Calgary's public schools are facing a daily crisis that's reshaping how classrooms operate. On any given day, roughly 200 teaching positions go unfilled across the Calgary Board of Education—a staggering figure that's forcing schools to make difficult compromises.
The impact is immediate and visible. Teachers are combining classes, losing essential prep time, and principals are stepping out of administrative roles to stand in front of students. In some rural schools, the situation is even more dire. During a recent visit to one small Alberta school, four staff members were absent simultaneously with no substitutes available—leaving the principal to teach while juggling administrative duties.
The Human Cost of Shortages
For teachers like Grade 8 educator Ryan Yeats in Calgary, the substitute shortage creates an impossible ethical dilemma.
"We're always told to take the time we need, but we all feel guilty. Is it worth it or can I push through?" Yeats said, highlighting the guilt many teachers feel when calling in sick.
He noted that pre-scheduled absences tend to get covered, but unexpected illness—whether his own or his children's—leaves little chance of finding a substitute. This dynamic is forcing teachers to work while unwell, potentially spreading illness and compromising their wellbeing.
Teachers across Alberta raised these concerns in January through a CBC questionnaire, revealing that the substitute shortage is contributing to broader burnout. Many report asking unqualified educational assistants to supervise classes, a solution that raises questions about learning quality for thousands of students.
Numbers Tell the Story
The scope of the problem became clearer when a Calgary substitute teacher conducted an informal count: 240 unfilled positions at 9 a.m. on a single morning, with seven vacancies at one elementary school alone. The Calgary Board of Education subsequently confirmed these numbers, reporting an average of 209 unfilled teaching positions daily during the final week of April.
This represents a worsening trend. In April 2025, 16 per cent of substitute positions went unfilled. This year, that figure climbed to 20 per cent—a significant jump that school administrators are struggling to manage.
A Provincewide Crisis
The problem extends far beyond Calgary. Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association, says substitute shortages are now affecting schools across the entire province.
"We've been seeing a teacher shortage in Alberta for several years now. It really came to fruition during COVID, and the year after is when we saw that shortage of substitute teachers ramp up," Schilling explained.
Many substitute teachers left the profession entirely during the pandemic and never returned. What was once a manageable staffing challenge in rural and remote areas has now spread to urban centres like Calgary and Edmonton.
The crisis intensified further this year as Alberta Education hired nearly 500 new teachers in February to establish complexity teams—specialized support staff designed to assist elementary schools with the highest needs. While well-intentioned, pulling experienced educators into permanent positions has exacerbated the substitute pool shortage.
What Comes Next?
Teachers worry this substitute shortage is a preview of a larger staffing crisis looming in Alberta's education system. Without intervention—whether through recruitment efforts, improved compensation, or systemic changes—the daily scramble to cover classrooms could become the new normal for Calgary and Alberta schools.
The Alberta Teachers' Association continues to hear concerns about substitute shortages from members daily, signalling that this issue remains at the forefront of educational challenges in the province.
This article is based on reporting from CBC Calgary. Read the original story at CBC News.