A new group is calling for accountability in Nova Scotia’s newly restructured education system.
Simone Chia-Kangata recently started the Facebook group called Accountable Leadership in NS Education.
The parent of two children at Bayview Community School, says the group started after school principal Lamar Eason was put on administrative leave without notifying parents.
Parents of students at Bayview originally started a Facebook group to address the issue, with many believing Eason was unjustifiably removed; partially because the complaint made against him went beyond the 90 day limit on when complaints can be filed.
The complaint surrounded a matter that occurred when Eason was still coordinator of race relations, cross-cultural understanding and human rights.
But as time went on Chia-Kangata says it became apparent, Eason’s removal was just a symptom of a bigger problem.
“There isn’t any clear recourse for when an abuse of power is happening at a Regional Centre for Education or even higher,” she says.
Chia-Kangata believes the province needs to make clear what mechanisms are in place to deal with conflicts involving senior administrators.
She says much of the power seems to lie in the executive director of the Regional Centres for Education – the person who would have been the superintendent at the old school boards.
“If somebody has a direct conflict with leadership, there isn’t really a clear channel for that to be addressed.”
Chia-Kangata admits the old school boards weren’t always transparent.
But she says that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvements with the new system.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Zach Churchill says the parents’ concerns are no different than ones brought up when school boards were in place.
He says the executive director position at Regional Centres of Education also hasn’t changed.
“In terms of the authority of the regional executive director from the previous governance model to the current, nothing has changed in terms of their operational authority so they’re still the leader, operationally in the region.”
Churchill says senior administrators answer to the deputy minister and adds the department is developing new standards to help keep all employees accountable.
He says the department is open to hearing from parents but notes some situations like with Bayview’s principal, are an issue for Human Resources.
“We’re happy to receive information on employees if community members have it … but we also can’t make HR decisions on people’s personal opinions of individuals as well.”
Churchill says he has confidence in the new system and believes student success levels improve under it.
CKBW/Country 100 and LighthouseNOW Progress Bulletin are collaborating together on education coverage on the South Shore.
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca
