School Board Meeting Update

Hi Folks,

The regular School Board meeting was held at the School Board office on Monday evening.
As we know, Katherine McIntosh has accepted the Superintendent’s position in Coast Mountain School District. At the meeting everyone, including teachers, thanked Katherine for her work in SD 85 and wished her well with the new job. The School Trustees announced they plan to conduct a search for a new Assistant Superintendent.

I made the point on behalf of teachers that the critical work of a school district takes place in schools, specifically in classrooms, and that is where district resources need to be focused.

The Trustees also discussed the calendar for the next few years. The proposed 2014-15 school calendar will be the regular school calendar that we have seen in past years.

For subsequent years the Trustees might consult with employee groups, parents and community about possible changes to the school calendar in years to come. We will probably see more about this next year.

One of the trustees had a concern with the school-based in-service day scheduled for Monday September 14th. The concern was that it was too close to the start of school. The suggestion was made that the in-service day be moved to Tuesday September 2, our first day back, and that school begin for students on Wednesday, September 3rd. The assumption was that the 3rd would be a short day and the first full day for students would be Thursday, September 4th.

It sounded like a reasonable idea to me, and to everyone else around the table. I said I would consult with teachers in the district. We will put it on the agenda for our General meeting on Wednesday January 22nd.

See you there,

Fred

Fred Robertson
President
Vancouver Island North Teachers’ Association
lp85@bctf.ca