Foundational to effective learning is an orderly, peaceful, predictable classroom. The board needs to advocate for safe working conditions. We are seeing much more than mere dysregulation in schools, we are seeing the dysregulation escalate into violence; violence in the workplace for staff and violence in the lives of our children who are present in our schools everyday. It is the trustees role to know what is going on in their schools – and to create a situation where staff and students can approach them with concerns and have collaborative solution-based discussions. We need purposeful, focused, and intentional education; education that meets each student at their level, in settings where all students can succeed. These are some of the reasons why I’m running.
As we said in our announcement last week, we need to stop dismissing, ridiculing or punishing workers, parents or students who report that a policy is not working and make changes rather than insisting that things are fine. As with other issues, it is very difficult to properly respond to a situation, if we push people/ideas away.
The same can be said for violence within the school. Workplace injuries and psychological burnout for educators has increased, especially, educational assistants, leading to chronic morale problems and under-staffing. How often do we see educator turnover within a single year? Quite often.
We need to do better for our Education Assistants (EAs), as they are assaulted with disturbing frequency, whether it be physically, emotionally, or sexually. Many are part-time employees and, consequently, do not receive the same extended healthcare benefits that full-time EAs and teachers do. This doesn’t just hurt workers’, it hurts their homes. We need to work with CUPE to help design, build, and deliver better health supports. Having worked hands-on in our schools, shoulder to shoulder with these courageous, dedicated, industrious workers, I know what EAs are being asked to absorb and, far too often, it is too much.
We need to specifically re-evaluate current practices of evacuating classrooms, cancelling activities, and shutting down purpose-built spaces and programs. All children have the right to an education. Our district needs places like Chance and individual focused behavioural programs at the NLC back, we need more resource spaces in our schools, we need more support staff like behavioural specialists more readily available to our staffs, and we also need to try and get community stakeholders involved in our children’s education. We need an education system that is intentional and purposeful; start with present standing and work towards future needs. After all, doesn’t it take a village?
In closing, we need to be able to provide supported, purposeful spaces and targeted programs led by specialized trained staff who can provide positive learning experiences for children who are struggling.
For more information, please contact:
Marina Garmon marina.garmon@trusteesforchange.ca
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