Frustrated justice minister talks about 'dismantling' district education councils
Andrea Anderson-Mason says she had her wrist slapped for trying to intervene in council busing decision
Hadeel Ibrahim· CBC News· Posted: Oct 28, 2019 5:00 AM AT
Andrea Anderson-Mason, minister of justice and attorney general, says she’s heard from a disitrict education council member who expressed 'disappointment in how our government has dealt with education.' (Radio-Canada)
A New Brunswick cabinet minister says her comments on social media about dismantling district education councils were prompted in part by her attempts to intervene in local education issues.
Justice Minister Andrea Anderson-Mason wrote in a post on her official MLA Facebook page on Oct. 10 that she's heard from an education council member who expressed "disappointment in how our government has dealt with education."
The MLA for Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West went on to say that it takes time to get things done, "but we are ready for change."
"One thing we are proposing is to dismantle our DECs so we can have local control, not top-down control."
Rob Fowler, chair of the Anglophone South district education council, says Andrea Anderson-Mason's comment about council is 'disturbing.' (Hadeel Ibrahim/CBC)
There was no reference to dismantling the seven district councils — four anglophone and three francophone — in the green paper on education reforms released by Education Minister Dominic Cardy earlier this month.
The 23-page discussion paper floats various ideas, including exploring the best way to "structure" education support offices and organizations.
"This will include a review of the mandate and structure of the department, school districts and the DECs."
In an interview with CBC News, Anderson-Mason said she sees no difference between what the green paper had to say and what she describes as "dismantling."
"Those are synonyms in my books," said Anderson-Mason, who practised law in St. George before being elected to the legislature as a Progressive Conservative last fall.
The current district education councils are made up of elected officials who are voted in during municipal elections.
The councils are in charge of allocating the budget, commissioning studies and making recommendations to the province.
In her Facebook post, Anderson-Mason said in her "short year" as MLA, the district council has "slapped my wrist to say I cannot intervene on any educational concerns of my residents … I think we need change … do you?"
Last September, Anderson-Mason sent a letter to the Anglophone South district education council about transporting children from their schools to a certain daycare, which the council had previously said wasn't possible because of financial limitations.
I had a District Education Council member message me about their disappointment in how our government has dealt with education. I agree....sort of. It takes a bit of time to get things done but we are ready for change. One thing we are proposing is to dismantle our DECs so we can have local control, not top down control. I know in my short year the District has slapped my wrist to say I can not intervene on any educational concerns of my residents...i think we need change...do you?
The Minister of Education has issued a Green Paper seeking, looking for, begging for help from NB (especially from teachers). So now is the time! Reach out and connect. We must reform how we do things and give teachers the opportunity to do what they have been called to do, teach. And we must protect and nurture our greatest asset, our children, our future.
"I was told this is political interference and that I could not be engaged in this conversation," she told CBC.
This is why, she said, having "local control," would help MLAs, parents and teachers better address their issues.
Rob Fowler, chair of the Anglophone South council, said if an MLA wants to raise an issue, then "fill your boots," but it was the fact that she emailed the council as attorney general and justice minister that raised questions.
"If she'd written to us requesting help as an MLA, it's one thing," he said. "As the attorney general, that's a different kettle of fish. Because she's using the authority of the office of the attorney general to demand changes of us, and that's not correct."
Fowler said MLAs can act as advocates for the community but as an attorney general, "she doesn't have a say in how we do things."
'Disturbing' comment
Fowler said Anderson-Mason's social media post is "disturbing."
"If it's straight dismantling, there's nothing put in place, I would find that highly disturbing in the sense that we're removing any kind of local voice from education matters," he said.
Recently two district education councils — Anglophone South and Anglophone East — have pushed back against the provincial government by rejecting their budgets, citing a shortfall in funding for educational assistants.
Education Minister Dominic Cardy says the government has not made any decisions regarding the structure of district education councils yet. (Angela Bosse/CBC)
Anglophone South still hasn't approved its budget for the current school year. Anglophone East approved its budget earlier this month, after rejecting it twice.
Fowler said he doesn't believe Anderson-Mason's comments were in response to these protests. "I think this has been in the works long before the budget ever became an issue," he said.
Been there, done that?
If the government does decide to restructure school governance, it won't be for the first time. Since the early 1990s, successive provincial governments have reduced and redefined school districts. Seven years ago, 14 districts were combined to create the current seven.
Dennis Cochrane, a former educator and onetime deputy minister of education in Nova Scotia, says reviewing a system is always a good idea, but giving more power to the local level by removing the education councils is easier said than done.
"Everybody wants to give more local autonomy, and it's very difficult to do because you obviously can't give responsibility for creating the budget or allocating the budget [to schools]," he said.
A charter barrier
Retired University of Moncton law professor and language rights lawyer Michel Doucet said it would be a Charter of Rights and Freedoms violation to outright abolish all school boards or district education councils.
Doucet said there are multiple Supreme Court decisions that say that francophone minorities outside Quebec should be able to govern their own schools. That's because the charter says they must be able to strengthen and sustain their language and culture.
That doesn't mean provinces can't restructure the education councils, he said. But whatever they do has to comply with Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
No decision made
Asked for comment, Cardy, the education minister, sent a written statement. He said educators working in schools, directly with students, are in the best position to understand the needs of their classrooms and communities.
He said that's why the power "should remain" at the local level whenever possible "to ensure they are supported."
The province has not made any decisions regarding the structure of district education councils, he said.
David Raymond Amos As I sit in the hospital on November 19th without a Medicare Card I will take great interest in seeing if Kris Austin remains true to his word and supports Higgy for another six months as he reboots the circus with an new speech from the throne. Trust that I am looking forward to arguing the lawyers Carrier, Poirier, Logan, Eidt, Anderson-Mason and Flemming about my right to Health Care, to no false imprisonment, language rights, abortion, the whereabouts of my old Harley and Yankee wiretap tapes of the mob in its saddlebag among other things.
Anderson-Mason may act confused as Cardy yaps about education, Steeves talks of their prowess with money and Gauvin protects the francophones from Flemming's plans while Higgy battles unions and does the double talk on carbon tax and demands upon Saint John, to balance their books etc. However they are fooling nobody when Holland brags of protecting forests after they are mowed down. One thing is for certain Cardy's silly bill will be swept aside as I laugh at all the nonsense at the circus because I made certain that Vickers knows why methinks he doesn't want Higgy's job N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos Methinks Minister Cardy. his cat Puffin and his many cohorts who love butter tarts must have noticed some interesting threads over the past week have gone the way of the DoDo Bird N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
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Methinks it was the prominent New Brunswick francophone lawyer Michel Doucet who demanded that CBC compel peoplekind to post their comments in their true names N'esy Pas?
CBC announces end to anonymous online comments Policy change fast tracked in wake of complaint by prominent New Brunswick francophones CBC News · Posted: Mar 17, 2016 5:36 PM AT
"University of Moncton law professor Michel Doucet, who had organized the letter signed by 120 New Brunswick francophones, promptly reacted to the announcement with a post on Twitter in French, saying he is "happy with the outcome."
Lou Bell The NB Dept. of Education and it's political appointees - " Failing NB'ers and their kids for over 20 years ! " Another " NB Moment " !!
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell: Cry me a river
David Raymond Amos Methinks everybody knows why I am enjoying this circus N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell
Reply to @David Raymond Amos: Nope . Who are you again ?
Alexandre Hilton
Reply to @Lou Bell: Gandalf the Wizard of Albert County.
@David this isn't simply about language. There's more to this than bilingualism.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell: Methinks i am the dude whom you conservatives love to hate N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Alexandre Hilton: Methinks I will consider that just another mindless insult from a wannabe lawyer N'esy Pas?
Alexandre Hilton
Reply to @David Raymond Amos: Honestly not saying that as an insult, you literally look like Gandalf from LOTR. If you think that's insulting maybe you should get a haircut.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Alexandre Hilton: Methinks Gandalf is just a fictional character Whereas I am a real dude who sued legions of Yankee lawyers and US Treasury Agents etc at the same time the films were released then he looks like me N'esy Pas?
Linda Christie Hazlett Teachers have the most paid holidays and best working hours as well as the best pension plan. No one wants to even suggest that the rampant problems in education in New Brunswick may be partly due to teaching standards. We don't need more public opinion on this matter ... we need to hear from the teachers.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Linda Christie Hazlett: Attacking the trained folks who are being forced to conform to a political mandate is not the answer and will not be able to provide the answers you seem to be looking for. *Think* teachers haven't changed, administration hasn't changed, what has changed is the politically driven mandate they all must conform to.
David Raymond Amos Reply to @Terry Tibbs: I concur
Linda Christie Hazlett This article covers a lot of politicking but what about the quality of the teaching in the classroom. Why is NB's literacy rate so bad. I think something needs to be addressed in the teaching methods. What is happening in the classrooms.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Linda Christie Hazlett: The mandate that schools had was to "provide an education" and they did. The mandate now is: inclusion, grade promotion not based on merit, and bilingualism. It is not the teachers, nor is it the administration, it is the politicians that have thrown a monkey wrench into the works.
David Raymond Amos Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks everybody knows that but the know it all Cardy has raised the stakes bigtime and no doubt has given Higgy lots of headaches. I trust that many political pundits recall how I particularly enjoyed it when he attacked the Confucius Institute N'esy Pas?
Alexandre Hilton
Reply to @David Raymond Amos: Rightfully so. Bernard Lord and his ties to China should have NO PLACE in our education system. The fact that our kids get brainwashed with Chinese propaganda is astounding.
Terry Tibbs Reply to @Linda Christie Hazlett: Teachers are only employees. It is up to us to fight, the folks who the politicians are supposed to be responsible to, we have to demand better. EVERY TIME Mr Cardy shows his face in public he should be approached and asked why he is doing such a bad job.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Raymond Amos: If Mr Higgs has half a wit he will put Mr Cardy in charge of butter tarts and ONLY butter tarts.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: I see that you enjoyed my blog
Brian Robertson Politicians and advocates have clearly made a mess of our educational system. At this point, educating our children seems to be the lowest priority of all.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Brian Robertson: Oh So True
Robert L. Brown get rid of all the political appointees bring back the right for teachers to discipline unruly students and last but not least get rid if dual system in NB French and English
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Robert L. Brown: Dream on
Fred Snerd Police use body cameras and cameras in vehicles . The informations gained are usually extremely useful .
Same reasoning should apply to teachers and classrooms. Especially to those classrooms with discipline and misbehaviour issues.
They could be very useful and provide evidence for the rest of use to see the realities of behaviours in the classroom and to weed out the bad apples so their deficiencies can be exposed and come to be addressed for corrective actions and interventions.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Fred Snerd: That's funny, when I went to school they knew exactly how to deal with your "bad apples", but they did not have a bunch of politicians micro managing their every move. THAT is where the problem lies, not teachers, not administration, it is a purely political problem.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: YUP
John Haigh That thing is the attorney general?
David Raymond Amos Reply to @John Haigh: Methinks the lady lawyer will have that fancy job for only for a little while longer N'esy Pas?
Claude DeRoche Two third of New Brunswick voters rejected the federal Conservatives, the Crown Prince of Bermuda needs to call an election!
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Claude DeRoche: Methinks it will come soon enough whether Higgy wants one or not it is for the PANB to decide N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs Since Dominic Cardy has become Minister of Education the whole thing reads like a game of musical chairs. Nobody seems to be able to decide anything, and many "in charge" seem to have jobs where they go to work in the morning, write things on pieces of paper, then come 5 PM throw those pieces of paper out. And it appears, lacking any kind of coherent direction, the attorney general and justice minister has decided to join the game? Mr Higgs, you are supposed to be in control of this train wreck, get on with it please.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks Higgy regrets giving that ex NDP dude a cabinet minister's mandate N'esy Pas?
Jim Johnston Dismantle is a bad choice for a word. I believe in looking at NB's education system the first thing we have to realize is that we have a 50% plus adult illiteracy rate. The education system needs to address this first and foremost. Not saying other issues should be ignored but they have to be put in their proper perspective. One of the issues in improving literacy is giving the system the proper tools to address it, and then, just as importantly, having the means within the education system to enforce standards. That is not likely done at the local level.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Jim Johnston: Our schools are no longer "places of learning", they have become "noisy", "busy" day care centers, where the squeaky wheel gets all the grease (resources) and the average student is virtually ignored to fend for themselves. Ask me how I know. My eldest boy graduated grade 12 without the ability to read, his only crime was that of being lazy, and he had the ability to sit quietly and observe the gong show going on around him. The political will has to exist to fix this, by doing away with inclusion, and promotion without merit. BTW, the wife and I fixed that boy and today he is quite successful, it allowed us to catch his 2 younger siblings and "fix" them before the education system could leave them high and dry.
Alexandre Hilton
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Not the teachers' fault. What do you think happens when students are coming in by the hundreds that don't speak either English or French? Of course those students get the lions' share of resources, and all of the other kids get the leftovers. Don't forget - our taxes are paying for that. But me speaking up against it makes me a b i g o t. Go figure.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Alexandre Hilton: What is wrong is purely political. It is time for the politicians to back away from education and let those who have the education and training to do it get on with it.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks you must understand why I play political hard ball with irrefutable truths that often go "Poof" just like the one that just did N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks it was a rather telling thing that the spit and chew about the "Powers That Be" denying me a Medicare Card for many years went "Poof" Perhaps I will finally get one now N'esy Pas?
Dominic Cardy presented a green paper on education reforms earlier this month in Fredericton. (Joe McDonald/CBC)
Education Minister Dominic Cardy is asking the public for suggestions on how to improve New Brunswick's education system.
The minister took questions and addressed concerns live from the Information Morning Fredericton studio Monday morning. The call for public comments came after the release of a green paper on education reforms earlier this month.
"Education really touches on everyone in the province," Cardy said.
The green paper titled "Succeeding at Home," was created as a way to propose ideas and "trigger discussion."
Questions dealt with a range of issues, including keeping inclusion as a part of the system, improving French programs, and providing more training for educational assistants experiencing violence in the classroom.
Eliminating grade levels
But several times during the question-and-answer session, the possibility of eliminating grade levels arose.
Cardy said such a change, proposed in the green paper, would reduce tension around the composition of classrooms, which now can include students of varying academic abilities.
He said that inside schools that aren't organized by grades, students would learn differently and would be able to work on basic social skills and at their own level, which might include university-level work.
"Let's make sure to meet the children where they are, at their point of readiness," he said. "So there's no discrimination or stigma at being at different points."
Although some students require an educational assistant, Cardy said eliminating grade levels would also reduce the number of educational assistants required for each classroom.
"Suddenly the kids who are experiencing developmental delays, they're being met where they're at, and they're engaged. … Similarly, the kids who are excelling, they should be free to be able to race ahead as far as they possibly can."
He said the goal would be to allow teachers to have more time to focus on the areas of greater need and help students move ahead instead of worrying about an "obsessively routinized curriculum document."
Restructuring department
During the live broadcast, Cardy also said there needs to be a broader conversation about how his department fits in with other departments across the province.
He said his department has to work alongside other departments when it comes to topics like vaccinations and children living in poverty.
"Departments will defend their turf and have rules that allow them to work internally but not allow them to co-operate," he said.
There was no reference in the green paper to dismantling the seven district education councils, but Cardy suggested Monday that he wants to look at different models, including a more community-based alternative to the councils.
Although he isn't committed to one model in particular, Cardy said his bias is toward "local control," where communities can have more control over what's happening in their schools. The current district education councils are made up of elected officials who are voted in during municipal elections.
The councils are in charge of allocating the budget, commissioning studies and making recommendations to the province.
The green paper also suggests more use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, more partnerships with the private sector to boost education in the trades, and the introduction of second-language programming in daycares.
The minister has said he wants New Brunswick students to be better trained in critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving.
David Raymond Amos "The minister has said he wants New Brunswick students to be better trained in critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving."
Methinks Higgy should have sought the same in his ministers N'esy Pas?
Chris McNee Find out which country produces the highest success rates with their youth and ask them how country runs its curriculum.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Chris McNee: Methinks that would be too easy and cause a lot of overpaid politically appointed consultants to be looking for a new seat on the gravy train N'esy Pas?
@David this isn't simply about language. There's more to this than bilingualism.