Edmonton-area schools facing worst staffing crunches of COVID-19 pandemic

The Omicron variant has left Edmonton-area classrooms dealing with the most challengingstaffing issues in the pandemic.

"It's crazy," said Paula Power, spokesperson forSt. Albert Public Schools. "We've never seen anything like this before."

Staffing levels arethe worst she's seen inher 20 years with the district, Power said.

About 10 per cent of staff are absent, compared to about one per cent normally away, she said.

The number of absences are growing.

On Jan 10, 59 staff were absent, 35 of thoseteachers. OnJan. 14, there were87 absences, 51 of them teachers.

Schools have had to move around staff including principals, assistant principals and even consultants to leadclasses, Power said.

"Whatever we can do to cover those classes, we're doing it," she said.

The numbers are similar in Edmontonwith the latest figuresshowing 619, or 10.9 per cent,teachers and 20 per cent of educational assistants absent in public schools.

Of those, 97 teachers' spots were unfilled.

On Tuesday last week, there were 644 staff absent, 335 of them teachers, atEdmonton Catholic schools. Of those teaching positions, 69 were unfilled.

Elk Island Public Schoolshasseen a slight increase in staff illnesses,but are coping, said spokesperson Laura McNabb.

"We understand many other school divisions are facing significant challenges in staffingbut, for now, we are holding our own,"McNabbsaid in email.

Black Gold School Division, whichincludes Leduc, went from 50 absences on Jan. 10 to 95 onFriday. Support staff absences have also jumpedfrom 26 on Jan. 10 to 55 on Friday.

"Most schools are without at least one teacher substitute each day," Devendra Kumar, division spokesperson, said in an email.

For Black Gold, the shortages are comparable to previous waves, but worsethan a regular flu season, Kumar said.

Lack of substitute teachers

Finding substitute teachers has been a challenge for schools.

"I've talked to teachers even outside of Calgary, in Edmonton, in smaller rural areas where they're running out of substitute teachers," said Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association.

Whilesome substitutesare getting sick, others are not comfortable coming in.

Thoseavailable to work areoften signed up with several districts.

The association has been working toget substitute teachers on contract income and benefit security, Schilling said.

"If they were to happen to become sick themselves, they would be able to access those benefits that other teachers have because right now they can't," he said.