ATHABASCA – A shortage of qualified teachers has concerned the Town of Athabasca enough that they’ll be bringing possible solutions to their municipal partners in the new year, alongside plans to attract and retain non-healthcare professionals.
Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS) superintendent Constantine Kastrinos, alongside board trustees Anne Karczmarczyk and Dennis MacNeil presented to Town of Athabasca councillors Dec. 19, highlighting the current enrolment numbers at the four schools in town, and calling attention to the shortage of teachers rural school boards are facing.
“If there’s one place we can collaborate together and work together, it’s around the recruitment and retention of teachers,” said Kastrinos. “When you’re dealing with public schools, we have to live in Athabasca, there is no virtual option.”
Councillors voted 6-0 — Coun. Dave Pacholok was absent — in favour of a motion to discuss the possibility of attraction and retention for the professional industry at an upcoming meeting between the town, Athabasca County, and the Village of Boyle.
With the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic still looming over Aspen View’s shoulder and with the side effects still apparent in the classroom, Kastrinos said it is important to focus on the services that schools provide beyond being a learning environment.
“There was a real loss of connection and intimacy between teachers and their relationship with students and the home. Parents and communities truly realized the wraparound services schools provide for students when they’re physically in place,” said Kastrinos, who mentioned family support workers, councillors, sports teams and breakfast programs as examples.
“Now that we’re coming out of COVID, and I say coming out because there’s an evolution to come back, and because of the way schools and instruction was handled, there’s trauma associated with students and their families.”
Homegrown solutions
Aspen View, alongside many school divisions in the province, is facing a shortage of teachers. A spokesperson for the division said as of Dec. 20, they were at the equivalent of four full-time teachers. As a result, AVPS is getting creative when it comes to staff recruitment.
“Rural communities used to get a trickle-out effect of young graduates who were hungry for a job,” said Kastrinos. “I’m going in February, to Grant McEwan (and) Concordia. I’m going as far as Lethbridge, and I’m going to take job offers in my hand. We’re trying those things, and we’re going to continue promoting the town and promoting our schools.”
Another possibility discussed by the school board was incentives — during a meeting with Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta’s minister of education, Kastrinos said they asked what they were allowed to offer potential employees.
“We just got to get them here to convince them,” said Mayor Rob Balay. “Normally when we do get them here, we convince them and they’ll stay.”
Part of that convincing may involve a new committee aimed at attracting and retaining non-healthcare professionals — the region has a committee aimed at healthcare workers, but as Kastrinos pointed out, teachers and schools are critical to a small-town ecosystem as well.
“After the discussion last night, I think it became obvious that there are some things (the town) can do to turn that around,” said Balay in a Dec. 20 follow-up. “Forming some sort of committee with not just the municipality but all the major employers and finding a strategy where we can support each other with recruitment and retention.”
Balay added that on the municipal level, much of that would involve housing — it’s no secret that Athabasca has its own housing crisis ongoing right now, and the town is taking steps to address it.
“We’re in contact with all the developers that own land in Athabasca, and we’re reaching out to ask, ‘What is it we can do to help you pull the trigger and start some development?’” said Balay. “What can we do to get them to invest and build some rental units? That’s what we’re the shortest on, rental properties; there are houses that you can buy and sell, and we want to grow that as well, but for me the big thing is appropriate rental property.”Discussion focused on post-COVID adjustments and staffing concerns
