Number of Ontario teachers on sunshine list doubles in 2020
More than 23% of teachers in the province now earning more than $100,000
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubble37 Comments
A classroom.
A classroom. PHOTO BY STOCK PHOTO /GETTY IMAGES
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More than one in five Ontario teachers are now appearing on the provincial sunshine list — nice work if you can get it.
The annual list of provincial civil servants and those paid by the province making more than $100,000 per year was released Friday and the growth in the number of teachers on the list is staggering.
From 2019 to 2020, the number of teachers on the list more than doubled from 14,757 to 29,902.
With the number of teachers, pre-pandemic, hovering around 126,000 full-time equivalents, that’s 23% of the teachers in Ontario who are part of the exclusive club. The big jump of course came during the COVID-19 pandemic when many in Ontario were losing their jobs or losing a significant number of hours worked or weekly pay.
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At the height of the pandemic shutdowns in April 2020, the provincial unemployment rate had more than tripled from 5.2% to 17% before dropping down to 9.5% by December. While thousands of additional teachers were hired during the pandemic, other industries were not so lucky.
Transportation and warehousing jobs were down 13.8%, building support services were down 17.2% and accommodation and food services were down 26.4%.
The average Canadian working full-time hours earns $66,000 per year according to Statistics Canada, well below the average salary of teachers. In 2018, ministry officials put the average teacher salary at $92,000 in Ontario — $92,900 for high school and $89,300 for elementary — numbers that are surely higher now.
In fact, according ministry officials, some 63% are at the upper end of the salary grid, meaning this number will rise. There are also now 30 school boards across the province with salary grids that top out at more than $100,000 per year compared to just 8 boards in 2019.
While the year was a good one for teachers overall, union officials, paid over and above the school board scale, didn’t fare as well in 2020.
Harvey Bischoff, head of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation saw his annual take rise from $219,980 to $221,383. Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation saw his pay packet drop from $188,983 in 2019 to $186,416. Liz Stuart, leader of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association only saw a $348 increase to $165,727.
blilley@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
More than 23% of teachers in the province now earning more than $100,000
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 2 minute read • comment bubble37 Comments
A classroom.
A classroom. PHOTO BY STOCK PHOTO /GETTY IMAGES
Article content
More than one in five Ontario teachers are now appearing on the provincial sunshine list — nice work if you can get it.
The annual list of provincial civil servants and those paid by the province making more than $100,000 per year was released Friday and the growth in the number of teachers on the list is staggering.
From 2019 to 2020, the number of teachers on the list more than doubled from 14,757 to 29,902.
With the number of teachers, pre-pandemic, hovering around 126,000 full-time equivalents, that’s 23% of the teachers in Ontario who are part of the exclusive club. The big jump of course came during the COVID-19 pandemic when many in Ontario were losing their jobs or losing a significant number of hours worked or weekly pay.
Toronto District Catholic School Board building at 80 Sheppard Ave E. in Toronto.
LILLEY: Maskless sick teacher far worse than unmasked politicians
The EMSB showed off their newly installed air purifiers at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Montreal on Monday January 11, 2021. The HEPA filter hangs from the wall in the background while principal Tanya Alvarez takes over a class at the elementary school.
LILLEY: Tone-deaf teacher unions demand a break in March
An empty school classroom.
LILLEY: Teachers responsible for first Ontario school shutdown amid COVID-19 resurgence
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
At the height of the pandemic shutdowns in April 2020, the provincial unemployment rate had more than tripled from 5.2% to 17% before dropping down to 9.5% by December. While thousands of additional teachers were hired during the pandemic, other industries were not so lucky.
Transportation and warehousing jobs were down 13.8%, building support services were down 17.2% and accommodation and food services were down 26.4%.
The average Canadian working full-time hours earns $66,000 per year according to Statistics Canada, well below the average salary of teachers. In 2018, ministry officials put the average teacher salary at $92,000 in Ontario — $92,900 for high school and $89,300 for elementary — numbers that are surely higher now.
In fact, according ministry officials, some 63% are at the upper end of the salary grid, meaning this number will rise. There are also now 30 school boards across the province with salary grids that top out at more than $100,000 per year compared to just 8 boards in 2019.
While the year was a good one for teachers overall, union officials, paid over and above the school board scale, didn’t fare as well in 2020.
Harvey Bischoff, head of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation saw his annual take rise from $219,980 to $221,383. Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation saw his pay packet drop from $188,983 in 2019 to $186,416. Liz Stuart, leader of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association only saw a $348 increase to $165,727.
blilley@postmedia.com
Number of Ontario teachers on sunshine list doubles in 2020
More than one in five Ontario teachers are now appearing on the provincial sunshine list -- nice work if you can get it.
