School District 57 is working towards having more open forums for discussion with parents and members of the public.
Following last night’s (Tuesday) board meeting, the first one held publicly since February, board chair Rachael Weber broke her silence with the media and gave a seven-minute interview with reporters present.
This was My PG Now’s first chance to speak with Weber on the record since she was re-elected in October.
When the issue of transparency from the board came up, something local and provincial parties have called for more of from this board, Weber said more opportunities for parents to address trustees are coming on the horizon.
“We are working on a program of town halls that will be scheduled throughout the coming year,” she said. “We are just getting locations in place that will allow the public an opportunity to come and ask questions that are not on the agendas.”
Addressing the board was a hot topic issue last night – two members of the public disrupted the meeting in protest following a presentation from Prince George District Teachers’ Association President Daryl Beauregard on SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) inclusion policies.
There is an opportunity for members of the public to address the board following the meeting on items related to the agenda – which neither man or anyone else in the full gallery chose to do.
Weber was also asked about her silence towards the media, the removal of superintendent Cindy Heitman, the resignations of two of the seven board members, her stance on SOGI policies, and the upcoming bi-election.
“We speak to the media when it is needed,” Weber said, adding she hopes parents are actively involved in board and parent advisory council meetings, or to “give us a call on our cell phones, we are always here.”
Weber has not answered or replied to one of My PG Now’s numerous phone calls.
In response to this, she said “comments are given when they are needed… when the board of education deems that we need to give an in camera, public media statement, we will go ahead and do it.”
Still talking about transparency and availability, she said “I believe we are doing the job we were required to do, which is doing the work of the board and to make sure 13,000 students in this district walk away with the best education possible.”
Based on the board’s policy seven, Weber said she was not able to give any insight into what happened at a March 9 meeting behind the scenes that lead to the dismissal of Heitman and the resignation of two trustees, Betty Bekkering and Gillian Burnett.
“3.11.All matters coming before the Board shall be considered in public sessions except the following:
3.11.1. Personnel matters
3.11.1.1. Salary claims and negotiations
3.11.1.2. Efficiency, discipline or retirement of employees
3.11.1.3. Employee promotion or termination”
“We have strict guidelines on what we can and cannot say,” she said. “In camera discussions will not go any farther than this and you will get the same response over, and over, and over again.”
Some information on the meeting was revealed in the evening’s agenda – the in-camera meeting started at 7:17 and ended at 7:45 – it was just 28 minutes long.
You can find that record here on page 15.
Moving to SOGI, an issue that Weber has been controversially silent on since January, she said “the board is completely behind providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students… we stand beside, behind, and in front of our policies and our procedures to provide a safe and inclusive environment.”
During his presentation, Beauregard suggested the board “make it known anti-SOGI and anti-inclusion opponents, people who want to run [in the bi-election] on that agenda, should be discouraged.”
He cited other school boards around the province who have made similar moves.
“Vernon, on February 23rd, the trustees banned Action4Canada from presenting for a minimum of one year… in Mission, that board banned that group with no end date,” he said.
Action4Canada is a religious right wing group who list vaccines, 15 minute cities, “political Islam,” and 5G technology among provincial SOGI policies as “current issues” they are actively fighting.
Weber said she would not be taking Beauregard’s recommendation.
“We don’t endorse anything… we are not an authority to [denounce groups]. We work for the students.”
When Beauregard’s examples of other districts taking action were brought up to Weber, she said “when those concerns are brought forward to the board, we will have a discussion then.”
For more information on SOGI policies, click here.
After the bi-election, Weber said she hopes for the board to be a “collaborative team [that] comes together… we all bring diverse ability to this board, we all have our own thoughts and opinions, we are all here for one purpose – the best education for the students.”
The next public board meeting will be on Tuesday, May 30.