Times Advocate, 1997-11-05, Page 1I Tell us how you feel I•
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EXETER - While adamant it did
not want to take sides in the teach-
ers' strike, Exeter council passed a
motion on Monday night to send a
letter to Huron's teachers federa-
tions. Council was concerned •about
-the level of picketing on Exeter's •
Main -Street during the first week of
the strike and its impact on resi-
-dents. merchants and shoppers: .
"The sheer numbers arc too . .
many. it would be appropriate for
them to picket -their workplace or to
'be out in smaller numbers in front
of the MPP's office," said Council-
lor Roy Triebner. ' '
'Mayor Ben Hoogenboom said the
number of picketers has decreased
and there has been some communi-
cation between the business associ-
ation and the strike organizers. . •-
- Councillor Thom Hughes said he
• has seen the teachers walking' up to
• four abreast.- • -
{ "They don't move out of the. way.
Reasonable numbers are okay but
we don't need the sheer numbers,"
he explained. r .
Deputy -Reeve Dave Orlin said •
people havetalked io him who '
• have been "visibly upset. -
"We're not taking sides but we •
have' to standup for/the residents I'
and businesses," he said. .
The motion. to send a Tetter to the
Federations was passed unanimous
ly.
Wednesday. November 5. 1997
Agent for
Sketchley
Gleaners
143c . 7c, G.S T t ONE DOLLAR
Candidates for school board have
varied backgrounds and philosophies
Voters will choose between a'veteran of the education system, a doctor and anagricultural banker
By Kate Monk
T -A Reporter .
HURON COUNTY - Alter two
all -candidates meetings in. Exeter
and Zurich. the differences he-
-twcen the three men running• for
single position of trustee for the
Huron -Perth English Puhlic School
Boar o. .rc.rsng c c
face. The successful candidate will
represent Exeter. Stephen, Us -
borne. Hensafl. Hay and Zurich on
the newly -formed school hoard,
At the meetings, each candidate
received five minutes to introduce
himself and his campaign platform..
Afterwards. they responded to
questions from the audience. .
Bob Allan of RR 2 Zurich held
senior ad- -
ministration
positions for 21
years at the
Huron Board
of Education.
He is a iorriter
Superintendent
of Schools and
Director of ed-
ucation. He
spent the' ma-
jority of his
time allotment
explaining the composition of the
new schoc5l hoard which will --in-
clude Huron and Perth Cunties.
"'You must have a trained. ex-
perienced trustee with adequate
time;" said AIIan. 'adding HCBE
members and staff asked him to he
a'candidatc.for trustee. •
• According, to Allan, the role of
the school board. staff and funding
-Tltaptrall been altered. With 'respect
to the new school hoard. AIIan
said, "Every effort must be made to
integrate the 1,8(0 staff, effective-
ly." -
"The province is shak-
ing the deck." he •e_x-
plained.
For local concerns to
he addressed in the fu-
ture. AIIan thought the
school advisory councils
would play a key role
while the "role of trustee
will not be as immediate
and will be more re-
moved in the future."
Ron Anderson of Exet-
er is married with three
, children. He is an ag-
ricultural hanker covering southern
Huron County. According to An-
derson, his training and ex-
perience in negotiation. dis-
pute resolution, hiring and
budget planning will help
'. him in the • role of trustee.
He also said he is a- con-
scnsus seeker by nature and
doesn't have an a endd. • -
will think, In the amalgamation of
'the Huron and Perth school
about it.". boards, Anderson thinks the
Allan goal is to create a new, bet-
ter hoard.
The third candidate. Dr. David
Hodder has been.a family physician
in Exeter for the past 10 years. He
is married with-.
four children.
"As • a physician,
1 am in contact
with hundreds of
students and par-
ents. My door • is
open to people and
their • problems. I
am a problem solv-
er." Hodder said.
According to
Hodder. the nurses
at South Huron
Hospital call him
"Asa,
physician, I'm
in contact
with hundreds
of students
and parents."
Hodder
"1'1n not very
anxious about
Bill 160. A
year from
now, no one
Devil's Night Mayhem
It wasn't even Halloween yet when the vandals struck
the MacNaughton Scenic Park. Benches were over-
turned, lights were ripped out of the ground, plants were
trampled on and picnic tables were rearranged. Chair of
the Lions Park Committee John Stephens was not happy
with the damage that was done. "It's a shame," he said.
"We know they weren't little kids because the benches
were tipped over, they broke the door into the washroom
and they damaged the sink and the urinal," he said, add-
iog, "We wish they were a little more considerate. It real-
ly is a nice park, its too bad to see damage being done
to it." Stevens said the incident had been reported to po-
•
. lice and the vandalism is being investigated.
.'►
"It can't be a power strug
glc."
With the larger area of repre-
sentation, Anderson says trustee ac-
cessibility is critical and that he cnn
he reached by a variety of methods
of communication.
"It is imperative that the trustee is
responsive," in order to ensure lo-
cal concerns are met, he explained.
• "The trustees will continue to
have responsibility and power," he
said
Mclvcr.
"I am creative and can make do ,
with what's available."
' "This is not a time to look back.
but "to look forward. We need to
consider changes necessary for our
children to compete," he explained.
• • When asked about methods to en-
sure local concerns are addtcssed,
'Hodder replied parents will play an
• important role with the school and
that the role of; the trustee is not
known, adding "My,door is open 9-
5."
At both meet-
ings; people "It is more concerned than Al -
Advance poll
Eariy bird voters. Exeter Clerk -Treasurer handed out bal-
lots _to 77 people at the advance pall in Exeter on Sat-
urday morning. Bob Thompson looks on as Bell gives Dor-
is Hackney her ballots.
ers. I'm not very anxious about Bill .chose to walk out of lie classroom.
160. A year from now. no one will "It. (teachers' strike> • has drawn
think about it." Allan said. discussion away from Bill I60."
Anderson had a copy of Anderson asked the audience in
Bill 160 with him and was Exeter "Are you satisfied that local
powers will be -.going oto ,the pro='
asked__ the can- -• ,imperati-tam-the--' --mn- :- a€o �ent'l.Tfiis is a qual=
didates for their ''Th(` bill, deals with . ity education improvement act but
opinions on Bill trustee is ,
p�� much .more than what •is it also an .expenst reductud act
160. responsive. . teachers are bringing for- as well?" .., ',
• AIIan quickly , Anderson ward. It movesa lot of au- i Hodder also had concerns abqut
said he was not
very 'concerned -
about the pro-,
posed bill. ,; cheaper education. I'm for better health care system. '
"It is,a hill, not law. It won't be- education." 'The Information generated Ai!,
'. come an act until a deal is struck , • Anderson 1 said.' 'he .as d,s- ` the government is largely mi. -
between government, and the teach- • appointed the teachers federations '
, , Continued on.page 2
thority to the provincial Bill 160 and said he has had ex-
ggs•ernnient," .he ,said. . perience with. the cutbacks of .the
,adding. ;'1'm not for Harris .goycrnment , through the
Parents and teachers meet face-to-face
,r
Public forums throughout,Huron County allow parents and the members of the public to hear the
view of educators on Bit/ 160 and provide a medium for parents to express their concerns
ZURICH - After ,week's of com-
munication through the media and
promotional material, a public for-
um on Thursday at the Zurich Com-
munity Centre gave teachers and
parents a chance to share their feel-
ings on the government's proposed
Bill 160.
Deb Gill. principal of Zurich
Puhlic School and chair of the
meeting told the audience of nearly
2(8) that the balance of power, will
drastically shift if this' hill is
passed.
"The hill will sway the powers.
The.power of education will he to-
tally within the cabinet of the gov-
ernntent. Any laws passed will -be
done in a non-public input manner
with no say from teachers or par-
ents. Bill 160 will also determine
the size of .classes, the amount of
preparation tithe that the teachers
are allowed and will also designate
non -teaching positions," she ex-
plained.
"Bill 160 does not designate spe-
citically the size of rooms hut the
government has the power to de-
cide the size on their own. It also
allows the minister of education
and cabinet the total control of the
qualification of teachers, the choice
of school and hoard closures, and
the allotment of funds eg. grants."
Gill ended her presentation by
saying "Bill 160 is about un-
precedented power."
Dave Biernan, a teacher at Zurich
Puhlic School also expressed his
concern. "Bill 160 is definitely
,about power and this power has a
negative context. it allows a loss of
democratic power."
He stressed Bill 160
is not about province -
wide report cards.
standardized • testing,
•or the new cur-
riculum.
Vince Trocchi, a
grade 8 teacher at St.
Boniface School in
Zurich expressed :his
concern with . the
hill's designation of
non -certified tcach-
ers. He told the, group
the extent of educa-
tion he achieved to
become a teacher and
4I
his fear of non -teaching staff com-
ing into the schools.,
"Just because
persongood
tradesman
a . doesgn't
mean he can walk
into a' classroom.
and teach." he ex-
plained. 1
Class sizes were
discussed at length.
The teachers said if .
the province is al-
lowed to delignate
province -wide av-
erage class styes.
the• small rural
schools will def- •
hotel stiffer
NM - - MI -
Zurich Public School
Principal Deb 0!!!
"Zero times in, the. 2,62, pages of
Bill 160 is .the word currtcultan.
Sixty-eight times the word moue!,
•appears in the bill." Laurie Kraft -
check. principal' of St. Boniface
School • said., adding. "Money
equates to quality." . • .
• Parentsexpressed their concerns
about the hill and the actions of ,
. teachers. .
Sue Muller. School Advisory
Chair for Mt. Cannel School. ques-
tioned the bill'i. mention of School :
advisory Councils. .
"
"The Ministry has legislated th;lt
there must be Advisory. School
Council but it does not discuss the
pow er,s."
or Continued on page 2
II
The Times -Advocate has heard a variety of opinions about where public sup-
port is going in the strike that has closed Ontario's schools.
We want to know how our readers think. Please fill out.the .coupon below,
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Exeter, Ont.
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