Becoming a Teacher in Canada

It all started last year around this time. I started looking and applying for jobs in Calgary and the surrounding area. I applied for an Alberta teaching license online in May and hoped for the best. In June when we visited Calgary I spoke with people in HR for the four districts in the region and found out that they won't apply for work permits for foreign teachers, and that I'd have to wait until I had permanent residency. And the time ticked by...

In the fall, after we had moved to Canada, I called Alberta Education to check on the status of my application. I gave him the reference number and he told me that he didn’t have any of the required documents, nor the $200 application fee. And he told me all of this in a snotty French accent, which really made my blood curdle (but it’s something that you deal with in the bureaucracy because they need bilingual workers to handle the idiots from/in Quebec who won’t speak a word of English to save their life). I mean, I already did all of this, what’s the problem?

So I did what everyone does in this situation, you go to the supervisor. As it turns out, the reference number they emailed me was different than the one under which they had filed all of my application, and the money, which they had to have their boys in accounting track down. In November I was notified by Alberta Education that my profile was complete and that I just needed proof of permanent residency to get my license.

The Monday after I landed as a permanent resident I called AE to verify the document they wanted. Unfortunately, AE only accepts the actual permanent residency card as proof of residency, and I still have four to six weeks until that shows up in the mail. This was discouraging, but they do have a system in place for people like me to get a 'Temporary Letter of Authority', which would allow me to teach if a district wanted to hire me. So once I someone wants me, I can go ahead and work. Let the applications begin!