Need-To-Know Facts for New Teachers in BC

Important Details About Teaching in BC School Districts

If you recently decided to move to British Columbia, or graduated from a teacher education program, here are five need-to-know facts about teaching in BC.

1. The Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) of the Ministry of Education issues teaching certificates in BC. In some job postings, districts may request a teaching certificate from the BC College of Teachers (BCCT) certificate. Ignore that, they are inadvertently referring to the TRB's old name.

2. Your TQS category determines where you fall on the salary grid.  The Teacher Qualification Service (TQS) issues your TQS category based your academic qualifications. See how much you would earn in a particular district with our 'Salary Finder' tool.

3. The details of your salary and benefits can be found in the district's collective agreement.  A collective agreement is a provincially negotiated contract between the teacher's union and the government. In addition details about salary, the collective agreement also outlines a teacher's terms of employment, employee rights, economic benefits, working conditions, professional rights, and etc.  You may find collective agreements on the BCPSEA website.

4. If you can't click on the "Apply Now" button at the bottom of the job posting, you can't apply online.  Over 80% of school districts accept online applications through Makeafuture.ca; however some still prefer paper applications.  So make sure you read each job postings carefully, and follow the application instructions.

5. After applying to a job posting, don't expect to hear back right away.  It may take 2-4 weeks depending on the number of applications the district has to review.  But don't rest on your laurels, if there is another opportunity in another district that interests you, submit an application right away!

For more useful tips about apply for jobs, follow Make a Future on Facebook and Twitter. You may also want to sign-up for Make a Future's monthly educator's newsletter to receive job search tips, links to teaching resources, and news about the latest career opportunities in BC schools.