Education support staff in Algoma sound off on school violence
Educational support staff are speaking out on a report from the Algoma District School Board (ADSB) which shows an uptick in violence incidents in schools. The union representing support staff says its members often experience burnout as well as physical injury on the job and they are calling for more resources and better support.
“No other job do you go to with the expectation that you’re going to get hit, spit on, your hair is going to get grabbed, you’re going to get chairs thrown at you, desks, classrooms are being destroyed,” said Liz Tassone, Educational Support Staff President for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF.)
Michele McCleave-Kennedy, an elementary educational assistant with he board, told CTV News that support staff often wear protective gear to class.
“You would be wearing protection that’s a sleeve that covers your arm and your fingers, you might be wearing a spit shield, a plastic shield that kids can’t spit on you, Kevlar jacket, as you can well imagine, is a padded jacket,” she said.
“We have our jail guards wearing the same kind of equipment that we’re seeing in the school system.”
As CTV News reported previously, the ADSB recorded more than 1,200 incidents of violence against staff in the 2022-2023 school year.
Joe Santa Maria is the board’s associate director of operations and he said the numbers point to a relatively small number of incidents.
“We have 10,000 students within our board, 35 or so students have reported multiple incidents, or about 65 per cent of the incidents that were reported within schools,” he said.
Santa Maria said she applauds the work of support staff and added the board is doing the best it can to address the situation.
“I think any public organization, whether it’s in the province or Canada-wide, could always use more funding,” he said.
“But, we have the resources in place that we have and we make those resources work as best we can.”
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Jason Young, the District 2 bargaining unit president for the OSSTF, said more support and resources are needed – not just for the sake of staff – but for students as well.
“The supports that we’re asking for, the things that we need in our working environment, help us,” he said.
“But the goal is to help the students and students need to be put in the forefront in this discussion.”
Tassone said absentee rates among support staff are high with many members taking stress leave or recovering from injury.
Tassone added that the average annual pay for an educational assistant is around $30,000 – making recruitment all the more difficult.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a commission of inquiry has found.
TD penalties expected to be higher on alleged drug money laundering link: analyst
A banking analyst says TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Supreme Court orders new trial for B.C. francophone who was not given French option
The Supreme Court is ordering a new trial for a francophone man in British Columbia who says he was not informed of his right to have a trial in the official language of his choice.
Princess Anne to take part in B.C. ceremony bringing new ship into Pacific fleet
Western Canada's first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will officially be brought into the Pacific fleet today and Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, is scheduled to take part in its commissioning ceremony.
BREAKING Winnipeg man accused of killing four women will be tried by jury
A Winnipeg man accused of killing four Indigenous women will have his case heard by a jury.