HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-02-12, Page 3IN TELEP'SJ EWLS
Times -Advocate, February 12, 1997 Page 3
Helen Johns MPP answers Teacher's Federation
Question of the Week #
OSSTF District 45; issued the second of five Questions of the Week to be' issued throughout the
months of February. and March. The question being asked hy Secondary School teachers across
Huron County and the Province of Ontario of Conservative MPP's is a follows:
•
•
Question: Helen Johns. MPP Huron, -your government has announced that the province will
take over the total responsibility for curriculum development•in order to improve standards and •
student performance and`that this curriculum will he ready for.implemsntation by September 1998.
there are hundreds ofcurriculum guides which will have to be revised, rewritten,
integrated -and created: The public deserves to know -the answer to the following
question.
What provincial and local support and training will you put in place to ensure
that classroom teachers have the necessary resources and curriculum to
implement your announced secondary school reform for September 1998?
•
further OSSTF District4S posed a few other questions for MPP Johns to respond to: •
Mrs. Johns would you tell -us how .many personnel at the •Ministry of Education and Training are
now working on curriculum reform -that must ,be in place in a little more than one school year? Has
—your government decided how many curriculum and course guidelines need to he reviewed? Has
your government -evaluated the value lo•teachers and students of -the current Ministrycurriculum
guidelines? Has your government evaluated the amount of work currently being performed by
Boards of 1 ducation-10 make Ministry guidelines into useful classroom tools? Are you aware of the
amount of preparation time and otic of school time individual teachers give to development of_
curriculum and course outlines' now? And lastly- Does your government intend to purchase
"Canned Curriculum" from thecheapest. privately owned American) sources, for use with
our students in the Secondary School cla`srotimsof Huron County. •
Although Mrs. Johns did not have time to respond to our question of -last week we are hopeful
she -will respond this week, since the answers svilt dramatically impact the students and -classrooms
of Huron County Public Educationsin the -very near future.
(1SSTF: founded in /9/9..hu.r sa000 mern1 ers.across Ontario and 244 members in Huron
County. -Its membership inelude.r public .rerondtiry teachers, occasional teachers. continuing.
educationteachers, .secretaries, psychologists, social workers. speech-language pathologists. -
custodians, attendance counselors and other educational workers.
HELEN JOHNS REPLIES.,
Answer of Ouestion #
i am in receipt of the first gUestiim from the Secondary School Teachers union: and I would first like to state that i am
surprised that a question such as this would he forthcoming from the Hiiron teachers. '
Asaeachers; parents and students rn the.County are aware. I was heavily Iohhied hy.the Huron Perth Separate School.
Board, the Huron Board of frAluealioti and some Parent Councils 10 move forwardas quickly as possible with education. .
finance reform. i believe that_ i received approximately three thousand signatures which requested that the inequities in the
' present system were substantial, affected the'quality' of Our children's' education and needed to he•changed -
This reform was requested because of the diversity of funding on a perpupil basis across the Province
of Ontario. To refresh your memory. some of* children"in'Hurtin had as little as t4600 spent on their
• education per year with other children•in Toronto have $9900 :pent on their education- The disparity had
become so great between the two geographic areas. .that [pushed to have. the system reformed at the
request of the.commumty: it is- 1 win -fir our County and 1 am therefore, quite -surprised that the Teachers
- Opion does not see -it as such, 1 just wonder if the question originated in Toronto-
As'we have said from the day (it- Iheannnuncemenl.-"The-rlew'model for distributing funding will he
developed to ensure a high quality of cducatibn to meet all students' individual needs, regardless --of where
they live- Circumstances such as students -learning -English or Frendi for the first time, students with special needs and.
students in remote, communities, will he recogniyed.'The funding inodel will address added expenses of providing
education as a result of unique a immunty.challenges. _
i would like to remind everyone with ,i -stake in our children's' education that transfer: payments remained the came to
• our Boards for 1997-199R as they were in the previous year ;ind that ,:apical tending dollars were also allocated to both nt
our Boards.
:It remains my personal.oblevtive Ind -the objective Of your gin•ernment to establish a high-quality:'equitahle.
accountable and cost-effective system that focuses resources on students and the classroom and reduces the financial
burden for local taxpayers -
f would like'[) take this opportunity t0 say that f am in receipt of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation
document titled The Public Deserves to know... Countdown toAccountability'', it was sent to me by teachers in,thrs •
County. who clearly disagree with its messages-. in the document teachers-are-heing.urged til enter a -five-week protest. i -he
. - Union urges it members to participate -indisruptive, behavior hy preparing in class lessons -on government , uts. hy.
preparing poster displays, initiating a :shoot assembly. and distrihuting anti -cut huttons -
As a .parent of children -in the Huron County education system. i trust that the secondary•school teachers -,1f Huron, like -
theirelementary school counter parts arc not in favour of :uch action and i hope that:they will tell their union that
- negotiations arehest..left at the bargaining table: not in the classroom.. - -
Finally, while the objectives of the union are obvious. discussions shout policy development rare not appnlprrate )n a
question, week hy week basis; -As such this concludes my participation in the union campaign through,the local -
newspapers, 1 answer all letters in a timely manner and make time available each week to. meet ,.vth ins,:anttituents to
- .discuss issues of concerns to them.' i am always open to constructive solutions Inc issues affecting Huron County
residents. . -
OSST
F/FEESO
Board of Education reviews budget estimates-
. -CLINTON - While Business Su-
perintendent Janet Baird -Jackson.
commended the Huron County
Board td liducation for Ws prom:,
five approach to .cutting .costs at
last week's -meeting, she addressed
concerns for its 1997 'budget pro--
The elementary panel- will. total-
stn estimated V28.769.093, down
from last- year's estimate of
-529,2815381 This figure includes
a reserve of S27.351:
• -The 1997 edinlale for the secon- •
• dary panel is' 525.204.540. down
from the 1996 _ estimate -nt
S2,5)109.386. Reserses-are not bud-
getcd in this panel :' -
•
The total- lidut:ation Centre bud-
get estimate -.is '$4.042:136, down
from last = scar's estimate of
S4.22.5.849 and the HCiIE operat•
ing budget Is estimated- at
557,95-5,761' which is also down
from Last year's estimate.- ,
-Until
stimate.-
Until -General Legislative Grants -
have heen determined. much of the
final budgeting process in on hold.
The spring 'budget and -a • shift- 'Of'
commercial' assessment to• the sep-
arate hoard may also have an im-.
pact on the hoard's hudget. ' -
Before the hoard has _ -an impact
on .setting -the mill rate, taxpayers
Grant received for t
-CLiNTON- - A(.last Monday's
meeting. the Huron County Board
of Fafucation .Idministrarir;n an-
ni)unced the ipproval of a a -TIPP2.
(Technology incentive: Partnership
Programs) 'grant application valued
at more than.S1 million.
Cash from the 'Ministry of Educa-
tjun •and Training will. total •
-
$31N).tx)o. the remainder -of which
can :expect ai least a.;ix percent
increase-" - -
VVe �oilld-he.:talking ;about an
eight per: centincrease if spending
is exactly the same, said Baird-
Ia�r<stin SFie_ suggested supplies
and services; maintenance.l
-capita
expenditures and reserves as areas
that may produce further savings. "
• We're running out- of options."
she added.
echnology program
will he ,raised through education
partners and staff tune altocaueti.11)
- hd project." It . will certainly nefp.
Our, technofogical .• initiative." said
'Director Paul Carroll: Past TiPP
projects have included Wheels far
Minds in Motion- Technology as
Change .-igents in Our Classroom
and The lake's Over -Ending Sexual
Harairmertr in -Our School.
Yours rely- Helen Johns. MPP
01116 4106 lib 416 4116 41116, 411t_4116 4106 4116 41IP 41I6 41111. 4116 41116 416 41116 III 406
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