The Citizen, 1997-11-12, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12,1997.
Emotions mixed as principal announces end of strike
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
The torch was passed — but not
without singeing some emotions
along the way.
At a teachers' forum in Brussels
last Thursday night regarding Bill
160 the evening reached an anti-cli
mactic conclusion when Brussels
Principal Howie Morton informed
those present that Huron County
elementary public school teachers
would be back in class Friday
morning, along with the Federation
of Women Teachers Association of
Ontario members and those of the
Franco-Ontarian Teachers Associa
tion.
While the Ontario English
Catholic Teachers Association and
the Ontario Secondary School
Teachers Federation decided Satur
day and Sunday respectively to end
the political protest, last week's
break in ranks was a disappoint
ment to some teachers. Fighting
tears after Morton's announcement,
Nancy McKeon, a special education
teacher at Wingham Public School
said, "I feel we fought a good fight.
I love my students, but I also love
my fellow teachers and this Bill is
rotten. She urged parents to contin
ue the protest and "carry this fight
on".
Morton explained the break came
because the three unions felt that
they had gone as far as they could
go, while the others were deter
mined to carry the fight on.
"Now," he said, "We need your
help more than ever."
Seeing the teachers obvious dis
tress over being unable to throw
their weight behind the two remain
ing federations, one parent ques
tioned how someone else could tell
them to end the strike. Morton
explained that the federations are
all separate unions. "All are
autonomous. The feeling has been
that we would much rather be in
our classroom, but we are receiving
and gaining support, we have stu
dents and parents walking with us. I
don’t agree with the break in rank. I
am disappointed. But, we believe
we have achieved what we want
ed."
"So, why do we go back?" added
Morton. "I don't want to talk about
how great teachers are. I'm not par
ticularly dedicated by the standards
of some here. There are teachers
who carry guilt with them. They
worry about the students, they want
to be teaching. It's unprecedented
the work ethic some teachers
carry."
French teacher, Lisa Anguish,
Howie Morton
BPS principal
County Board of Education said, "I
have been in contact with the Min
istry of Education to determine if
the province will mandate a solu
tion, however no decision has been
made." ’
Carroll said he is meeting with.
principals Wednesday to determine
their ideas of making up lost time.
"Historically since 1969, seldom
has a work stoppage of this length
required a change in the school
year. It may be left to the individual
principal to adjust special activities
within their school."
Carroll said it will not change the
March break or extend the school
year into July.
Teachers say what’s wrong with Bill 160
was visibly distressed by the news.
"I went out not because some union
person told me to, but because I
cared about the
students and what
was wrong with
this Bill. Now, I
don't like someone
deciding for me
that I’m going
back. More than
anything I want to
be back with those
kids tomorrow, but
not under these
circumstances."
Morton, McK
eon and the other
panel members, Brussels teacher
Bill Teall and Ray Controls, princi
pal of St. Anne's in Clinton, urged
parents to join their fight.
Controls said, "We are fighting
because we have built our whole
society on a democracy. There are
things in this Bill that are not
morally correct. He added that the
separate school board had received
the support of the bishop, who did
not perceive the political protest as
an illegal action, but a moral one.
The panel urged the public to
voice their opposition to their MPP
Helen Johns, (who was invited to
attend meetings) to Education Min
ister Dave Johnson and to Premier
Harris. 'Write, phone, fax, e-mail,
do anything you can think of that
will help," said Morton.
They also mentioned a group
called People for Education and
suggested anyone interested contact
Jim Reed in Wingham.
"This isn't law yet (the Bill gets
third reading Nov. 17)," said Mor
ton. "Teachers have come to the
end of what we have to offer. It has
to be up to parents to take this for
ward."
Controis added, "Teachers in
other provinces where this has hap
pened are looking closely at us.
They are ready to walk. They are
experiencing this and it's hell. I
dedicate every day of my energy to
students. The key is them. Find
ways as a community to let the gov
ernment know that this is not over.
We need every parent in the
province of Ontario to tell the gov
ernment they’re wrong with this
Bill."
The meeting concluded with a
parent's thank you to the teachers
for "their courage", a comment,
supported by others through their
applause.
Getting back to the classrooms
on Monday may see some alter
ation in class time. Paul Carroll,
director of education for the Huron
Parents organize to fight bill
Parents from across Huron
County came together Monday
evening in Clinton, to discuss what
they could do to stop Bill 160. The
hastily called meeting was well
attended with representation from
all areas of the county of both the
public and catholic school systems
as well as some homeschool
parents.
Barb Martin, a member of the
Hullett School Advisory Council
chaired the meeting. A letter from
Helen Johns, MPP was read as
Johns was nable to attend the
meeting.
A four-member panel expressed
concerns about Bill 160. Joan
VandenBroeok, a school board
trustee expressed her concern that
trustees would no longer be
responsible to the local community
but would be responsible to the
minister of education. Nancy
Fisher-Voisin, of Clinton, said that
as a parent she is tired of having to
fundraise for text books, field trips
and sport activities. She said, "I am
angry that the government is
spending our money to try to
convince us that our students are
dumb and our teachers are lawless.
Jim Reed, a parent from the
Wingham area said he was in a
state of shock after reading the bill.
He told the crowd "the bill is not
really about education, it is about
the division of power. It has
nothing to do with curriculum or
report cards. The public has been
Continued on page 8
Meetings were held Nov. 6 in Brussels and Blyth to
inform parents what concerned the teachers enough
about Bill 160 that they would leave their classrooms
on an illegal protest. An attentive group filled the
Brussels arena to get questions answered and hear
teachers' perspectives, Trustees, educators and recent
graduates attacked the BiU and raised some salient
points about changes in Ontario's public education in
recent years.
Two trustees, who were running against each other
to represent Huron C in the newly-aligned Huron-
Perth District School Board #8 gave their positions.
Della Baumgarten said she was "not hesitant to stand
up against this Bill/ She said she read the 262-page
document twice trying to find a way in which it would
improve education. "I found none. It angers me to be
in a crisis created by this government,” she said
referring to the Bill as a "power grab”. '; £
Another trustee, Colleen Schenk, said the more she
delved into the Bill the more discouraged she got "It
is too vague on too many issues," she said, adding that
there should be more time to review all aspects and it
should not be passed without further consultation."
Other guests outlined issues of concern which they
already see happening in the schools because of cuts
which have already taken place. Secondary School
teacher Linda Garland talked about how cuts have
already hurt education with old textbooks being used
and user fees for materials and extra-curricular
activities. -
'Time is being spent fundraising by teachers, when
it would better spent educating* I see the the cuts
hurting my kids already. It affects certainly as a $18,000 bonus when she succeeds.'
teacher, but quite frankly it affects me more as a “
parent/. ,
Michael Park, a teacher at Grey, explained how staff
cuts had already hurt children's education and with
Bill 160 there would be further cuts. Having first
thanked parents for their patience, understanding and
support, Park said, "The view of education is nut the
reality in our schools.”
He drew an analogy to a spacer crew, with the
teacher as the astronaut, who -could not function
without support staff. "The teachers left are doing
more with less/
Park said, “Education isn’t perfect Let's clean it up,
let's gel it sparkling. But let's know when to stop,
folks.”
Retiring trustee Don McDonald said, "Harris told
the trustees what he thinks of them and it wasn’t high,
but I'm sure he’ll expect them to clean up this mess."
Moderator Brussels Public School Principal Howie
Morton, and panel, Nancy McKeon, special ed teacher
at Wingham PS, Brussels teacher Bill Teall and Ray
Controis, principal of St Anne's in Clinton, answered
a number of questions from those in attendance at the
Brussels meeting. -
Average class size
McKeon said that generally the average is obtained
by counting all teachers in a school, including the
special ed teachers, librarians, guidance counsellors
and administrators all of whom do not have regular
classes. This number is then averaged with the student
population. The panel said that most class sizes now
are between 23-40, John Matthews, a music teacher at
F.E. Madill said, "The average may be lower, but the
real numbers are different.”
"This is part of the problem,” »aro McKeon,
"because the government has not told u$ how they are
going io gel classrooms to the number they’re
suggesting."
Morton said, "One thing the Bills says is Trust us,
we'll tell you the rules later.’”
One person asked if the government’s suggestion to
remove principals from the classrooms wouldn't mean
one more teacher would be hired in each school. “Thai
would be lovely," Morton laughed. "So nice, but I
don’t think that's the intention/
Centralization
A question regarding how the needs of rural Huron
will be met if education was centralized brought some
that Toronto listened to rural Ontario Bill 160 is very
worrisome with regards to trustees. Each board and
each member shall comply with the orders of the
minister. If they do not they will be asked to leave die
board, by the minister, not by you folks who voted
them in, and win be unable to serve for another five
years,", .•<?£■/: '
Referring to the power the Bill gives the province,
McKeon said that a local school board would not be
permitted to fix a school on their own. "Permission
will come from Toronto and money will come from
Toronto,” •’
When someone asked if schools would be closed,
Morion said, "The government has said they won’t
close a school, but they do have the right to transfer all
the students out of the schocd, take the busses off the
road, remove all staff. The school won’t be closed, just
nt^xxly wlUbein ■_
Student Advisory Councils too will probably have
little power, “With Bill 160, the Minister of
Education's power is absolute. Once a nansfer happens
that’s it The SACs* role could change in that they are
advisory and the Minister can override any decision/
said Morton.
J £ Equalized ftaxiling
Morton said that initially it was said that money
would be distributed equally to boards across the
province, “However, it now looks like more frugal
boards, such as Huron and Perth, will get less again/
McKeon said, "Harris has hired someone, who is
making $140,000 a yearby the way, to cut $635
million from education. Oh, yes and she gets an
Controis, however, said for his board this may be
the Bill’s one positive aspect, as they could gain a lot,
z ' z z Aiwrtlstag -V;:
: The recent advertising campaign by the province
was confusing the issue, Morton said, in response to a
question about why the government was drawing
attention to things that were not about Bill 160. "It’s
mud in the water so people can’t see what the real
issue is," he said, "and you're paying for it."
Improving education
Using figures that "one man took the time to
uncover, McKeon illustrated "this bill has nothing to
do with education as we know it I hate to go on but be
misled you," In Bill 16, student is mentioned once;
Minister of Education, 260 times; achievement, once,
fund, 154; Curriculum, zero; fax, 124; learning, zero;
power, 124; testing, zero; fee, 84; outcomes, zero;
money, 68; special needs, zero; levy, 24; skills, zero,
expense, 16.
Morton said when the Bill was first introduced the
federations bought into it as they believed it had to do
with! improving education. That was before we had
seen it” ,
McKeon added, "Unfortunately we only had
rumours before, but as soon as the Bill became
available the Federations gave it to lawyers for
interpretation. There are many places where the Bill
states that a judge can’t contravene. It is above the
law/
Asked whether education did need improving,
Controis said. "It always can be improved upon."
However, he said he would argue with anyone who
said today's students aren't literate. "Kids today are
way ahead of where you and I are. Don’t tell me
they’re not scoring high because they are. The Durham
board was declared best in the world, Halton came
second The government has decided to reduce the
deficit at al! costs and it's coming out of the public
sector, not corporations and they're doing it on the
backs of your children."
To further enhance their claims a video was shown
in which Harris said that it was time to direct money
away from politicians and direct it to the classrooms.
He said his government would give teachers the
support that they too often did not receive from the
top.
H What can we do?*'
chuckles. "Everyone wants to answer that,” said The teachers, Morton said have come to an end of
Mnrtnn what they can offer. Tt has to be up to the parents to
take this forward.” ' / ,
"That is very important,” said Controis. ”By the time
of the next election there will have been a great
amount of money extracted out of education and 7-
10,000 teachers fired"
W..
Controls said with trustees' numbers cut drastically
through amalgamation. "It's hard to believe they’re
going to have an affect We allowed this to happen. If
this Bill goes through it's going to be worse.”
McKeon said, "First let me ask, have you ever fell