Thanks to funding from the Ministry of Education, the UCDSB will hire 25 new special education teachers by the end of November.

The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) has announced that it is allocating a further $2.5 million from the Ministry of Education to hire 25 new special education teachers, in addition to the 19 special education teachers hired earlier this year. The teachers will be assigned to different schools based on the needs of the students and that hiring is in progress. They hope to have the new teachers in place by the end of November.

“This brings the total in the last eight months to 44 additional special education teachers in our system,” said education director Ron Ferguson. “I think it’s probably safe to say this is the largest increase in special education staff perhaps in the history of our board.”

“The fact that we have been able to add 44 new special education teachers over the last eight months speaks volumes about our dedication to our students,” said Jennifer Perry, Superintendent of Student Wellness and Special Education. “We know the need is there and we are working with schools, families and students to develop a circle of support for them, both at school and home, to help them to thrive.”

After this round of hiring, the UCDSB will employ a total of 205 special education teachers spread out amongst its schools.