The president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union local in Yarmouth expects an influx of members anxious to join a provincial committee struck to deal with classroom issues.
One day after the government forced a contract on Nova Scotia’s public school teachers, it is inviting them to apply to sit on the new Council to Improve Classroom Conditions.
The government says it will offer teachers the opportunity to direct how the province will invest $20 million into classrooms during the next
two years.
The Council to Improve Classroom Conditions priorities include data collection and reporting, assessment and evaluation, attendance and student discipline policy.
Rollie Hannem says the issues are ones that classroom teachers have raised concerns about for a long time.
“I think you’re certainly going to see an influx of applications to get on that committee. Teachers on the front lines really feel they have a lot to offer. We know the way it came about is not the way we wanted it to come about but now that it’s in there, teachers are certainly going to take a good look and will want to have a say on it.
Hannem says the committee can cover things that a contract can’t.
“Now we have teachers access to policy and be able to give what’s happening around attendance in our classrooms and all the others things that are involved with that committee. That is gold for us because we’ve never been able to have say in policy before.”
The province says the council will be formed by March 7.
