A
      Booming
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Rodd
      _
      Charlottetown,
     
     
      Friday
      2:00pm.
      Packed.
      Swarms
      of
     
     
      Education
      students
      fill
      both
      the
     
     
      upstairs
      and
      downstairs
      conference
     
     
      rooms,
      scouting
      out
      potential
      future
     
     
      employers.
      On_the
      other
      side
      of
      the
     
     
      equation,
      over
      thirty
      boards
      are
      repre-
     
     
      sented,
      desperate
      to
      talk
      to
      as
      many
     
     
      candidates
      as
      possible.
      Some
      of
      these
     
     
      reps
      have
      come
      with
      contracts,
      and
     
     
      will
      could
      be
      handing
      them
      out
      the
     
     
      following
      day.
      5
     
    

    
     
      “IT
      have
      four
      contracts
      with
     
     
      me,”
      says
      one
      school
      board
      rep
      from
     
     
      Alberta.
      “We’re
      looking
      for
      math
      and
     
     
      science
      teachers
      primarily,
      though
      we
     
     
      have
      all
      sorts
      of
      positions
      to
      fill.”
     
    

    
     
      That
      sentiment
      was
      echoed
      by
     
     
      many
      representatives.
      “If
      you
      are
      a
     
     
      math
      or
      science
      teacher
      right
      now,
      you
     
     
      can
      write
      your
      own
      ticket,”
      said
      a
     
     
      Calgary
      board
      rep.
     
    

    
     
      This
      was
      the
      general
      consen-
     
     
      sus
      upstairs
      and
      down.
      Looming
      short-
     
     
      ages
      in
      all
      areas
      of
      the
      country
      as
     
     
      thousands
      upon
      thousands
      of
      teachers
     
     
      retire,
      and
      those
      with
      math,
      science,
     
     
      and
      computer
      skills
      are
      lured
      away
      to
     
     
      private
      industry.
     
    

    
     
      What
      this
      means
      for
      education
     
     
      students
      graduating
      in
      the
      coming
     
     
      years
      is
      that
      their
      prospects
      of
      unem-
     
     
      ployment
      are
      far
      less
      than
      they
      would
     
     
      have
      been
      in
      the
      past.
     
    

    
     
      “I’ve
      already
      lined
      up
      three
     
     
      interviews
      for
      tomorrow,”
      exclaimed
     
     
      one
      elated
      candidate.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Some
      boards
      are
      downright-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      competitive
      with
      one
      another.
      One
     
     
      representative
      from
      Alberta,
      when
     
     
      asked
      about
      the
      another,
      more
      rural
     
     
      board
      from
      Alberta,
      said
      “Look
      at
      the
     
     
      pictures
      they
      have.
      They
      have
      a
      pic-
     
     
      ture
      of
      a
      guy
      holding
      up
      a
      fish
      and
      a
     
     
      guy
      playing
      hockey
      .
      .
      .
      that’s
      because
     
     
      [fishing
      and
      playing
      hockey]
      is
      all
     
     
      they
      have
      to
      do
      there,”
      presumably
     
     
      trying
      to
      steer
      people
      away
      from
      more
     
     
      remote
      boards
      to
      his
      more
      urban
      loca-
     
     
      tion.
     
    

    
     
      For
      years,
      talk
      about
      impend-
     
     
      ing
      shortages
      have
      spurred
      rumours
      of
     
     
      recruiters
      luring
      teachers
      right
      out
      of
     
     
      teachers
      college
      with
      signing
      bonuses
     
     
      of
      up
      to
      $20,000.
      While
      no
      bonuses
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4]
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Teachers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      large
      were
      evident
      at
      the
      fair,
     
     
      there
      was
      no
      shortage
      of
      wheeling
      and
     
     
      dealing
      to
      entice
      potential
      teachers
      to
     
     
      relocate,
      including
      signing
      bonuses,
     
     
      subsidized
      housing,
      memberships
      to
     
     
      fitness
      centres,
      and
      travel
      and
      food
     
     
      allowances.
     
    

    
     
      The
      registration
      table,
      the
      first
     
     
      stop
      at
      the
      fair,
      immediately
      raises
     
     
      candidates’
      expectations.
     
    

    
     
      “How
      many
      interviews
      did
     
     
      you
      receive
      as
      a
      result
      of
      the
     
     
      Education
      Job
      Fair?
      .
      .
      .
      How
      many
     
     
      job
      offers
      did
      you
      receive?”
      reads
      the
     
     
      registration
      form,
      which
      is
      to
      be
     
     
      turned
      in
      at
      the
      conclusion
      of
      the
      fair.
     
    

    
     
      Of
      the
      thirty
      or
      so
      boards
      that
     
     
      were
      represented
      at
      the
      fair,
      twenty-
     
     
      four
      of
      them
      had
      conference
      rooms
     
     
      booked
      for
      the
      following
      day
      to
      do
     
     
      interviews.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      boards
      were
      harder
      to
     
     
      get
      to
      than
      others.
      The
      Halifax
     
     
      Regional
      School
      Board
      had
      a
      long
     
     
      line-up
      for
      a
      good
      part
      of
      the
      after-
     
     
      noon.
      Calgary,
      too,
      generated
      a
      sub-
     
     
      stantial
      amount
      of
      interest.
      The
      boards
     
     
      that
      had
      no
      line-ups
      were
      those
      that
     
     
      were
      most
      in
      need
      of
      teachers:
      the
     
     
      Northwest
      Territories,
      Northern
     
     
      Quebec,
      and
      other
      remote
      boards.
      Yet,
     
     
      these
      are
      the
      boards
      with
      the
      most
      to
     
     
      offer.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Kativk
      School
      Board
      in
     
     
      Northern
      Quebec,
      for
      instance,
      offers
     
     
      starting
      teachers
      around
      $35-40,000
      a
     
     
      year
      in
      salary,
      subsidized
      housing,
      iso-
     
     
      lation
      pay
      of
      up
      to
      $16,000
      a
      year,
      and
     
     
      signing
      bonuses
      of
      up
      to
      $9,000
      a
     
     
      year.
      For
      a
      teacher
      just
      starting
      out
      and
     
     
      trying
      to
      get
      some
      experience,
      this
     
     
      could
      be
      a
      very
      attractive
      offer.
      —
     
    

    
     
      Another
      school,
      from
      Mexico,
     
     
      was
      offering
      the
      equivalent
      of
      $1200
     
     
      Canadian
      a
      month,
      free
      living
      expens-
     
     
      es,
      and
      a
      membership
      to
      a
      health
      club,
     
     
      and
      they,
      too,
      would
      dole
      out
      up
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      $5000
      U.S.
      upon
      completion
      of
      the’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      contract.
     
    

    
     
      Perhaps
      these
      boards
      weren’t
     
     
      generating
      enough
      interest
      simply
     
     
      because,
      with
      the
      current
      climate
      of
     
     
      opportunity,
      many
      potential
      teachers
     
     
      feel
      they
      don’t
      have
      to
      move
      in
      order
     
     
      to
      get
      experience.
     
    

    
     
      In
      Ontario
      alone,
      45,000
      new
     
     
      positions
      will
      become
      available
      by
     
     
      2005.
      British
      Columbia
      is
      in
      the
      same
     
     
      boat,
      with
      demand
      for
      teachers
      pro-
     
     
      gressing
      to
      the
      point
      where
      boards
     
     
      have
      taken
      to
      hiring
      university
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      as_
      substitute
      teachers.
     
     
      Nationwide,
      the
      unemployment
      rate
     
     
      for
      teachers
      is
      down
      to
      2.5
      percent.
      In
     
     
      1995,
      it
      was
      4.3
      percent.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      However,
      the
      picture
      is
      not
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Time
      for
      Teachers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Joel
      MEGGS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nearly
      so
      rosy
      in
      the
      Maritimes.
     
     
      According
      to
      one
      New
      Brunswick
      rep-
     
     
      resentative,
      the
      fact
      that
      the
      Maritimes
     
     
      has
      so
      many
      teachers
      colleges
      for
      such
     
     
      a
      relatively
      small
      population
      means
     
     
      that
      there
      hasn’t
      been
      and
      isn’t
      likely
     
     
      to
      be
      any
      real
      shortage
      of
      teachers,
     
     
      though
      she
      did
      express
      the
      much
     
     
      lamented
      difficulty
      in
      finding
      math,
     
     
      science,
      and
      computer
      teachers.
     
    

    
     
      PEI
      is
      perhaps
      the
      worst
     
     
      province
      for
      teachers
      right
      now.
     
     
      According
      to
      the
      PEI
      Job
      Futures
      site:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Few,
      if
      any,
      new
      positions
      will
      be
      cre-
     
     
      ated
      for
      teachers
      due
      to
      the
      decreasing
     
     
      size
      of
      the
      school
      age
      population.
     
     
      Approximately
      one-quarter
      of
      the
     
     
      employed
      teachers
      in
      P.E.I.
      are
      eligi-
     
     
      ble
      for
      retirement
      by
      the
      year
      2003.
      In
     
     
      March
      of
      1999
      the
      provincial
      govern-
     
     
      ment
      offered
      a
      Workforce
      Renewal
     
     
      Plan
      as
      an
      incentive
      for
      teachers
      with-
     
     
      in
      two
      years
      of
      retirement
      age
      to
      leave
     
     
      early.
      This
      will
      allow
      for
      a
      more
      grad-
     
     
      ual
      decline
      in
      the
      number
      of
      retiring
     
     
      teachers
      and
      immediate
      job
      opportuni-
     
     
      ties
      for
      new
      teachers.
      Some
      of
      the
      job
     
     
      openings
      will
      allow
      teachers
      who
      are
     
     
      presently
      working
      as
      substitute
      teach-
     
     
      ers,
      job
      sharing
      positions
      or
      working
     
     
      less
      than
      full-time
      hours
      an
      opportuni-
     
     
      ty
      to
      apply
      for
      permanent,
      full-time,
     
     
      year-round
      teaching
      positions.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      According
      to
      Ricky
      Hood,
     
     
      Director
      of
      Human
      Resources
      and
     
     
      Administration
      for
      the
      Eastern
      School
     
     
      Board,
      PEI
      has
      experienced
      no
      short-
     
     
      age
      in
      applicants.
      “We
      will
      continue
      to
     
     
      hire,
      probably
      an
      average
      of
      fifty
      to
     
     
      sixty
      teachers
      a
      year.
      We
      have
      a
      fairly
     
     
      large
      pool
      at
      the
      moment
      [of
      substi-
     
     
      tutes
      and
      part-timers
      waiting
      for
      full
     
     
      time
      positions]
      .
      .
      .
      we
      have
      approxi-
     
     
      mately
      340
      applications
      on
      file
      in
      the
     
     
      database,
      and
      we
      have
      about
      300
      sub-
     
     
      stitute
      [applications
      on
      file]—that’s
     
     
      healthy.”
     
    

    
     
      Hood
      claims
      that
      he
      gets
      a
      lot
     
     
      of
      e-mails
      from
      Islanders
      who
      have
     
     
      left
      to
      go
      where
      the
      jobs
      are,
      asking
     
     
      when
      there
      will
      be
      opportunities
      on
     
     
      PEI
      so
      they
      can
      come
      home.
     
    

    
     
      ;
      This
      year,
      Hood
      expects
      to