Could the board of trustees of the School District of Mystery Lake, elected to four-year terms by voters just last October, be sent packing for firing R.D. Parker Collegiate principal Ryan Land by NDP Manitoba Education Minister Nancy Allan after deputy minister Gerald Farthing's visit to Thompson March 4?
The short answer is yes. But in reality, judging by history in Manitoba, the more likely answer is the board has little to fear, at least in terms of hanging onto their seats, from Allan and Farthing if they decide to dig in.
Section 28(1) of the Public Schools Act says that the "lieutenant-governor-in-council" [the provincial cabinet] may appoint an official trustee for any school division or school district, the affairs of which are not being or cannot be, in his opinion, satisfactorily managed by the school board of that school division or school district, as the case may be."
How likely is that to happen here? "The use of this section is very rare. In fact, only once in Manitoba history has a school board been removed from office," says Angela Jamieson, communications co-ordinator for Manitoba Education. "In 2001, the former Morris Macdonald School Division board was replaced by an official trustee, following an investigation and report issued by the Office of the Auditor General regarding financial and other irregularities in the administration and management of adult learning centers by the school board."
On Nov. 9, 2001, then NDP Education, Training and Youth Minister Drew Caldwell dissolved the board of trustees of the Morris-Macdonald School Division and appointed a single official trustee, Alex Krawec, to manage the affairs of the division until the election of a new board of the newly merged Morris-Macdonald and Red River school divisions in October 2002.
The former chair and another trustee had already resigned before dissolution, leaving the board with the minimum legal number of four trustees, the minister noted. Caldwell's rationale for dissolving the board, he said at the time, was "to reassure Manitoba taxpayers and restore confidence" in the Morris-Macdonald School Division after provincial auditor Jon Singleton's damning report of Oct. 4, 2001 was issued.
And in words that may or may not echo here, Caldwell, in signing the order to dissolve the Morris-Macdonald School Division board, noted that "despite being the elected officials responsible for the division, the members of the board have chosen to communicate through their superintendent rather than directly to the minister and the public."
As official trustee, Krawec had all the powers and responsibilities of an elected board. Caldwell cancelled trustee byelections scheduled for Nov. 29, 2001.
Krawec went into the official trustee's job a decade ago with significant experience in education as a teacher and principal and had also worked for the Department of Education. He also had experience in municipal government, including serving two terms as mayor of the Town of Stonewall and also had served as a trustee on the Interlake School Division Board.
"This is not our preferred choice, but it is the only responsible one at this time," said Caldwell. "We expected that the board would be able to deal with this situation in a timely and decisive manner. However, since the release of the provincial auditor's report, the board has been either unable or unwilling to take the necessary steps to remedy the very serious problems revealed in the auditor's report."
Four days before dissolving the board, trustees from the Morris-Macdonald School Division submitted a report to the minister outlining actions taken by the board in compliance with the provincial auditor's report.
"Unfortunately, after careful consideration of the board's submission, it's actions can only be described as deeply unsatisfactory as a response to the provincial auditor's extensive report on the administration of adult education programs associated with Morris-Macdonald School Division," said Caldwell.
"Clearly the board has not recognized the seriousness of this situation and has failed to take appropriate action," said Caldwell. "Members of the public, especially the parents and taxpayers in the Morris-Macdonald School Division, have a right to expect that their division is managed effectively. Unfortunately, under the existing board, this does not appear to be the case."
As required under the legislation, Caldwell indicated that the secretary-treasurer of the Morris-Macdonald School Division had also been removed from his duties.
"Because of the nature of the current situation in Thompson, the deputy minister will not be speaking to media about his meetings scheduled to take place this Friday," Jamieson told the Thompson Citizen. She also noted the "province does not employ teachers or administrators. School divisions as employers have jurisdiction over human resource issues."
School District of Mystery Lake trustees voted 5-2 on Feb. 22 to fire Land immediately. Voting to fire Land were chairperson Rob Pellizzaro, vice-chairperson Guido Oliveira and trustees Vince Nowlin, Alexander Ashton and Valerie Wilson. Opposed to the firing of Land were trustees Leslie Tucker and Sya Gregovski.
At the same time, however, Jamieson says, "Clearly, this situation is a concern in the community. The department is actively engaged in conversations across the community to better understand the concerns and perspectives of everyone involved."
Said Jamieson: "Our goal is to ensure that the quality of education Manitoba parents and students deserve and expect continues to be provided. However, the province will not be commenting on specific aspects of the situation, or the content of any conversations."
Farthing is also set to meet March 4 here with school board administration officials, including superintendent Bev Hammond, and other employees, and representatives from the R.D. Parker Collegiate Parent Advisory Council for School Leadership, many of whom, including Betty Landego and Danny Morris, hold overlapping memberships on the new-formed Thompson Parents for an Accountable School District of Mystery Lake Board, which was created in the immediate aftermath of Land's firing and major demotion of vice-principal Grant Kreuger who was placed on paid administrative for three days last week, before returning from that leave Monday as a member of the teaching ranks, no longer a vice-principal.
They have well over 630 signatures and counting on a petition calling for the rehiring of Land and reinstatement of Kreuger to his old vice-principal's job.
A meeting with Pellizzaro, Mayor Tim Johnston and Farthing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., while a meeting between Farthing and a maximum of three representatives from the R.D. Parker Collegiate Parent Advisory Council for School Leadership is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
In a letter sent to Allan on Feb. 24, Johnston asked the minister to conduct a review of the School District of Mystery Lake (SDML). "I formally request that the Minister of Education conduct an independent review of the S.D.M.L.," he wrote. Johnston cited three reasons in seeking the review, which was supported by other council members polled by telephone by the mayor Feb. 23: the effects of constant turnover at the highest levels of the district on attracting and retaining new residents; the cost to municipal taxpayers of that turnover; and the "level of fear and sense of intimidation conveyed to my office from parents, staff and students regarding S.D.M.L. Board of Trustees and Administration retribution if people speak out. I want to state my surprise, dismay, and disappointment with the third concern noted," he wrote. "It is absolutely unacceptable that such fears and feelings exist."
No meetings have been scheduled or planned with students.
Power of Youth (POY) was founded in 2007, replacing R.D. Parker's Student Council. It was founded on the belief that students need a group to discuss school issues and put forward ideas, a group without the hierarchy such as president, or vice-president, etc., so every POY member is equal; there is no official "high leader" or "deputy leader." The former student council's two-page constitution was considered too bureaucratic and was also scrapped.
The Youth Aboriginal Council (YAC) is also a significant player in student politics at R.D. Parker.
