Answers coming
Director of Public Schools Branch says public will know this week where extra teachers going
Islanders will find out what schools those extra teachers are going to this week, says the director of the Public Schools Branch.
Parker Grimmer spoke to the media following a rally Monday in front of the branch office in Stratford.
Premier Wade MacLauchlan announced on Friday that the province will add 27 new teaching positions to schools across
Prince Edward Island this fall.
That breaks down to 25 positions for English schools and two for French schools. And they are brand new positions.
“There is obviously a sense of urgency. I would expect the principals will start hearing (about more teachers) in the next day or so,’’ Grimmer said. “Then, we plan on also releasing (that information), publicly so we’ll probably post them on our website and allow the public an opportunity.’’
That information could come as early as today, although Grimmer wouldn’t commit to a specific day.
The new positions are being added to address concerns from teachers who say they are struggling with increasingly complex needs of students in their classrooms.
The rally was being held to protest recent teacher allocations where some schools, such as Kinkora, Georgetown and Three Oaks are losing positions.
Grimmer was asked if some of the new positions will go to schools that were supposed to lose positions.
“There is the possibility of that,’’ he said.
Grimmer did call the 27 positions a “finite’’ number that the branch has attempted to distribute fairly between rural and urban.
“We’re looking through the eye of equality for all our schools; looking at it through the eye of creating equitable learning opportunities for all students.’’
There were about 50 people at Monday’s rally, mostly students. Parents The Guardian talked to said losing teaching positions will mean their kids won’t have as many electives to choose from.
That was the same message from the students.
“At our school, all the electives will be cut so things like the culinary class, computer science, the music program, the arts program (will be cut) so, in my opinion, it will be just like going back to elementary school and having no opportunity to choose what your course will be,’’ said Harrison Duffy, a student at Kinkora Regional High School.
Josie Green, a Grade 11 student at Kensington Intermediate Senior High School, said cuts could make it harder to get into university.
“Kensington will lose several teachers from this rural cut, and anyone who knows KISH knows that removing these teachers will drastically affect our courses,’’ Green said.
“With this rural cut, we risk losing our French immersion program, computer-based courses such as multi-media and writing and our art courses. Programs like French immersion open doors for students when it comes to post-secondary (institutions).’’
Janet Payne, one of the rally’s organizers, is also calling on government to bring back elected trustees and better leadership at the Public Schools Branch.
“This year has been an absolute disgrace to P.E.I. and the education system,’’ Payne said.