02 Jun Better schools for less money – still more feedback
Paul W. Bennett, Director of Schoolhouse Consulting and former headmaster of the Halifax Grammar School and Lower Canada College, wades in on the school issue (previous posts here and here):
Better schools for less money is not only possible but achievable in Nova Scotia. Judging from the “Kids not Cuts” spending spree, the NSTU, the NSSBA, and their acolytes sense that the public is awakening to their “Kill the Friendly Giant” strategy. Why else would they be pouring thousands into a media campaign attempting to remould their image?On the matter of teacher hiring, I think that you are slightly off the mark. The NSTU certainly runs a closed shop. Some 2,000 teachers are on those “supply lists,” and most will never be hired as regular teachers. The real issue is the Hiring System and the dominance of NSTU rules and regulations known as the LIFO seniority system (Last-In, First-Out). When reductions have to be made, it’s all based on seniority, further demolalizing those promising teachers langushing on supply lists. In New York City, those teachers got organized and formed Educators for Education (E4E) and the rules eventually came tumbling down.
Getting the school administration out of the NSTU simply makes common sense. In Ontario, for example, superintendents, principals annd vice-principals are not in the bargaining unit. It’s just a matter of time before those supposedly in charge of the system come to their senses. Having everyone in the NSTU from the regular classroom to the Superintendent is indefensible. When tough decisions have to be made, who actually represents the public interest, aside from the Minister and her staff? It’s actually costing us dearly at contract time. We should be asking why the Nova Scotia government tolerates the current situation.
Contrarian, you are not alone on this critical public issue. Most Nova Scotians, presented with the stark facts, are with you on this matter. Virtually every education article posted recently on the topic of school boards and the union elicits the same response – a pox on both their houses. It will take more than a “Kids not Cuts” ad blitz to alter the deep seated public attitude that the “core interests” in education speak only for themselves.
Alistair Watt adds:
One major force in the farce is the NSTU, which consistently bargains for their permanent full-time employees at the expense of casual or term employees (I am using the NSCC terminology, though substitute teachers and new hires are treated just as poorly within the public school system).The hiring processes used in P-12 and beyond are appalling , and they need major overhauls.As long as nobody is willing to stand up to the NSTU and change the hiring processes, nothing will improve. The only people that I know who could do this are the ministers within the provincial government, who have mostly hidden behind a wall of “not interfering with the bargaining process `(my wording). In theory, the hiring processes are fully the responsibility of the management, and are not controlled by the bargaining processes, which leads us back to the Ministers.Changing the way people are hired would be a win-win move. All it needs is some guts from the Ministers ( and some cooperation from NSTU).