JTA leadership aspirant gets important endorsements
GWESTERN BUREAU: ODFREY DRUMMOND, who recently announced his candidacy for the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) president-elect post for the 20202021 administrative year, has won three important endorsements from fellow educators in western Jamaica.
Wendell Downswell, the technical director of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), who has several years of teaching experience under his belt; Ian Myles, who currently serves as both a classroom teacher and a councillor at the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation; and Dave Scott, the principal at Howard Cooke Primary School in Montego Bay, have all decided to throw their support behind Drummond.
“I am pleased with the vision being put forward as he seeks to reimage the association by putting classroom teachers at the leadership level,” said Downswell, who spoke during the launch of Drummond’s campaign at the Commingle Hotel in Westmoreland. “When he says the time has come for the classroom teacher to take up leadership roles in education, I must say it’s a step in the right direction.”
ENERGISE SECTOR
In throwing his support behind Drummond to lead the 25,000-member organisation, Scott said putting classroom teachers in charge of the affairs of teachers will energise the education sector.
“One of the things that I really want to see is for a classroom teacher becoming the leader of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association. When I was a classroom teacher, there were a lot of things I hit out against, which have not changed,” said Scott, who has been a principal for the past 11 years.
Scott said Drummond, who is a vastly experienced teacher, has the right energy that is needed to help the Jamaica Teachers’ Association and the country’s teachers to advance education for all.
“When we get the energy from the classroom teachers then you know the school will rise, will flourish. Therefore, if the helm of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association is able to get that input from the classroom teacher, that first-hand experience, that baseline experience, then and only then will this prestigious organisation rise to the top, and education itself in Jamaica will be better off for it,” noted Scott.
Myles, who shares many interests with Drummond, including his passion for education, sports, and community affairs, said he has the right temperament, knowledge, and commitment to be a very effective leader of the JTA.
“To be truthful, I think he is tailormade for what the JTA needs in a leader. Godfrey is quite passionate about education and he has the energy to give it a good shot,” said Myles.
Drummond is a senior teacher at the Petersfield Primary and Infant School. His opponent for the coveted post is Winston Smith, the principal of Golden Spring Primary School in St Andrew.