the government’s plan is not good enough. We need to do better. We need a plan so students can get back to school where they can learn and belong safely, and keeps students at school for the long haul so we aren’t all back in lockdown come Thanksgiving.
A press conference by parents and teachers this morning raised questions around the province’s back-to-school plan that, with just 10 days to go, are becoming increasingly urgent.
News release: The President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) says all parents should be provided with a detailed health and safety audit of their children’s classrooms prior to school resuming on September 8th.
Workers are worried about going back to schools that don’t offer sufficient protection against the COVID-19 virus, union leaders told reporters at a press conference this morning.
NSTU President Paul Wozney says for the plan to reopen schools to succeed, parents, teachers and students must be confident that it’s safe. He says the government’s announcement today should be considered a start, but at this point there are still many concerns that need to be addressed.
Media release: “When a child is hungry; when they aren’t sure where home will be at the end of the day; when they don’t have adequate clothing; it’s very hard for them to focus on learning,” says Wozney. “The evidence is clear that on average, children living in poverty experience worse academic outcomes and are twice as likely to drop out of school. They also have a much higher chance of developing a mental health issue.”
News release: NSTU President Paul Wozney says the elimination of at least 20 Early Literacy Support (ELS) teaching positions will impact hundreds of students. He is again calling on Education Minister Zach Churchill to release the full list of schools across the province experiencing a reduction in ELS next year.
NSTU president Paul Wozney: “Nova Scotians are tired of the petty political battle that has overwhelmed our education system and demoralized teachers. It’s time to change the narrative and begin a constructive conversation about what needs to be done to make Nova Scotia Canada’s leader in delivering quality public education.”
Teachers Union president Paul Wozney is not impressed with the first meeting of the government-appointed Provincial Advisory Council on Education (PACE). Presented as somewhat of a a replacement for disbanded school boards, it turns out PACE’s ‘meetings will not be public, and based on the sparse minutes of its first meeting the government intends to limit any actual influence the group can have on its decision making process and sweeping power over public schools.
Nova Scotia Teachers Union president Paul Wozney writes on the intricacies of reporting on class size caps, and offers suggestions on improving transparency in terms of that important issue. “Now that elected school boards are gone, it’s imperative that parents are armed with the knowledge they need to advocate on behalf of their children. They must have the facts so they can hold the government directly accountable and ensure commitments that impact their children are met,” writes Wozney.