Area teachers have issued a declaration of non-confidence in the Coast Mountains School District 82’s board of trustees.
Members of the Coast Mountain Teachers’ Federation voted 98 per cent in favour of the motion.
The vote last week comes amid the district’s controversial shuffle of several school administrators.
At a Wednesday school board meeting in Terrace the board announced to a jubilant crowd the more contentious moves will be given a one-year transition period. That was good news for the teachers federation, but it doesn’t excuse the board for refusing to sit down and discuss “matters of extreme importance”, reads a letter from the federation to the trustees.
READ MORE: School district remains firm on reassignments
“This [transition plan] is a first step, and it’s a step in the right direction to help rebuild relationships with the families in our communities, but the Coast Mountains Teachers Federation is still requesting a meeting with all the members of the board of trustees and discuss all the issues with them in person,” says Terrace District Teachers’ Union President Michael Wen.
Federation members tried four times to meet with the school board before holding the vote of non-confidence.
At Wednesday’s board meeting, Chairperson Shar McCrory told a packed room the school district clearly heard the concerns of the community, prompting the transition plan. Late Thursday afternoon McCrory released details on the district website.
READ MORE: Terrace principal reassignments on hold
“This one-year plan will provide the opportunity for the school district to develop a collaborative leadership staffing transition in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year, while engaging mentorship opportunities for principals and vice principals assuming new roles for the upcoming and subsequent school years,” she wrote.
READ MORE: Teachers cast vote of no confidence against SD82 superintendent
The non-confidence vote in the trustees follows a June 5 vote of non confidence in CMSD82 Superintendent Katherine McIntosh. In that case members of the teachers federation voted 99 per cent in favour of the motion. At the time the federation said only it had “a number of concerns” regarding McIntosh’s actions and communications toward teachers and other employees of the school district.
One-year transition plan — leadership staffing for the 2019-2020 school year:
- Phillip Barron and Cory Killoran will remain in their present roles of Principal and Vice Principal respectively at Skeena Middle School for the 2019-2020 school year. Sonja Donnan will assume the role of Vice Principal at Skeena Middle School effective August 1, 2019.
- Pam Kawinsky will remain in her present role of Principal at Suwilaawks Community School for the 2019-2020 school year.
- Cindy Sousa will assume the role of Vice Principal at Uplands Elementary School effective August 1, 2019. This position reflects the addition of a Vice Principal at Uplands Elementary School for the 2019-2020 school year.
- Mark Newbery will assume the role of Principal at Majagaleehl Gali Aks Elementary School effective August 1, 2019.
- Julia Jacobs will assume the role of Vice Principal at Mount Elizabeth Middle/Secondary School effective August 1, 2019. This position reflects the addition of a second Vice Principal at Mount Elizabeth Middle/Secondary School for the 2019-2020 school year.
- Joe Dominguez will assume the role of Vice Principal at Caledonia Secondary School effective August 1, 2019. This position reflects the addition of a second Vice Principal at Caledonia Secondary School for the 2019-2020 school year.
- Robert Whitmell will assume the role of Vice Principal at Mount Elizabeth Middle/Secondary School effective August 1, 2019.
The Terrace Standard reached out to CMSD 82 for comment but at the time of this posting had not received a reply.
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