Q & A

Is the "Initiation to Teaching Program" part of the provincial internship initiative?

J.S. Buski

Question: Our school has recently received an invitation from Concordia University College to participate in an "Initiation to Teaching Program" by placing interns. Is this part of the provincial internship initiative? What other information and advice can you offer?

Answer: I have also received a copy of the information sent to schools. The Concordia program for placement of interns does not have any official sanction and is not part of the province's Early Literacy Program Internship initiative. Details regarding the provincial program have not been finalized.

In the literature I've received, Concordia states that the program is intended to give graduates from the college's BEd program "further opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and attributes."

Concordia proposes three types of internship placements:

Employment of the graduate as a regular teacher on either interim or temporary contract.
Employment by the jurisdiction as a "teacher intern" for the months of May and June.
Placement as a volunteer "teaching associate" for the months of May and June.

In considering this offer you need to be aware of the following:

The Concordia program is not part of the province's internship initiative.
The Association continues to believe that government should limit the right to grant degrees in education to Alberta universities with professional faculties of education. Concordia is not one of these. However, the Association's quarrel is not with the graduates of these programs.
Graduates of any teacher education program, once certificated, are free to seek employment in a school jurisdiction and will be welcomed into the Association.
There is no provision in our collective agreements with school jurisdictions for the employment of an individual as a "teacher intern" for the months of May and June, as proposed by Concordia. The position of the Association is that, to the extent that these individuals may be performing teaching functions, the terms of their employment would need to be bargained with the Association.
Placement of a teacher graduate as a "teaching associate" is a volunteer placement and no different than placing any other individual, regardless of qualifications or lack thereof. In other words, unless employed by a jurisdiction as a teacher, these individuals are volunteers in a classroom and are not authorized to take on teaching duties under the School Act.

Questions for consideration in this column are welcome. Please address them to J.S. Buski at Barnett House.