Teacher unions warn of mass retirement in the sector [Video]

School boards in Windsor-Essex could experience a significant loss of teachers in the coming years due to retirements, according to unions representing teachers.

Mario Spagnuolo, president of the Greater Essex County Teacher Local for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, said the region experienced a mass hiring of teachers in the late 1990s.

“We had a mass exodus of teachers in that year, so 30 years later, it would make sense that we’re also going to have mass retirements at that time as well,” Spagnuolo told CTV News.

In the Windsor region, Spagnuolo estimated between 100 and 200 teachers could retire between 2027 and 2028, compared to an average of 50 retirements each year.

“It’s going to be significant, not just in terms of the numbers, but we’re losing valuable experience and wisdom in our classrooms that new teachers mentor, that won’t be there.”

According to documents obtained by The …