Louisbourg Society Calls For Resignation Of School Board [VIDEO]

Our Community Follow Me

Posted this 2017-06-08 4:21 PM ADT

On Thursday, George D. Lewis Gateways to Opportunity Society spokesman Brett Hanham gave a press conference asking for the conditional resignation of the board of the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board.

Hanham described the society as being "ambushed" by the school board in February 2017 when the board chair Googoo shut the process down within minutes of the meeting.

He also indicated that the Nova Scotia Minister of Education called the society's plan a new type of proposal outside of the hub school model, endorsed it as having merit, and requested the school board to work as a partner with it.

However, on June 2nd the group received a letter from the school board chair, Darren Googoo, indicating that the board decided to reject the Minister's recommendation to support the project, and that the school would be closing in July 2017.

"If the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board is not going to work with either the community or the government, the board should resign"

Hanham called for the Department of Education to "step in and strip the board of its authority", citing precedent with the Halifax Regional School Board (2006), the South Shore School Board (2008), and the Strait Regional School Board (2011), all stripped of their authority by the Minister of Education.

Posted by Our Community
Receive news by email and share your news and events for free on goCapeBreton.com
SHOW ME HOW

Depth
Jacquelyn Scott Follow Me 2017-06-09 8:06 AM ADT Reply 1 0 When a community works this hard to try to find an innovative solution to a problem, a publicly accountable board should give it a thorough hearing and explore with intentionality whether, together, they could make this work. It's not as if the school board has come up, on its own, with innovative or creative solutions within the past decade…. It's time to earn their stipends. Joe Ward Follow Me 2017-06-09 2:32 PM ADT Reply 1 0 If the province was going to provide funding for the continued operation of this school with the pilot program, I can't imagine why a local school board would want to work against that. If they've felt slighted at some point, that's an understandable feeling. However, personal slight is not a justification for preventing a program that could save a school that many consider to be the heart of the community. Likewise, though I can't be certain, I do find myself questioning how much of this relates to a board that might be upset with a Liberal government who is unpopular with those in the education field due to the extended strike, stalemate negotiations, and eventual legislated teachers contract. It would be a horrible situation if a community has to suffer because of politically motivated decision making. If that is the case, and the Minister of Education believes that this action by the board constitutes spiteful interference, then Mr. Hanham clearly demonstrated that there is precedent in this province for stripping the board of their authority. The province should give that move serious consideration.

Depth

Jacquelyn Scott Follow Me 2017-06-09 8:06 AM ADT

Reply 1 0

When a community works this hard to try to find an innovative solution to a problem, a publicly accountable board should give it a thorough hearing and explore with intentionality whether, together, they could make this work. It's not as if the school board has come up, on its own, with innovative or creative solutions within the past decade…. It's time to earn their stipends.

Joe Ward Follow Me 2017-06-09 2:32 PM ADT

Reply 1 0

*If* the province was going to provide funding for the continued operation of this school with the pilot program, I can't imagine why a local school board would want to work against that. If they've felt slighted at some point, that's an understandable *feeling*. However, personal slight is not a justification for preventing a program that could save a school that many consider to be the heart of the community. Likewise, though I can't be certain, I do find myself questioning how much of this relates to a board that might be upset with a Liberal government who is unpopular with those in the education field due to the extended strike, stalemate negotiations, and eventual legislated teachers contract. It would be a horrible situation if a community has to suffer because of politically motivated decision making. If that is the case, and the Minister of Education believes that this action by the board constitutes spiteful interference, then Mr. Hanham clearly demonstrated that there is precedent in this province for stripping the board of their authority. The province should give that move serious consideration.

goCapeBreton.com

Louisbourg Society Calls For Resignation Of School Board [VIDEO]

2

Facebook Comments

More Posts by Our Community

Featured Posts

More Posts Under