Background
At the 2019 National Principals Conference, principals of Reformed schools across Canada agreed that staffing shortages are one of the greatest challenges that they face. They further agreed that, since this is a ‘system-wide’ concern, collaborative action would be the most effective way to address the issue. Otto Bouwman (Principal of Credo Christian Elementary School in Langley, BC) and Kent Dykstra (Principal of Credo Christian High School in Langley, BC) were appointed to move this forward on behalf of Western schools in conjunction with the League of Canadian Reformed School Societies (LCRSS), representing Ontario schools.
In January 2020, representatives from RCDC, CCRTC, and the LCRSS met to discuss possible actions. During that meeting, the results of a two-year project that the LCRSS initiated on this topic were shared. All present agreed that it would be beneficial to work collaboratively to extend this program and to involve Reformed schools from across Canada. Those present also determined that the best way to initiate this process would be to develop a strategic plan to attract and retain career teachers for Reformed schools. A “Problem Definition” session was held via Zoom on May 29, 2020, and a strategic planning session is planned for October 16, 2020.
