‘Tentative’ resource teacher cut a concern for parent
Tricia Sauve has watched as tears of pride welled in the eyes of her daughter’s teacher.
But Sauve fears the woman who has helped Ellie succeed despite her disability won’t be there when the six-year-old returns to class in September.
“When she talks about my daughter and her successes, she’s so proud of her. And she really is. She’ll tear up,” Sauve said, referring to Ellie’s education resource teacher at St. Theresa elementary school in St. Catharines. “She has so much love for her students.”
The teacher, who asked not to be identified, seems to “love Ellie as much as I do,” Sauve added.
Despite the severe autism that has made teaching Ellie a challenge, Sauve said her daughter is progressing. And she attributes that progress to the dedication and skill of her teacher.
“She’s the unicorn of teachers,” Sauve added, laughing. “It’s not something that you see.”
However, Sauve has recently become concerned that when Ellie starts Grade 1 at St. Theresa in St. Catharines in September, resource teachers might no longer be available at smaller Niagara Catholic District School Board elementary schools.
She said she was “chilled” after reading a post on a parent support group website, regarding a recommendation from school board management that would limit the number of resource teachers deployed throughout Niagara.
School principals would instead be asked to take over the resource teacher’s role at elementary schools with student populations of 200 or less.
Although St. Theresa might fall below that threshold, Sauve said it has a large population of special needs students — and the decision should be based on the needs of the specific student population rather than a general headcount.
Sauve said she contacted school faculty as well as a board superintendent to confirm that the faculty changes are being considered, although no final decisions have been made.
“If you’re not taking into consideration the needs of the students you’re failing them,” she said. “Children with disabilities do have a right to an education.”
Niagara Catholic District School Board education director John Crocco stressed that the changes are tentative.
“These are tentative decisions to meet staffing timelines. It is a very fluid process,” Crocco said.
And the recommendation — included within the school board’s 2018/19 budget — have yet to be seen by trustees, who will ultimately make a decision regarding them.
“All of this has to be wrapped within a board budget, and the budget has yet to even be presented as a draft to the board for its consideration,” Crocco added.
He said trustees will have their first look at the budget — including the recommendation about resource teachers — at Tuesday night’s board meeting.
And Crocco said the budget will continue to change after Tuesday’s meeting — until the budget deadline at the end of June.
But Sauve remains concerned, despite the assurances.
It’s a concern shared by Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association Niagara president Marie Balanowski.
I am disturbed by the cuts and changes that senior administration has recommended for some education resource teacher positions,” she said.
Balanowski said she has expressed her concerns to the board’s management as well as trustees, “but, sadly, have not received a satisfactory response to date.”
Sauve remains concerned — too — particularly because she feels parents have been left out of decisions regarding the education of their special needs students.
“The thing that disturbs me is nothing has been brought to the parents,” she said. “We don’t have a say. Shouldn’t we?”