This government refuses to acknowledge that poverty and lack of funding are impacting student performance, and insists that teacher quality is the decisive factor in their success. They legislated principals out of the union so they can fire teachers more easily to make sure only the most effective people teach our kids.
Then, they turn around and suggest that the Union objecting to the hiring of hundreds of unqualified non-teachers is evidence that teachers don’t care about solving classroom problems.
To be clear, this government is responsible for:
– imposing a contract that froze wages, limited salary increases to less than cost of living for two years and ended long service awards
– forcing principals out of the NSTU
– refusing to meet with the NSTU and work via the Professional Committee, a body enshrined in law to deal with pressing concerns, since it was elected five years ago
– creating a province wide substitute teacher shortage with a rushed, ill-considered implementation of class caps
– demonizing teachers as overly demanding and over compensated
No government would suggest hiring a bunch of people with Masters in Science degrees to treat sick people in lieu of doctors in short supply, but somehow lowering the bar on qualifications for who can provide education to our students is a solution to the problems in our schools.
Maybe if the Minister respected teachers and their union, negotiated fair wages and created working conditions that made the job attractive to new graduates, our schools would be places many would want to work?
