Missing teachers
Kensington parent wants to know how allocations will affect KISH students and staff
The president of KISH’s parent council is concerned about the possible reallocation of teachers from the Kensington Intermediate and Senior High.
Patricia Cole is frustrated. With only weeks until the end of the school year, she and other concerned parents are feeling the rush to stop the reallocation of teachers to other schools. “Kensington is bare bones as it is. Over the next three years we’re going to lose 5.36 teachers, and in September we’re losing 1.69.
“There is a decimal because some positions aren’t full time,” said Cole.
“We’re a unique school because it’s a junior and senior high together so the teaching staff overlaps in some areas, and when you lose numbers like that, it has a big impact.” Cole has twin daughters at Kensington Intermediate and Senior High school, one of which is in the late French immersion program. She is also president of the school’s parent council.
Last week, Cole called a meeting for parents, students and staff after she learned of the changes coming to the school.
“It was very last minute. There were about 45 or 50 people there, which is better than I thought we would have.
Recently, the Public Schools Branch gave schools across P.E.I. preliminary staffing allocations for the 2017-2018 school year, but no official numbers have been released. “As parents, we want to know what is going to be cut. If we’re looking at a loss of 5.36 that could mean the cut of the French program entirely. Our French program starts in Grade 7, and recently it’s become more difficult to staff and fill the course.”
Cole was hoping the school would be able to tell them what positions were going to be lost, but no answer came. “How do you decide who’s going to go and what necessary service is going to be lost?” she asked.
Moving forward, Cole has reached out to other parent councils to see which schools might be facing the same fate. “We’re going to have to get moving because summer is coming and these kinds of things just go by the wayside.”
Cole said the timing of allocation announcement has made any chance of stopping the changes difficult.
The legislature is closed, the school year is ending, it’s like the deed is already done, she added.
Cole is concerned what the loss means for the students. “Do they start opting to transfer somewhere else now? Should the teachers consider opting out now and taking a job in Charlottetown?”
Cole thinks the move by the government is the start of the “bleeding process”.
“They are going to bleed the school of its resources until the enrolment goes down and there is no other choice than to close the school.”
However, there are valid reasons for needing teachers in Charlottetown, she said.
“They are understaffed. But you can’t do it at someone else’s expense… The solution is to hire more teachers.”