Inquiry At The Highest Level Called For
It’s not good enough for the Ministry of Education to probe into York School District’s selection and hiring process. The matter as exposed — a superintendent of public schools obtaining an extraordinary hiring package — should be at the level of government itself. Notably, what should be examined is whether the school board system is appropriate for current needs and whether recurring problems in other boards as well are signaling a system which has outgrown its usefulness. The economic wastage and susceptibility to corruption keep popping up in other jurisdictions as well.
Since the education of the young is the mission of the enterprise this should be the primary test against which these matters should be judged. Is there harm to children enrolled in this style of education delivery?
Charles Pascal, a professor in the education faculty, University of Toronto and a former deputy minister, said the troubles in York “are a connection to the larger problem of governance of school boards”.
“there is something unusual going on at that board,” he said in response to the Star stories. Maybe they are not that unusual, but par for the course. We should be worried.
We read about a “culture of fear”, that some senior staff are leaving and that fear of retribution chills public discourse in York district. It should be examined if these kinds of behaviors taint other public education systems.
I have one further point to add, not as yet mentioned (I think) and that is respect for the parent role in this school district. I was very disturbed that during the last primary teachers’ strike report cards were not completed at year-end. These progress reports are part of the “contract” between parents and government schools and in the School Act. How are parents to know if they’ve made a proper decision to enrol their child in a particular school?
A news story at the time reported: “The report card is important to parents and students — it reflects student achievement during the year. The marks, learning skills and comments provide valuable information about student progress,” director of education J. Philip Parappally said.” As a senior executive of the board he should have been involved in an effort to have these declared as essential services by the Labor Relations Board. Was “attendance” still being taken by the teachers during this strike period? These are serious concerns for parents and a superintendent needs to back up parents in their role in education.
A full inquiry at the highest level of the school board system — with York Region District School Board being Exhibit #1— is called for.
[to SQE 05 May http://www.societyforqualityeducation.org/index.php/blog/read/the-duke-of-york ]