On her side
North Preston group fighting for a teacher
A group of upset parents from North Preston walked into the Halifax school board Thursday to protest the termination of a popular, “committed” teacher.
The roughly 10 women from the community who first gathered outside Nelson Whynder Elementary said they were shocked after the announcement that well-loved teacher, Joida Tynes-Simons, was getting “let go” this week after being reviewed by her administration.
Tynes-Simons has taught in the area for over 30 years and is an important part of the community, protesters said.
“We need Ms. Tynes back in our school,” one of the women shouted outside the elementary building.
Carol Beals’ three children were taught by Tynes-Simons, and she thinks the decision is unfair.
“She’s there for everybody, this is crazy,” Beals said.
The group said Tynes-Simons was very involved with her students, attending their proms, basketball games, and cheerleading practices. She also ran a Brain Power program in the summertime and was a tutor with the Black Educative Association, the protestors said.
She gave many of her students the tools they needed to succeed, the group added, with lots of them going on to attend university and colleges.
The situation began with a personal problem the principal, Francis O’Connell, had with the teacher, parents said. Beals said O’Connell went to human resources multiple times in an attempt to get Tynes-Simons out of the school.
“The administration was setting her up for failure, not success,” Beals added.
Although the school gave Tynes-Simons some modern coaching, administration took her out of her usual Grade 4 teaching position last year and moved her to Grade 2, said Beals.
With an apparent high turnover of teachers in the elementary school, parents said they liked knowing their children could rely on Tynes-Simons. When students finished Grade 3, they would look forward to having her as a teacher the next year, said Beals.
“She was a familiar face to the kids,” Beals said.
According to the review, Tynes-Simons was “95 per cent inadequate to teach,” Beals said.
Parents said they think that’s impossible.
“She’s got to be doing something right,” Beals added.