were dissolved in 2018. other countries like Finland to see where teachers are respected,
Teachers must be considered edu- have autonomy, authority to make effective change where they see
cation experts in our province and it’s needed and the politics of government is kept as far out of the
advice ought be heeded. The daily way as possible.”
work life of teachers and students
has changed dramatically in recent “I need to not be hit, kicked, bitten everyday in my classroom. I
years; this is not always apparent to need to have a voice in class composition. I need a principal who
those outside schools. isn’t going to reprimand people everyday for not agreeing with
[principal]. I need a leader in my school [who] is willing to hear
teachers and help them. I need a government who cares what’s
happening to the students and teachers.”
“The age has to change for Grade Primary. The four year olds are
too young for the curriculum. The curriculum for Grade Primary
is NOT a play-based curriculum and it is too hard for many of
them. That extra half-hour is exhausting to the little ones espe-
cially the four year olds that just turn 5 at the end of December.”
“In short, we need to address the daily physical and verbal abuse
of students and staff in public schools. We need the resources to
deliver the curriculum to a broad spectrum of learning needs.
We need an alternate and affordable childcare plan that happens
outside of pubic school. We need subsidized and accessible
recreation programs for students outside of public schools. We
need to address child poverty in our province.”
“I know I am not alone when I say that the imposed contract and
the disrespect shown by the NS government last year has me
demoralized to the point that I no longer find the joy in teaching
that I once did, and have seriously considered leaving the teach-
ing profession altogether. What needs to change? Too many things
to mention. First, the outdated model of education that we have in
NS needs to change. Why aren’t we looking at the best education
systems in the world and using some of the ways they do things to
improve our own school system? The attack on NS teachers by the
provincial government needs to change. Class compositions need
to change. Teacher workloads need to change. Our classrooms
need more EAs to help with students experiencing academic
challenges. Our schools need more teachers, especially resource
teachers who can focus on meeting the needs of students who are
struggling, before those students become frustrated and give up
on school altogether.”
Respondents frequently mentioned “Too many administrative duties are passed down to teachers.
the increasing mental health and Record keeping for resource and learning centre students has
academic needs amongst students become all-encompassing and cumbersome. Class composition
which, along with the decreasing needs to be addressed, along with inclusion which doesn’t work
resources, is contributing to a crisis under the current model since we do not have sufficient resources
in place.”
in inclusive education. (66 re-
sponses)
“More support in each classroom for the inclusion system that
clearly isn’t working… How are students who used to be in a
separate classroom with 1–1 or 1–2 support supposed to integrate
into the regular classroom with no supports in place, with no
extra teacher training? Faster assessments for students in need.
Behaviour specialists in each school. Clear roles for those
specialists.”
“When you see children aged 5–7 BEGGING to see the guidance
counsellor when she is in the building, and she has to say, ‘not
today, maybe next week’ because of her high caseload, it just isn’t
right. There isn’t enough speech therapy, and a 14 month wait for
a psych-ed assessment isn’t acceptable.”
“It was not just the children with IPPs who suffered from this
lack of support but the whole class and their teacher. Other
classes I have taught have had students who have clearly been
traumatized by their peers and have gone on to have mental
health issues in part brought on by insufficient support for
inclusion policies.”
Angela D. Gillis
Positive w. qualifications
Question 2: Q2:Q3:
Q1a: Q2:Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
Q4:Percentage
Positive Percentage Breakdown
ofBreakdown
Qualified
Breakdown
Breakdown of
of of
Responses
of
Q1: Percentage Breakdown
Responses,Total of
In your opinion, what still from Q1 Responses,
Responses,
(Positive Total
andTotal == 197
= 392 392 Total =
Negative),
297
needs to change? What would Responses, Total = 290More Morehuman
humanresources
resources 1
3% 94
improve your experience in Morephysical
More resources2
physicalresources
20%10%7% 13%
your classroom, and more 8%
12%20% 42% Simply,
Trust/respect
"the kids"balance
Work/life 3
9% 48% Negative
Moresupport
supportfor forinclusive
inclusive ed.
broadly, your school? 32% More
11% Student
Workloadlearning/growth
Teacher solidarity4
12%
11% ed.
ed.
Negative w. qualifications
27% 65% The
MoreQuality
Morejob/personal
prep
prep of life balance
time
time
Work/life growth5
52% Positive w. qualifications
17% 68% Relationships
Quitting the profession
5% 8% Teacher solidarity6
Trust/respect
Positive
Trust/respect
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
“The lightbulb moments of dents included negative comments students as they would wish be-
recognition when a concept within their response. For some, the cause of change and bureaucracy.
is clearly understood by a negative was the absence of the Back to the primary question,
struggling pupil. The cre- positive: “I am not loving teaching “What do you love about teach-
ative energy of the children at the moment. That is a sad state- ing? Why do you teach?” For many
is infectious. It was my life’s ment.” “Not a lot anymore.” “I don’t respondents (37), the answer can
passion to teach.” even know anymore. And that’s be reduced to a word or two: the
really sad.” children, my students, or the kids.
There were 292 responses to the Some respondents started That sums it up. Indeed, 30 respon-
third question in the Educators for negative and followed up with the dents only used one or most often
Social Justice survey; however, five positive. “I left teaching, as I was feel- two words with students, children
long responses fit into more than ing frustrated with all the changes or kids being preceded by the arti-
one thematic category, bringing the happening so rapidly and the lack of cle ‘the’ or the pronoun ‘my’ as their
total number of responses to 297. input, however I missed the children only answer. Other respondents
The length of responses varied from so I return regularly to sub, enjoying did not use one of the three afore-
one word to 400 words. the real reason that I first entered mentioned words in their answers;
The current discussion is based the profession, our youth.” For though it was clear that they were
on 291 respondents who answered others, the negative comment was a referring to students even if they did
the third question of the ESJ survey. postscript to the positive: “I still love not specify. Four were somewhat
This question, “What do you love my subject and seeing students get vague with respect to students
about teaching? Why do you teach?,” it… I now teach because I have to, with the following responses: “so
asked teachers to reflect on the pos- until I retire in four years.” many things”; “learning” ; “I do love it,
itives of the profession, about the Many included their frustrations however the stress is taking the toll”;
reasons they became teachers and with not being able to do the job “problem solving”.
continue to remain in the profes- to the best of their ability or to have
sion. Seventeen of the 291 respon- the kinds of relationships with their
Students are key, but what about “That moment when they learn something new. That moment
the process of working with stu- when they do something they thought was impossible a short time
dents did teachers mention in their before. That moment they overcome. That moment when you see
reflections? Two expressions that sparks of the person they are becoming”.
came up regularly and that were
“Watching students grow academically, socially and emotionally.”
often paired together were student
learning and student growth.
“Helping struggling students move forward and build growth
Combining student learning and mindsets, allowing their individualism to shine.”
growth saw 155 mentions, but this
total does not reflect those who “I love helping the kids. I love watching a struggling student
only mention learning or who only grasp a concept for the first time. I love seeing their progress over
mention growth. Linked to learn- the months and years. Despite the politics and the system I find
ing and growth was the number myself caught in, the joy I get from helping those students succeed
of references to the joy of visibly is enough to keep me going.”
The third grouping of reasons “I love the opportunity to be creative every day and deliver the
teaching is such a great profession material in a way that makes sense to me and my students.”
were references to the job itself
(37 responses). Teachers referred “Making a difference in the lives of our students”
to their love of learning, and the
personal growth experienced on “I still love teaching. Children are the future. In many cases, my
the job. They mentioned enjoying classroom is the most dependable, safe place for the children. I
love finding new ways to introduce curriculum and fun ways to
planning lessons and working with
help children learn.”
the curriculum.
Several mentioned the passion “Teaching is not just a job to me, it is a calling. There is no other
they had for teaching or how they career I would have chosen. I love being able to close the door,
felt teaching was a calling, while teach my students and leave all the paperwork and other things
others linked their identity to that that do not directly impact my teaching behind.”
of a teacher. Twenty respondents
mentioned making a difference in
children’s lives and being a positive
influence on children. Others artic-
ulated their love of the variety in
the job (17 respondents), that there
are different experiences that you
can share with students and how
each day is different with teachable
moments happening at any time.
Angela D. Gillis
Positive w. qualifications
Question 3: Q2:Percentage
Q3:
Positive Breakdown of
Percentage Breakdown of
What do you love about Responses,Total
Responses, Total == 297
392
teaching? Why do you teach? 3%
More human resources 1
“Buckle up” teachers experienced as connected time, data collection, and classroom
to workload, stress, and working composition), and discussions on
The last question on the ESJ survey through several years of labour dis- leaving the profession. Because sev-
provided participants with space to putes and a legislated contract. eral responses were thematically
communicate any further informa- Other than 11 responses that coded into more than one category,
tion they felt was important. Out of thanked ESJ–NS for providing a plat- the total number of responses was
a possible 292 responses, 102 chose form to hear teachers’ voices, 179 197 for this question.
not to add anything for Question 4, responses demonstrated teachers’ Overall, the responses can be
but the remaining 190 respondents concerns with their profession, the divided into three overarching
overwhelmingly relayed concerns impact educational reform has had themes: trust, workload, and qual-
that teachers and specialists had for on their personal lives, as well as the ity of life. In subsequent sections,
the current education system, with lives of the students in their care. teacher responses are included to
many providing significant feedback These 179 teachers took the op- demonstrate the variety of insights
for improvement. portunity to provide extra feedback received on each topic. While not all
While some of the answers echoed on several issues, including teacher responses could be incorporated,
the responses from Questions 2 and 3, burnout, lack of professional auton- the teacher voices included best
the Question 4 responses demon- omy and trust between teachers illustrate the breadth of partici-
strated much more attention to and the provincial government, pant experiences in the education
mental health and family issues issues with workload (preparation system.
Trust – government, public (mis) “Teachers need a voice and someone in this Government to
perceptions, stronger union support them, so we can teach and get back to sharing our
passion.”
128 respondents discussed issues of
trust and respect in a multitude of “It takes incredible motivation and stamina to strive for
ways, including a dictatorial govern- excellence against all impediments and barriers, personal
ment, public misperceptions about sacrifices and exhaustion. McNeil and his policies—along with
teacher bashing in the media—have seriously damaged my
teachers’ jobs, and a need to rebuild
motivation and energy. Instead of striving for excellence I may
union engagement. Teachers con-
be settling for adequate. How does that help students?”
tinually asked for the government
to listen to their experiences and “I have the best job in the world when I am able to just do my job.
take their ideas into account before Hardest thing is to keep up your morale with the daily rants, lack
implementing new reforms to edu- of respect given to teachers by people who don’t do our job and
cational structures. As one teacher never have stepped foot in a classroom… To survive, I shut my
stated, “We have too many people door and escape in my classroom with my students and teach.”
with no classroom experience tell-
ing us they know better.” “True, well-intentioned educational reform is not pushed through
The lack of trust between teach- quickly… What’s the rush? Shouldn’t these conversations be big,
ers and the government, and span longer periods of time? I feel rushed, and as though my
ongoing, deliberate attacks on the thoughts aren’t valued.”
teaching profession through failed
Teachers’ frustrations, including ship to their work, as well as uphold- but also in collective bargaining,
feelings of “humiliation” and being ing their forced contract with their negotiations, and fighting for fairer
“demoralized” are clearly communi- employer. working conditions. In the subse-
cated time and again through their Although there were 12 com- quent sections, teachers describe
responses. While the above eight ments about the NSTU which how their workplaces have become
quotations provide only a glimpse appeared in the text, most of the difficult to manage, not only be-
of the teacher voices we received, comments showed that teachers cause of public opinion and mistrust
almost two-thirds of the responses wanted to have a stronger presence between the government and
to Question 4 were about teachers through their union and union educators, but due to the systemic
feeling unappreciated, undervalued, representatives. This is true not only issues teachers are facing in their
and struggling with their relation- in the public eye and in the media, classrooms and schools.
“Be the voice of teachers and try not to sugarcoat that voice to the
public. Fight for us and show that we are a strong union.”
Molly Hurd
students with all learning needs,
while a second teacher describes
how trying to teach multiple groups
of students has setbacks, and often
leaves them stretched between
students. Being stretched for time,
energy, and support has affected
teachers’ quality of life, their health,
and their ability to teach at the high
level they are expected to perform.
“I am actively looking for a new job. I can’t bear what the next
half of my career would be like. It’s ruining my personal life and
making me miserable.”
“As a new teacher, I’m always asking myself how far I am willing
to go before the politics break me? How do I plan a future when I
can’t plan from one year to the next?”
Positive w. qualifications
Question 4:
Q2:Percentage
Q3:
Q4:Percentage
Positive Breakdown of
Percentage Breakdown
Breakdown of
of
Is there anything else you’d
like to tell us? Responses,Total
Responses, Total == 197
392
297
More human resources 1
3%
More physical resources 2
8% 10%7% 13%
12%20% 42% Simply,
Trust/respect
"the kids"balance
Work/life 3
9%
More support for inclusive
11% Student
Workload
learning/growth
Teacher solidarity4
12%
11% ed.
65% The
MoreQuality
job/personal
prep of life growth5
time
52%
17% 8% Relationships
Quitting the profession6
Trust/respect
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Compiled by Pamela Rogers
Moving toward a progressive The report has provided the have felt disrespected, unheard, and
education system opportunity to hear from teachers disheartened at the decisions the
across the province, and has shed Liberal government has made in its
The 2018 ESJ–NS Teachers’ Voices light on what educators need, what education reform. A new reform plan
survey was designed, distributed, an- is not working, and why teachers has not since been released, but is
alyzed, and written as a collaborative continue to work for students and underway.
teacher action project that involved their communities despite the diffi- The 291 educator participants
current and retired teachers, com- culties they face. who answered the ESJ–NS Teachers’
munity members, and allies. If the snapshot of responses from Voices survey provided significant
At each step of the research pro- the Teachers’ Voice survey is indica- feedback, and concerns about the
cess, ESJ members worked together tive of the overall state of teaching current state of education and the
to create a report that would provide and of the education system in Nova profession. In the spirit of The 3Rs: Re-
teachers an opportunity to speak Scotia, there is cause for concern, new, Refocus, Rebuild—Nova Scotia’s
back to negative, common-sense and need for immediate action Action Plan for Education, the teacher
perceptions of the teaching profes- to create positive change. ESJ–NS survey responses offer an alternative
sion and the education system, and suggests what needs to change, and version of the 3Rs: Renew, Refocus,
offer an alternative perspective of offers positive paths toward a more and Respect. Each section below
public education in Nova Scotia. progressive education system. reimagines the action plan through
It is important to note that while the words and experiences of teach-
the report provides insights into ESJ Nova Scotia’s 3Rs: Renew, ers, and offers an educator’s guide
teachers’ experiences, and sheds Refocus, Respect – lessons from to future education reform to show
light on issues with public education the Teachers’ Voices survey what is needed to restore faith and
in Nova Scotia, many changes have balance in the education system.
taken place since the survey closed In 2015, the Liberal government
in April 2018. Changes to education released its five-year plan for edu- RENEW
have not slowed down, therefore the cation reform titled The 3Rs: Renew, Teachers want the Liberal govern-
report does not fully reflect political Refocus, Rebuild—Nova Scotia’s Action ment to renew their commitment
and educational realities after April Plan for Education. Some of the pro- to a well-funded public education
2018. posed changes, such as class caps, system in Nova Scotia through
The survey demonstrated that have been implemented from this • continued and expanded funding
teachers are experts in their pro- plan with varying success in schools. for inclusion: proper time, sup-
fessions, and as such, should be Others ideas, such as the removal ports, and specialists for schools
consulted thoroughly before, during, of administrators from the NSTU, in urban and rural areas;
and throughout processes of educa- disintegration of school boards, and • professional development, proper
tion reform. Teachers know what the the creation of a “robust teacher training and supports for educa-
optimal conditions are for student performance system” (p. 17), were tion staff;
learning, and while they are adept suggested in the reform plan, with • renewed commitment to educa-
at adapting to changes within the the understanding that changes tion specialists such as guidance
system, they also recognize when would be negotiated with the NSTU. counsellors, speech pathologists,
learning environments are restricted Proper consultations and negotia- and psychologists: value their
by such extensive reform. tions did not occur and as indicated contributions and importance in
by our survey results, educators all schools;
Face your orchestra As seen with the number of in standardized testing results, but in
teachers leaving, or thinking about the treatment of its most cherished
The survey responses paint an leaving the profession, there is a workers—its teachers. As a barom-
abysmal picture of teaching in Nova breaking point. Although educators eter for the health of the system,
Scotia, and the reasons are complex; are extremely adaptable profession- teacher responses have shown that
the demands on teachers extend als, there is a time when the “extras” the system is not well; the abuse
far beyond their classrooms. The become too much. Teachers are teachers have sustained for years
disparagement of public educators committed to their jobs, but some is no longer hidden, and no longer
in the media, as they fought for a fair are left feeling defeated, while others acceptable.
contract several times over and lost, are looking for new lines of employ- What the ESJ–NS Teachers’ Voices
and misunderstanding and mistrust ment. survey has shown is that teachers
from the general public has left The amount of difficulty teachers are hard-working professionals who
teachers shouldering burdens both face in the workplace needs to be care deeply about students and their
inside and outside of their schools addressed. As a sample of the teach- craft. They want fairness as workers,
and into their communities. ing population, teacher respondents and to be treated with dignity and
While there are many parents illustrate the feelings of many, which respect by their employer.
who support teachers, and groups are exasperation, defeat, and being It is time for the provincial gov-
like Nova Scotia Parents for Pub- overwhelmed with the tasks they ernment to conduct the education
lic Education who are working in are asked to accomplish without system by facing its orchestra,
solidarity with ESJ–NS and the NSTU, proper support and time. Teachers instead of turning its back: lead
the pressure has become too much do not want to leave the profession, by listening to and working with
for some teachers, who have felt as many above reiterate over and teachers, not by listening only to
the repercussions in their family and over that they have worked hard business, economic, or dubious
home life—one teacher described it but “cannot keep going” as it is. The performance indicators of “success.”
as “time that is never recovered.” job, in its current state, is destroying Teachers create and sustain student
While new tasks, technologies, teachers’ personal lives, health, and engagement, which leads to success
reforms, and protocols are shifted, well-being. in the education system; this must
as they often are in education, not While the responses are certainly be respectfully acknowledged.
enough time is given to schools distressing, they serve as a warning
to adapt to these changes. During for those in leadership positions,
major reform and shifts, schools those in government, and for every-
continue to run as normal, but the day citizens with voting powers to
weight of major change is piled onto see the depth of the education crisis
teachers. in Nova Scotia. The crisis does not lie