The
provincial government will hold a summit Oct. 16 to 18 to get more
input and ideas on how to improve the entire education system. (Brenna Owen/CBC)
If politicians want teacher feedback to
improve the province's education system, they should visit a classroom,
the New Brunswick Teachers' Association president says.
"There's
absolutely nothing stopping an individual teacher from speaking to
those decision makers when they're in the classroom," Rick Cuming said
Thursday.
Government would understand teachers better if they hear individual voices, he said.
"It might be a daunting and intimidating task, but there's nothing stopping that."
Earlier
this week, Premier Blaine Higgs said he wanted teachers to tell his
government what changes they want inside the classroom. He said New
Brunswick teachers are "checking out" because people are putting too
many expectations on them.
"Every challenge that society would've dealt with in the community, becomes now in the classroom."
Higgs
said he's prepared to revisit classroom composition and making
changes in French immersion — even if that results in pushback from the
public.
"We have a requirement to listen because we don't know
what the best scenario should be," he said. "I will sign whatever they
need, to give them the voice they need to tell us what needs to change."
Cuming said teachers aren't necessarily "checking out," but they do feel extremely discouraged.
Premier Blaine Higgs says he wants teachers to tell his government what changes they want inside the classroom. (CBC)
"Part
of that discouragement comes from the fact that they go home exhausted
everyday, trying to meet the complex needs of our students in the system
and feeling like we are not supported in doing that," he said.
"And you just face that day, after day, after day."
Cuming said
he was pleased with the premier's response, but said whatever
system government decides to put in place, it needs to be resourced
properly.
"Right now, for changing and changing and changing,
without proper resources, that's a drain on manpower and a drain on the
resources that are there," he said. "We need stability in the system."
Dealing with a teacher shortage
The association is continuing to ask the province for more qualified teachers.
"There's a teacher shortage," he said. "We don't have qualified teachers in every position."
They're
also asking to get support for inclusion, including mental health
supports, resource teachers, guidance teachers, behaviour mentors and
school psychologists.
"It's getting the supports for inclusion
in the frontline and making sure those services are there in the
trenches to help teachers deal with these complex needs of students."
The association doesn't have an exact figure as to how much these additional services would cost.
Rick
Cuming, president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association, says the
province's education system needs more resources to help students and
teachers alike. (CBC)
"We really
don't have the necessary supports backing us up," he said. "That's why
our number one priority has continued to be advocating for the supports
and human resources, to make sure that the most inclusive education
system in this country, is being supported properly."
Province holds education summit
The
provincial government will hold a summit Oct. 16 to 18 to get more
input and ideas on how to improve the entire education system.
Although
the New Brunswick Teachers' Association hasn't been involved in
planning for the summit, Cuming said he's looking forward to the event.
"I
have to say I was extremely happy to hear the premier yesterday, say
this summit was about all the issues, being on the table," he said.
it
might be a daunting and intimidating task, but there's nothing stopping
that. But I would suggest they get where the teachers are if they want
to hear individual voices."
Gregg
Ingersoll, left, the superintendent of Anglophone East School District,
said people are 'fed up' and want to see inclusion funded 'properly.' (Shane Magee/CBC)
Superintendent Gregg Ingersoll isn't sure what happens now that
the Anglophone East district education council has rejected the
district's proposed budget for the second time.
The refusal at the meeting on Sept. 17 came down to the shortfall in funding for educational assistants.
"It just seems to be one of those areas that we can't seem to catch up to and keep on top of," Ingersoll told Information Morning Moncton. "The needs for students that need support in the school just continues to climb."
He
anticipated having 472 educational assistants in the district's 38
schools this fall, but the number has continued to climb and the
district is short about $1.7 million to pay for them.
"The
way that we're funded for those educational assistants is we get a
certain amount," he said. "And if you go over that number then you have
to find the difference in your global budget."
In the budget
presented, the money needed to fund enough educational assistants to
support students under the inclusion policy is coming from other areas.
If
you're going to be an inclusive school system, you're going to say …
'Everyone's welcome, no matter what,' then OK — we have to fund that
properly.
- Gregg Ingersoll, superintendent
"I think that's what the district education council is having the hardest time with," Ingersoll said.
"They
don't mind taking some money out of, for example, teachers salaries or
facilities … but when it reaches the point where they feel that that's
being detrimental to the area that they're taking it from, that's where
they're getting frustrated."
Ingersoll said district staff were
lucky to find a way to balance the budget at all. It is only because
enrolment in the district is up by about 400 students since June that it
was possible.
"That's
going to bring close to a million dollars worth of resources to our
district," he said. "Most of that is due to the immigration of
international students in our area, so that's a very positive thing."
'I've never seen this before'
Even
though enrolment is growing, the district hasn't been able to add as
many teachers as it would like because some of the funding for teachers
is going to pay educational assistants.
"You need more teachers
right? So we're going to use some of that money to put toward teachers,
but we have to use most of that money to cover off the deficit. And
education assistants is the biggest deficit line that we have."
The
district proposed taking funding from teacher salaries and building
maintenance to pay for educational assistants. The district education
council has rejected the proposed budget twice. (David Donnelly/CBC)
After
rejecting the proposed budget, the district education council penned a
letter to Education Minister Dominic Cardy, asking to meet with him
about the funding shortfall.
"They're thinking that [Cardy]
would come and meet with them and discuss this situation and talk about
what the plan is in the future to fix this, so we don't every year keep
falling deeper and deeper into this hole."
Ingersoll hopes that
council will be able to reach an agreement with Cardy and will then be
prepared to approve the budget at the next meeting, on Oct. 15.
"If
you're going to be an inclusive school system, you're going to say …
everyone's welcome, no matter what, then OK — we have to fund that
properly."
Cardy not talking
CBC News requested an
interview with Cardy to talk about the budget shortfall for educational
assistants across the province, but the minister has not been available.
In an emailed statement he said he was aware of challenges created by classroom composition in today's schools.
Education Minister Dominic Cardy has not been available to discuss the shortfall of funding for educational assistants. (Gilles Landry/Radio-Canada)
"While
I appreciate the challenges district education councils face in
establishing priorities, they are legally required to submit a balanced
expenditure plan and cannot incur deficits."
There was no
indication of whether the minister has received the letter from the
district education council or whether he plans to meet with the members.
People are fed up
The
average age of schools in Anglophone East is 46 years and much of the
maintenance budget for the buildings has been shifted to instead pay for
educational assistants.
Ingersoll said even though "we don't
have much choice but to do that," it is another example of the tough
choices the district education council wants to discuss with Cardy.
"People used to be, 'Well that's just the way it is, so move on.' People are much less likely to do that now," he said.
"They're
just fed up and they want something different to happen. And they're
realistic about it. It's not like we think that millions of dollars is
going to fall from the sky … they really want to be part of the
conversation to shift the way we fund things and the programs we offer."
Information Morning - Moncton
District Education Council wants more money for educational assistants
09:08
The District Education
Council for the Anglophone East School District says there is a
2-million dollar shortfall to pay for educational assistants. Gregg
Ingersoll is the superintendent. 9:08
David Raymond Amos Imagine Dominic Cardy not talking?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Raymond Amos:
Not in this lifetime.
Matt Steele As
usual , the Department of Education is demanding more money to support
their never ending EA make work project . The Govt. response should be "
sorry that you are unable to work within your budget , here is your
pink slip , and good luck finding a job in the private sector that has
UNLIMITED BUDGETS " . Maybe the School Districts should get rid of their
Directors , teacher coaches/mentors , Resource/Guidance teachers , etc ;
and ACTUALLY work within their budgets . Government Departments seem to
think that the N.B. taxpayer is a bottomless pit of money that they can
go to at any time . Meanwhile , the 14 plus BILLION dollar Prov. Debt
GROWS !
David Raymond Amos Reply to @Matt Steele: Tell it to your buddy Cardy
Ben Haroldson What is it that Cardy is trying to prove?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: He needs the money to force vaccinations on everyone
Georges Saint Yves
Reply to @David
Raymond Amos: Once again, the cycle continues. The Liberals blow up
the deficit and the Conservatives need to cut. As far as vaccinations,
they should be mandatory as in prior years.
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