Richard Starr: Nova Scotia democracy was in retreat even before McNeil
Nova Scotians have allowed a lot of power to be concentrated at the provincial level, and it didn’t start with Stephen McNeil. What to do, Richard Starr asks.
School Boards
How the government failed to deliver on at-home learning during Nova Scotia’s pandemic lockdown
Language barriers. Slow internet. Students sent home with no work. Stephen Wentzell writes on the Liberal government’s broken promise of ‘no child left behind’ after the schools closed because of the coronavirus.
Judy Haiven: More on Hurricane Dorian – School closures and comfort centres
After the hurricane: Judy Haiven asks why school closures were all or nothing, one size fits all. And why isn’t NS Power picking up the bill for all those comfort centres?
News release: Decisions affecting students require transparency and accountability
News release: With the abolition of elected school boards, Nova Scotia now has the least accountable and transparent education system in Canada, says NSTU President Paul Wozney.
Teachers confront Paul Bennett, AIMS, on business agenda for education
I attended a talk by education pundit Paul Bennett, sponsored by AIMS, to better understand what the one percent are up to when it comes to education. I wasn’t alone, a bunch of teachers were there as well, and the Q and A was a bit tense.
Media release: Nova Scotia School Boards Association responds to passing of Bill 72
“The Nova Scotia School Boards Association and school board members across the province are devastated by the adoption of Bill 72,” said Dave Wright, Vice President of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association. “The loss of elected, local and diverse voice in public education is a tragedy.”
Richard Starr: Axing school boards exposes glaring contradictions
Richard Starr looks at Bill 72 and the arguments in favour of eliminating the regional school boards and finds they don’t hold much water. “To turn around now and inflict collateral damage on minority representation by getting rid of school boards (except CSAP) is reprehensible. At best, it says that minority representation on school boards was just tokenism, a politically correct initiative to be abandoned on a whim.”
Tina Roberts–Jeffers: On Bill 72, anti-Black racism and averting your eyes
Community activist Tina Roberts-Jeffers on the Glaze Report and what it teaches us about the nature of anti-Black racism. “Anti-Black racism asks you to simply avert your eyes in this moment. Let us be clear however, at least today, when we ask ourselves: “why does anti-Black racism persist?” A decision like the one to legislate away the only non-partisan independent locally elected representation accountable to the people every four years is as clear an example of the “systems” part of systemic anti-Black racism, as any other.”
Op-ed: Glaze Report – Hoping for civil disobedience and solidarity
If and when the teachers go on strike I hope other unions will do more than talk about solidarity and hold a couple of rallies,
Pamela Lovelace: The Glaze Report removes diversity and marginalized voices from local decision making
Pamela Lovelace writes on the elimination of school boards. “The long, sordid history of racism and sexism in Nova Scotia continues to simmer with this oppressive decision. Women and African Nova Scotians will no longer have a seat at the local decision-making table.”