yEAR-ENd REPoRT Substitute Teacher Concerns Ad-hoc Committee

The Committee was established under the following Bylaws and Policies of RTAM.

Bylaw ARTICLE 8 - COMMITTEES

The Board of Directors shall establish the Standing Committees of the Board and the Terms of Reference and may, from time to time, establish Ad-hoc Committees with defined Terms of Reference.

Policy 9.05 Responsibilities of the Chair of a Standing or Ad hoc Committee

The Chair of a Standing or Ad hoc Committee shall: a) Be a Director. b) Attend meetings. c) Be conversant with RTAM policy, bylaws and the terms of reference of the Committee. d) Take no action that would commit RTAM resources or funds or be seen as representing the views and opinions of RTAM without express permission. e) Submit to the Board for consideration, early in the year, a list of potential committee members selected from the list referenced in clause 9.07 (5) i). f) Call committee meetings and determine, in consultation with committee members, whether the meeting will be held in-person or using distance technologies to ensure member participation is maximized. g) Prepare an agenda for committee meetings h) Ensure that minutes are recorded, distributed to committee members and submitted to the office for filing. i) Prepare a regular report for meetings of the Board and ensure that such report is submitted to the office for filing. j) Be responsible for ensuring any other reports and/or information in the interest of RTAM is submitted to the office for filing. k) Prepare a report on the work of the committee for inclusion in the AGM Report including a list of members and the number of meetings held. l) Seek the approval of the Board for the allocation of budget funds to support approved projects and to inform the Board of, and seek permission for, any projected committee budget overexpenditures prior to incurring same. m) Obtain the approval of the President prior to committing RTAM funds or resources from the approved budgets. n) Transfer books and records to the incoming chair by June 30 of the next Board year or 30 days after the term ends whichever is earlier. o) Take no action without prior approval of the Board.* p) Immediately notify the President when a situation, perceived as being emergent, becomes known.

*n) is under review as overly restrictive, and is covered off by d) above.

9.06 Responsibilities of the Members of a Standing or Ad hoc Committee

The members of a Standing or Ad hoc Committee shall: a) Be conversant with RTAM policy, bylaws and the terms of reference of the Committee. b) Attend meetings. c) Seek the opinions of RTAM members to enhance services. d) Be sufficiently conversant with current communication methods and computer technology as to be capable of participating in, and assisting with, the work of the Board including access to, and a working knowledge, of email. e) Be a member of no more than three Standing Committees and one Ad hoc Committee. f) Take no action which would commit RTAM resources or funds or be seen as representing the views and opinions of RTAM. g) Immediately notify the Committee Chair when a situation, perceived as being emergent, becomes known. h) Strive to assist in the recruitment of non-Directors as committee members.

Mandate: RTAM Ad-Hoc Substitute Committee 2022-23

Overview:

In January 2022, MTS James Bedford invited retired substitutes to attend a zoom meeting to discuss substitute issues in the province of Manitoba. Many substitutes attended the meeting and the idea of having an Ad-Hoc Substitute committee was discussed at an RTAM Board of Directors Meeting. The Board moved to form an ad-hoc committee at the 2022 AGM in May, which passed. At the Board of Directors meeting in June, Audrey Siemens put her name forth to chair the committee for the upcoming year. Several board members agreed to join the committee. On the yearly volunteer form sent out by RTAM, an RTAM member showed interest in the committee and joined the committee. Audrey also found another person to join the committee as a guest member. The first official meeting of The Ad-Hoc Substitute committee meeting took place on August 31, 2022. The goals of the committee were discussed. During the course of the year, Audrey resigned as a Director for personal reasons. David Harkness took on the role of Chair pro tem, with Audrey serving as Recording Secretary upon her return.

Terms of Reference:

In accordance with the Policy Manual of the Retired Teachers’ Association of Manitoba (2021), the Ad-Hoc Substitute Committee shall:

(a) Administer the RTAM Ad-Hoc Substitute Committee

(b) Annually review the RTAM Goals and Objectives for the Ad-Hoc Committee.

(c) Review its status in April and make a decision whether to 1) keep the committee as an Ad-Hoc Committee for 2023-2024, 2) decide to move a motion at the next AGM meeting to become a permanent RTAM Substitute

Committee or 3) decide to disband the Ad-Hoc Substitute Committee Meeting by moving a motion at the next AGM meeting.

Goals:

1. To gather data from the Spring 2022 RTAM survey (Substitute Section) and distribute the results in the form of graphs and charts to the RTAM Board as well as to organizations and agencies in order to share information about the concerns facing the Substitutes in Manitoba schools (Completed: forwarded graphs and charts to the President)

2. Create more RTAM surveys in order to continue to gather more information about concerns from urban and rural substitutes across Manitoba. (Underway/Ongoing: Research Proposal forthcoming)

3. Create informational documents pertaining to substitutes across Manitoba and post this information regularly on the RTAM website as well as the RTAM social media sites. (Current Status: waiting for My Profile reminder to be posted on website.)

4. Create a document for our RTAM President, Linda Blair to share with organizations and agencies to promote substitute concerns. This document will include data information from surveys as well as actual substitute experiences/solutions that substitutes have shared with the RTAM Ad-Hoc Substitute Committee. (Completed: graphed data, 6 Asks, 15 Solutions forwarded to President, hosted two seminars with MTS.)

5. Create a document specifically for use with the bargaining organizations including items such as forming a collective agreement, attaining a seat at the bargaining table and making positive changes for all substitutes across Manitoba. (Completed: 15

Solutions forwarded to President, who shared with MTS as bargaining agent)

Timeline: Goals 1-5 will be worked on throughout the year with the expectation that they all will be completed by May 2023

The Committee met seven times under two chairs: Audrey Siemens and David Harkness. The remaining members of the Committee were Andre Carbonneau, Shannon Culbertston, Kathy Stevenson, and Dave Najduch.

Insofar as possible, the Committee has met the mandate set for this year as noted above. We recommend monitoring the bargaining process and eventual contract conditions that will affect retirees who choose substitute teaching. Of particular interest will be the use of uncertified persons as substitute teachers, and the recruitment of current substitute teachers by Saskatchewan. The President now has the name of a cross-border substitute teacher.

Data from the Research Proposal may lead to collaborating with the Political Action Committee to suggest approaches to government and school divisions to eliminate the substitute shortage. We recommend continuing the joint Zoom seminars with MTS to monitor retiree substitute teachers’ reports on their working conditions.

The Committee produced a document and electronic file archive to support the incoming chair for next year. Incoming Substitute Committee Chair Guide will aid in the transition to the new chair as it includes the foundational documents, history, and mandate of the Committee as well as operational procedures. David will make himself available to the new Chair to aid further in that transition.

Budget Recommendation: $2 000 in case the Committee needs or is able to return to in-person meetings and/or to support research as needed.