February 24, 2020
Announcement: Twenty Principals Needed

To: 8 online petitioners; 9 email respondents; 6 mail canvassers; 167 reporters and commentators; 26 trustee candidates and trustees; 26 of the many voters who are very concerned about our "one-size-fits-all" school boards; and 200 generally interested folks including members of the Social Mavrik Federation.

From: Bob Bray, President, Social Mavrik Federation

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CAMPBELL RIVER: Bob Bray is pleased to promote a recently published article about "who should control the school system" written by Randall Denley and published in the National Post on February 6, 2020.
Twenty Principals Needed
The Randall Denley article does not focus directly on the need for 20 principals and I will make that connection in due time. Instead it shows how the role of principals is diminished in the K-12 system. I present a key excerpt below. His article titled "Ontario teachers walkout comes down to who should control the school system" can be seen here.

"The unions' desire to set the rules for hiring is just part of a creeping takeover of management and government responsibility that began with the Liberal years. Unions have also gained a measure of control over spending priorities and the way learning is delivered."

The hiring of a teacher is the fundamental way a principal can strengthen the culture of his or her school, but the collective agreement restricts the talent pool from which a principal can choose.

To help emphasize the tole of principals, I prepared the chart below to show how many principals work for Ontario school boards. Of course many principals have vice-principals but only the principals are counted in this chart.
The chart shows there are about 5,000 principals working for 76 school boards. A larger version of the chart can be seen here.

The principal in a charter school has a tremendous amount of discretion. He or she is hired by parents on the board of the non-profit society that holds the charter. He or she is not encumbered by province-wide collective agreements nor School Board curriculum specialists. The teachers he or she hires also have lost of discretion to apply their professional expertise. The principal has the authority to carry out the responsibility of being the educational leader who develops high pedagogical standards.

The establishment of 20 charter schools that give their principal a free hand would have a beneficial impact. It would be a small step for the K-12 system and a large step for school choice.

I put the count of principals and school boards, along with 4 teacher federations and 9 types of K-12 schools into an info-graphic. The info-graphic is displayed at the bottom of this message, in the Facebook section.
Public Independent Charter Schools - a petition
This online petition includes a history of charter schools in Canada and was viewed 34 times in the week of Strike Day 26; 52 times during Strike Days 21 to 25; 89 times during Strike Days 16 to 20; 93 times during Strike Days 11 to 15; 110 times during Strike Days 6 to 10; and 93 times in the week of Strike Day 5. The names of its signatories can be inspected by clicking on the blue button or the underlined link below.
New petitioners are shown in red lettering (None this past week)

So far 30 citizens in Ontario and British Columbia have added their name and address to this petition to call on the Ontario Government to allow charter schools in Ontario.
Petitioners'
Province


---------------------





Ontario








---------------------



British
Columbia


---------------------
A ll ow Ministry
To Approve
Up To 20 Public
Charter Schools
-------------------------





SUPPORT = 21








------------------------



SUPPORT = 9



-------------------------
Petitioner Demographics


Name of City or Town
--------------------------------------------------
Bowmanville = 1
Cochrane = 1
London = 1
Malahide = 1
Mississauga = 1
North York = 1
Oshawa = 1
Ottawa = 1
Sarnia = 1
St. Catherines = 1
Thorold = 1
Toronto = 8
Union = 1
Welland = 1
--------------------------------------------------
Campbell River = 1
Chilliwack = 2
Courtenay = 1
North Saanich = 1
North Vancouver = 1
Vancouver = 1
Victoria = 2
--------------------------------------------------
Public Independent Charter Schools - a survey
The email questionnaire can be inspected by clicking on the blue button or the underlined link below.
New respondents are shown in red lettering (None this past week)

So far 9 citizens in British Columbia have emailed their position on independent publicly funded K-12 charter schools and the results are shown below.
Respondents'
Province



---------------------
British
Columbia
---------------------
Allow Ministry
To Approve
Up To 20 Public
Charter Schools

-------------------------
SUPPORT = 9
OPPOSE = 0
-------------------------
Respondent Demographics
Average Age
Number of Children
Number of Grandchildren
Number of Great Grandchildren
--------------------------------------------------
Avg Age=69 C=23 GC=53 GGC=4
Avg Age=0 C=0 GC=0 GGC=0
--------------------------------------------------
An easier-to-read summary of survey results can be seen here.
School Board Schools = Education Instability
Updates are shown in red lettering

School Board High Schools (31 Secular Boards)
  • work to rule began on Tuesday, December 3
  • Strike Day 1 - Wednesday, December 4
  • Strike Day 2 - Wednesday, December 10, against 9 School Boards
  • Strike Day 3 - Wednesday, December 17, against 10 School Boards
  • Strike Day 4 - Wednesday, January 8, against 8 School Boards
  • Strike Day 5 - Wednesday, January 15, against 16 School Boards
  • Strike Day 7 - Tuesday, January 21, against 13 School Boards
  • Strike Day 17 - Tuesday, February 4, against 10 School Boards
  • Strike Day 24 - Thursday, February 13, against 9 School Boards
  • Strike Day 26 - Friday, February 21, province-wide
  • Strike Day 27 - Friday, February 28, planned province-wide
  • are salaries, benefits, class size, two required e-learning courses and hiring new teachers based on seniority
  • Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation OSSTF
  • 60,000 teachers and education workers
  • 1,350 High School teachers are opposed to strike action

School Board Elementary School s (31 Secular Boards)
  • phase 1 job action began on Tuesday, November 26
  • not completing Term 1 report cards
  • not participating in board or ministry courses outside of school hours
  • phase 2 job action began on Tuesday, December 10
  • not planning any new field trips
  • not collecting money for school activities, except charitable causes
  • phase 3 job action began on Monday, January 13
  • work to rule, no before or after school presence
  • Strike Day 6 - Monday, January 20 against 3 Boards
  • Strike Day 7 - Tuesday, January 21 against 4 Boards
  • Strike Day 8 - Wednesday, January 22 against 3 Boards
  • Strike Day 9 - Thursday, January 23 against 4 Boards
  • Strike Day 10 - Friday, January 24 against 2 Boards
  • Strike Day 11 - Monday, January 27 against 3 Boards
  • Strike Day 12 - Tuesday, January 28 against 5 Boards
  • Strike Day 13 - Wednesday, January 29 against 4 Boards
  • mediator called both sides to the table for talks
  • Strike Day 14 - Thursday, January 30, against 3 Boards
  • talks with mediator continued for a second day
  • Strike Day 15 - Friday, January 31, against 2 Boards
  • talks with mediator ended with no new bargaining dates
  • Strike Day 16 - Monday, February 3, against 3 Boards
  • Strike Day 17 - Tuesday, February 4, against 8 Boards plus 1 Authority
  • Strike Day 18 - Wednesday, February 5, against 9 Boards plus 1 Centre
  • Strike Day 19 - Thursday, February 6, province-wide
  • Strike Day 20 - Friday, February 7, against 8 Boards plus 6 Authorities
  • Strike Day 21 - Monday, February 10 against 10 Boards and 1 Authority
  • Strike Day 22 - Tuesday, February 11, province-wide
  • Strike Day 23 - Wednesday, February 12 against 7 Boards, 6 Authorities
  • Strike Day 24 - Thursday, February 13, against 14 Boards and 1 Centre
  • Strike Day 25 - Friday, February 14 against 3 Boards
  • Strike Day 26 - Friday, February 21, province-wide
  • Wednesday, February 26, phase 6 strike protocol to be announced
  • issues are special needs students, one early childhood educator in every kindergarten classroom, classroom-based violence, salaries, beneftis and hiring new teachers based on seniority
  • Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario ETFO
  • 83,000 teachers and education workers
  • 830 Elementary School teachers are opposed to strike action

School Board French Schools (4 Secular and 8 Catholic Boards)
  • 450 French language schools
  • Franco-Ontarian teachers vote 97 per cent in favour of striking if necessary
  • phase 1 job action began on Thursday, January 16
  • refusing administrative duties
  • phase 2 work-to-rule planned to begin on Tuesday, January 28
  • January 29 - talks held with government
  • January 30 - talks held with government
  • February 3 to 7 - two days of talks with government were scheduled
  • talks "went nowhere" Remi Sabourin, AEFO President
  • Strike Day 24 - Thursday, February 13, province-wide
  • One day of bargaining on Wednesday, February 19
  • Second day of bargaining on Thursday, February 20
  • Strike Day 26 - Friday, February 21, province-wide
  • issues are
  • Association des enseigantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens
  • 10,500 members AEFO
  • 315 Franco-Ontarian teachers are opposed to strike action

School Board English Schools (29 Catholic Boards)
  • strike notice has been issued and teachers are in a legal strike position
  • contract talks were held on January 9th
  • mediator adjourned talks on January 10th
  • job action began on Monday, January 13th
  • teachers refuse to complete report cards
  • teachers refuse to participate in EQAO standardised tests
  • Strike Day 7 - Tuesday, January 21 against all 29 Catholic School Boards
  • talks concluded on Monday, February 3, with no deal reached
  • Strike Day 17 - Tuesday, February 4, against all 29 Catholic Boards
  • One day of bargaining on Wednesday, February 19
  • Second day of bargaining on Thursday, February 20
  • Strike Day 26 - Friday, February 21, province-wide
  • issues include class size, maintaining full day kindergarten, salaries and benefits.
  • Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association OECTA
  • 45,000 teachers
  • 1,305 English Catholic teachers are opposed to strike action

Ministry of Education Vouchers
  • Strike Day 5, Jan 15, vouchers announced today, 12,000 applications received
  • Strike Day 6, Jan 20; 130,000 applications received
  • Strike Day 14, Jan 30; 248,000 applications received: 17% of eligible parents
  • Feb 6 - Government is no longer releasing number of applications received
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Contact:
Bob Bray, President, Social Mavrik Federation
Phone: 250-900-2422
Mail: 422-1434 Ironwood Street, Campbell River, British Columbia V9W 5T5
Email: bob.bray@socialmavrikbc.ca
Website: socialmavrikbc.ca
The Social Mavrik Federation is a registered society in British Columbia dedicated to cultural politics through endorsing MP / MLA / Trustee candidates and supporting thoughtful petitions, as directed by its members.
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Backgrounders:
Topics covered in previous Announcements: