Vancouver schools: a third of teachers considering resigning, union says

Teachers’ unions and other workers in Vancouver’s school system are sounding the alarm about low morale.

They share the results of a survey which shows that one in three teachers surveyed say they intend to leave the profession within five years.

“Members are increasingly feeling like they’re being asked to do more with less,” Jody Polukoshko, president of the Vancouver Elementary and Adult Educators’ Society, told CTV News on Thursday.

“What they’re finding is that there are growing needs and complexities in their classroom, and we really, really want to do our best to serve all of our students, but we’re finding it increasingly difficult .”

Of particular concern is what these teachers say is the lack of appropriate support for students with special needs.

“We want to make sure they learn equitably and we’re not able to do that,” Polukoshko added. “When tasks and demands increase, that’s when we start to feel terrible about our jobs.”

In response, the Vancouver school board shared data indicating it has not seen a spike or trend in resignations in recent years, saying it has 3,100 teachers on its payroll.

The year with the highest number of resignations in the last five years was 2018/19, which saw 128 teachers resign across the district.

That number then dropped to 73 the following year – and 74 left their jobs last year.

The VSB also shared hiring data – noting that it has hired 431 teachers, 181 school and student support workers, 74 supervisory aides and 57 custodians since May 2023.

In a statement sent to CTV News Vancouver, Education and Child Care Minister Rachna Singh said teachers “need work environments that support them to do their best.”

“While our full-time teaching and support staff number more than 56,000 in British Columbia, the tight job market is challenging us all,” the release said. “My ministry is actively working to support school districts in their recruitment efforts and we are working with our education partners to develop a province-wide workforce plan to recruit, train, hire and retain more of K-12 employees.

Singh’s statement also highlighted mental health strategies focused on the well-being of adults in schools, as well as improved mental health benefits and coverage for teachers.

The survey and the school board’s response come as the current collective agreement expires in just over a year.