Nova Scotia’s Minister of Education says the province and school boards will implement some recommendations right away from the Council to Improve Classroom Conditions.
In a release, Karen Casey says she’s has received the 18 initial recommendations and has instructed her department and school boards to act on them.
The eight immediate actions include eliminating three provincially mandated assessments and exams, putting in place a five-year moratorium on new school board and provincially initiated assessments, maintaining the suspension of Grade 10 exams, which will be available at teachers’ request, maintaining the suspension of one provincially mandated assessment.
Three involve concerns teachers had with PowerSchool. Issuing a directive to school boards about PowerSchool with regards to mark, issuing a directive to school boards about PowerSchool with regards to attendance, issuing a directive to school boards about PowerSchool with regards to outcomes.
Those actions are effective April 3.
The other action involves preparing and sharing a summary of council discussions and recommendations Casey says “From the results of its first meeting, it is clear the council and its members are committed to addressing classroom issues and developing real, sustainable solutions.”
She goes on to say “We will implement a number of them right away and work to carry out the remaining recommendations as quickly as possible.” The Council meets again next month.
Meanwhile, the South Shore represent for that council says she feels teachers are truly being heard.
Liz Brideau Clark says she was surprised how willing the deputy minister of education was to listen.
“I said ‘oh I just got an email from a primary teacher in my board,’ the deputy minister from across the table says ‘read it for me please,’ and we were on a break. It really is a channel for their voices to be heard.”
Brideau Clark says she feels the work the council is doing will have a real effect on teachers, students, and parents.
She says she hopes people will continue to send in their thoughts which she says she’ll share whenever possible.
