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Shock follows board dismissal
Theresa Seraphim
for Spotlight
The recent dismissal of the Northland School Division board of trustees has been greeted with shock by the High Prairie School Division board.
“As a board, we are both surprised and shocked by the recent announcement of the Minister of Education,” said board chair Joyce Dvornek in a statement.
Dvornek went on to say, “Based on our limited knowledge and understanding of the situation, we have no further comment at this time.”
On Jan. 21, Education Minister Dave Hancock, using his authority under Section 42 of the School Act, dismissed the entire Northlands board.
“The Minister was concerned there’s an ongoing trend of poor student performance and there were concerns about teacher turnover,” explained Ministry of Education spokesperson Carolyn Stuparyk.
“They’re closely linked,” said Stuparyk, explaining that a high teacher turnover doesn’t provide consistency for students to be able to learn.
In a news release, Hancock said he didn’t make the decision lightly.
“I have given this course of action careful and serious consideration, and am disappointed at having to enforce this section of the School Act,” he said.
“The bottom line is that the education of students is suffering and we can’t risk losing a generation of young people.”
Stuparyk said another concern was the fact that the new $12.5-million Bishop Routhier School on the Peavine settlement hasn’t yet been occupied, 10 months after construction was finished.
That school is one of 23 in Northlands, which also includes Grouard Northland, Gift Lake, and Paddle Prairie, among other schools. The division’s student count is 2,885.
Hancock has appointed Dr. Colin Kelly, who was Northland superintendent from 1990 to 2002, as administrator for the division.
“Right now, it’s expected he’ll probably be in there until 2013,” said Stuparyk.
She said Northland is unique in that it has 23 local school board committees, which are elected at the same time as the corporate school board. The chair of the local committee automatically sits on the corporate board.
Stuparyk said although the corporate board has been disbanded, the local boards are still in place.
Most Northland students don’t finish Grade 12, said Stuparyk.
“Their high school completion (rate) is 19.6 (per cent),” she said. According to Alberta Education figures, province-wide, 70.7 per cent of students graduate.
The figures also say that 13 per cent of Northland students drop out of school between the ages of 14 and 18, triple the province-wide number of 4.8 per cent.
The division’s four-year teacher retention rate is 34 per cent, compared to a provincial rate of 62 per cent.
Besides appointing Kelly, Hancock has also put together a three-person inquiry team, which will consult with the local committees and talk to people at the school board office about the issues.
“They’ll be looking at doing a review of student results (and) issues around the financial management of the school board,” said Stuparyk.
Although a report to the Minister isn’t expected for four to six months, and the situation won’t be changed overnight, Kelly is mandated to begin resolving issues immediately, she said.
Dr. Colin Kelly and the three-member inquiry board have a large job ahead of them, according to Northland School District superintendent Pier De Paola.
“It’s a big task. It calls for a fresh dialogue with parents. It also calls for students to speak out,” said De Paola of the work ahead of the new administrator.
Communication will be key, said De Paola.
“The top priority is to listen very carefully to the local school board committee members because they’ve also felt frustration,” he said.
Parents have to be involved as well, since the discussions will hinge on the future of their children’s education, said De Paola, adding Education Minister Dave Hancock has made the education of First Nations, Inuit and Metis children a major goal.
The inquiry panel will visit each community in the division to find out what will help parents send their kids to school.
Some are still suffering the effects of the residential school experience and still don’t fully trust the school system, said De Paola.
It’s not the first time an education minister has dismissed an entire school board.
In 1981, all seven members of the Northland School Division board were fired, and an inquiry launched. In 1983, the current board, with its 23 members, came into being, said De Paola.
Part of the situation lies in the fact that many Northland schools have lower enrollment, he said. Of the 23, ten have less than 60 students, nine have between 100 and 190 students, and four have more than 200.
But, said De Paola, there are hopeful signs.
“Last year, we had 57 teachers leave and two principals. So far this year, there was one principal and two teachers (who left),” he stated.
Part of the reason for that turnaround, said De Paola, is the week of orientation that gives new teachers and principals a good idea of what to expect in their roles.
He said it’s hard to know what will come out of the situation, whether the division stays as one or some parts join another division or subgroupings occur.
“The future is open,” said De Paola.
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