People often have a lot of questions about the TRB complaint process. I have formatted this blog as a question-and-answer (Q & A) page by taking the responses from the annual report 2024-2025.
Why do some complaints get posted publicly and some don’t?
From page 4:
“To begin with, not everything that may be the subject of discipline by an employer warrants intervention at
the regulatory level. As Commissioner, I must take into account a number of factors in considering whether
to take disciplinary action against a teacher. Among those considerations is the public interest. I generally
do not consider it in the public interest to pursue disciplinary action in matters that do not in some way
directly impact the welfare of students, or significantly impact the reputation of the teaching profession.
Matters such as abuse of sick leave or conflict between staff are generally better dealt with at the
employer/employee level.
Furthermore, it is important to remember that the regulatory scheme does not hold teachers to a
standard of perfection. As with us all, teachers have good days and bad days, and sometimes they make
mistakes. Not all such mistakes warrant disciplinary action at the regulatory level. It is only where teachers’
actions rise to the level of a marked departure from what is expected of them that disciplinary action at the
regulatory level will be taken.”
How do we know if their behaviour has been a marked departure?
From page 5
“When determining if a teacher’s behaviour amounts to misconduct or incompetence, the conduct is measured against established sets of regulatory standards. In the case of teachers holding a certificate of qualification, the
conduct is assessed against the Professional Standards for BC Educators as established by the British Columbia
Teachers’ Council under the Teachers Act “
How do you file a complaint against a Teacher in BC? What are the stages?
When you first make a complaint by visiting this site Make a Teacher Complaint to the Commissioner your complaint will start with the Preliminary Review.
From page 6-7
- Intake
.
2. Preliminary Review
Each report or complaint that is submitted to me undergoes a preliminary review. During this process I
examine any material that accompanied the complaint or report, and any additional information that was
received by the PCU. The Teachers Act provides that I must determine whether:
- the matter is not within my jurisdiction (for example,
whether the matter relates to a current or previously
certified teacher), - the matter is frivolous or made in bad faith,
- the matter has no reasonable prospect of resulting
in an adverse finding by a hearing panel, - it is in the public interest to take any further
action, and - the matter has been pursued in a timely manner.
.
3. Deferal?
4. Then the Commissioner may decide to investigate the complaint.
5. The Consent Resolution (which you will see posted publicly is in place of a hearing. To read more details of this whole complaint process, you can read page 6-7 of the annual report.
6. Hearing (very rare)
Are complaints increasing?
Yes. From page 3 “while complaints from the public remain stable, reports are up from 175 to 201”
That means school districts are filing more reports on their staff.
What is the criteria for the school to report a teacher?
From page 5
“Legally, school employers must make a report to me when a teacher has been suspended, disciplined for
serious misconduct or dismissed. If a teacher resigns, the superintendent or independent school principal
must report the circumstances if it is in the public interest to do so. In addition, the superintendent or
independent school principal must make a report, if it is in the public interest, when a teacher’s conduct
or competence is considered to be in breach of the applicable standards.”
Can a teacher have a complaint filed against them for not following an IEP?
Yes. From page 14, you can see that 16 complaints/reports were filed for “Failure to follow Individual Education Plans or Failure to create an inclusive learning environment.”
Can I file a complaint against my child’s principal?
Yes. From page 5 in large font, “In this report, the term “teacher” refers to an individual who holds a Certificate
of Qualification, a Letter of Permission or an Independent School Teaching Certificate. “Teacher” includes superintendents, principals, vice-principals, and classroom teachers.”
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Here is the annual TRB report for 2024-25
You can read about the statistics of how many complaints were filed, how many reached a consent resolution and more and all the different categories of complaints that they fall into. I find this to be very interesting information.
This annual report is also listed with other annual reports I keep track of on my Annual Report page.
Here is the link to access the discipline database and see discipline outcomes.
