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~ILT : - By HOWARD MOZEL Special to The Champion Ban Algar bas been appointcd Cbief of Police of tbe Halton Regional Police Service. At a press conférence scbeduled for Wcdncsday, tbe Halton Regional Police Services Board will niake it fficial Uiat Dcputy Cbief Algar will replace outgomng Cbief Peter Campbell effective January 1, 1999. In tbe past, Dcputy Cief Algar bas voiccd notbing but the bigbest praisc for officers in tihe field and residents wbo work with Uic police to ensuro that Halton romains safe and securo. He is aiso a stauncb proponent of coro- munity policing and is proud of Uic strides tbe force bas taken to involve residents and make its officers - sucis as the village constables - part of the districts in wbicb Uiey serve. Deputy Cbîef Algar - now a Burlington resident and married faUier of e e»e ALGAR on page 20 Union head is angry over board actions By HOWARD MOZEL Special to The Champion The solicitation of unqualified supply teachers and use of OAC students to supervise classes has the head of Halton's Catholic teacher's union hopping mad at his board. According to Joc Pece, prosi- dent of the Halton secondary unit of the Ontario Englisb Catholic Teachers Association (QECTA), such practices exac- erbate lost instructional time and present a mincfield of lia- bilities. The Halton Catbolic District School Board bas taken out advertisements calling for uncertified occasional (supply) teachers in ail subject areas to be used in wbat the ads tenn an "as needed" basis. The reason for the applicant search, says the board, is the serious shortage of supply teacbers due to thc retirement in 1997 of hundreds of occa- sional teachers across Ontario. Last year tbe board had approx- îmately 160 supply teachers it could cali on. Now it bas only about 60. In addition, job action by Catholic teachers in Halton has led to absenteeism witbout enough fuil-time teachers to belp cover their classes. The board also feels it is hamstrung by thc requirement for a maxi- mumn of 22 students per class. Ail tbis, maintains board Cbair Jim Sberlock, constitutes an emnergency. Mr. Pece says tbat since scbool started, more tban 700 classes across Halton bave been canceled, largely because teacbers - now teacbing an additional class - are flot available to fill in. This is un top of instructional time missed wben teacbers refused to teacb Uic extra class. Mr. Pece says tbat if the board is s0 willing to caîl tbis JIm Sherlock an emergency situation, it sbould pressure Uic province to relax tbe class size require- ments, not bunt for unqualified tcacbers. "Ail this could be resolved in a bcartbeat if tbe province offered some leeway to tbe 22 student average,"be said. In Uicmeanitime, tbe Ontario College of Teachers bas for- warded a letter to the board explaining tbat using teacbers not certified by tbe college- cxcept in emergencies - is contrary to thc Education Act. Mr. Pece said Mr. Sberlock's recent appointment as a tnustee representative to Uic college is a blatant conflict of interest. "It is undermining wbat tbe college is set out to do," bie said. Adding instilt to injury, Mr. Pece alleges, is tbe fact Oakville's St. Thomas Aquinas H-igb Scbuol is using OAC stu- dents to supervise classes instcad of tcacbers.. Mr. Pece said students sbould be lcarning in class, flot babysitting - for froc. Sharîng a secret Santa Claus anrived ut Milon Mli Saturd.y ln grand style, te the delight of dozens of sager chlldren Mek flve-year-old Jessica Lynn Makin who came prepared wlth her Chrisimas wsh lat. Algar ies new top cop ID Ean Alger A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 3 9 No. 72 Tuesday, November 17, 1998 40 Pages 750 (GST included) 1