Niagara Catholic District School Board

EMPLOYEE HIRING AND SELECTION (TEACHERS)

ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

200 – Human Resources

Adopted Date: June 12, 2012

Latest Reviewed/Revised Date: May 25, 2021

In keeping with the mission, vision and values of the Niagara Catholic District School Board, the following are Administrative Operational Procedures for Employee Hiring and Selection (Teachers).

PREAMBLE

The Niagara Catholic District School Board believes that the realization of the goals of Catholic education, founded on faith, inspired by the Gospel, and committed to service requires leadership at all levels.

The Niagara Catholic District School Board recognizes that our school community exists primarily to foster and exemplify Catholic values centred on the person of Jesus Christ. The Board is committed to a Catholic education system that prepares our students for success, now and in the future. The Board also supports the continuing growth of staff through faith development and religious education courses.

As required by the Collective Agreements, the Board requires staff to obtain certification in Religion.

The Board will subsidize staff successfully completing the Board-approved Religion Course as outlined in the Administrative Operational Procedures.

The purpose of these procedures is to recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every person, and to ensure equal rights and opportunities without discrimination for all qualified employees and applicants for employment with the Niagara Catholic District School Board, in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. All employees employed by the Board will have an understanding of and a genuine commitment to the Board's mission, vision and values and are expected to respect and to support the Catholic philosophy of the Board and its schools.

The Board acknowledges its role in ensuring the best educational programming possible for its students reinforced by having qualified staff whose demonstrated experiences and commitment to safe, inclusive, equitable, accessible, and high-quality learning environments is valued in its hiring processes and selection criteria.

The Board recognizes the critical importance of fair, consistent, and transparent hiring processes to support its commitment to fostering a qualified, well-prepared diverse workforce, striving to reflect the demographics of its communities; thus the Board encourages submissions from diverse qualified candidates who reflect the communities it serves.

In its hiring of exemplary and qualified teachers, to meet the needs of the system, the Niagara Catholic District School Board will give preferential consideration by virtue of the availability of qualified candidates, to qualified Catholic applicants in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Section 24(1) (a), the historical right under the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Education Statutes and Regulations.

The Board shall ensure that no individual will be involved in any part of the hiring process if it is self-declared and/or deemed to be a Conflict of Interest.

These Administrative Operational Procedures will clearly define and clarify the hiring and selection practices of teachers of the Niagara Catholic District School Board.

TEACHER SELECTION

The Niagara Catholic District School Board is committed to hiring exemplary and qualified teachers. The hiring procedure specifically addresses the selection of teacher candidates for a teaching position within the Niagara Catholic District School Board.

Recruitment for positions will ensure that all qualified applicants have the opportunity to apply. Applications and documentation of all teacher candidates and employees of the Niagara Catholic District School Board will be maintained in a confidential filing system in the Human Resources Services Department.

The Niagara Catholic District School Board will not discriminate in its hiring and promotion practices on the basis that the qualified applicant is related to a current or former employee. Staff who are related will declare a conflict of interest and not partake in any part of the selection process.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No individual will be involved in any part of the hiring process if it is self-declared and/or deemed a Conflict of Interest regarding any individual submitting their name for a position with Niagara Catholic. A Conflict of Interest is defined as a potential, apparent, or actual conflict where the financial or other personal interest of a Board employee, whether direct or indirect, conflicts or appears to conflict with the responsibility of the employee to the Board, or with the employee's participation in any recommendation or decision pertaining to teacher hiring within the Board.

Conflicts of Interest will be declared to either the Superintendent of Human Resources Services or to the Director of Education who will ensure that the individual declaring the conflict of interest is not involved in any facet of the hiring process.

A. SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR NEW HIRES TO PERMANENT CONTRACT POSITIONS

Applicants being selected for permanent teaching contracts will be based on the following process:

Hiring of teachers will be determined by the system needs of the Niagara Catholic District School Board and will be in accordance with changing legislative requirements, the Education Act, Regulations, Board Procedure and the Collective Bargaining Agreements.

It is a requirement of the Niagara Catholic District School Board that, as a condition of Employment, a teacher will have completed at a minimum Part I of the OCSTA/OECTA course in Religious Education or its equivalent within two years of employment.

PERMANENT TEACHER SELECTION PROCESS

1. Applicants for permanent teaching positions will be interviewed at the board level by a team as determined by the Superintendent of Human Resources Services.

2. Applicants being considered for permanent teacher contract positions will be based on:

· Qualifications (i.e. Undergraduate Courses, Graduate Courses, Additional Qualification Courses and/or other related experience)

· Specific areas of specialization

· Experience with Niagara Catholic and other related experience

3. Senior Administrative Council will be informed of recommendations for the hiring of teachers based on the results of the interviews for permanent contract positions.

4. The Director of Education will approve hiring for permanent teacher positions to the Niagara Catholic District School Board.

5. The Director of Education, through the Superintendent of Human Resources Services will submit the In-Camera Staffing Report to the Board for information.

6. Human Resources Services will be responsible for all offers of employment for teaching positions with the Board as well as the specific teaching assignment for the candidate.

7. Occasional Teachers who are not successful, and who make the request for a debriefing session, shall be debriefed by a member of the interview team who will provide recommendations, in writing, that shall be made to help enhance professional growth.

8. The Superintendent of Human Resources Services will inform the teacher candidates in writing of their permanent status and any necessary requirements from the Board.

9. A subsidy of $200.00 per course will be paid to permanent staff upon successful completion of a Board-approved Religious Education Course or a course in Religion or Theology such as those offered by OCSTA/OECTA.

10. Staff must send evidence of successful completion of courses to the Superintendent of Human Resources Services.

11. Employees must complete the "Request for a Religious Education Course Subsidy" form for prior approval.

12. Requests for course subsidies must be submitted within one year of successful completion of the course.

13. The Director of Education, through the Superintendent of Human Resources Services will submit the In-Camera Staffing Report to the Board for information.

B. SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR OCCASIONAL TEACHERS

Selection of Candidates to be interviewed

Individuals, applying for available teaching positions with the Niagara Catholic District School Board, unless exempted as per a Letter of Permission, are required to:

· Be a Catholic

· Be in ‘Good Standing’ with the Ontario College of Teachers (prior to being assigned to a position or Letters of Permission)

· Meet all requirements set out in Teacher Application Package (Apply to Education)

· Submit a pastoral reference

· Submit a faith reference portfolio

· Submit practice teaching reports and final evaluations and/or recent evaluations

· Submit references

· Meet all qualifications as required by regulations

· Submit related experience

· Submit undergraduate transcripts and/or graduate Faculty of Education transcripts

Interview Procedures

Board Interviews and Selection of Candidates

· Human Resources Services will organize interviews for teacher candidates which will be conducted during specified dates as determined by the Superintendent of Human Resources Services, and shall occur a minimum of twice during the school year.

· The interviews are to be conducted by a panel as appointed by the Superintendent of Human Resources.

· All candidates for a given position will be asked identical questions.

· The panel will have the opportunity to ask probing questions if required.

· The Human Resources Services Department will screen and process the recommendations of the Interview Panel and validate whether the candidate has met all the requirements for a teaching position in the Niagara Catholic District School Board, including satisfactory references, Vulnerable Sector Checks, pastoral references, and other requirements as requested.

· Human Resources Services will notify successful individuals.

· All applicants interviewed will be debriefed on the strengths and weaknesses of the interview by staff as appointed by Human Resources Services.

C. SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR THE RETIREE EMERGENCY LIST

· For the purposes of daily and or long-term occasional teaching positions, Human Resources Services will invite qualified teachers who have retired from the Board to be placed on the Emergency List.

· No person shall be assigned from the Retiree Emergency List unless and until the call out for occasional teachers has been exhausted.

· Niagara Catholic District School Board Policies/Procedures

Niagara Catholic District School Board *EMPLOYEE HIRING AND SELECTION (TEACHERS)* ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
200 – Human Resources	No 203.1

Adopted Date: June 12, 2012	Latest Reviewed/Revised Date: May 25, 2021