Letter to NSGEU school board members re: school review process underway

Dear NSGEU school board member,

Last night Employee Relations Officer Nicole McKim, and Servicing Coordinator/Policy Analyst Ian Johnson, hosted a telephone town hall with the executives of our school board locals and members of the School Board Occupational Council to discuss the government’s consultation about the school review process. This process is intended to be used when a permanent closure is being considered and to ensure the full value of the school is taken into account.

It was a very productive meeting with many good ideas about what the review should consider. The leadership stressed the need to attend the meetings and make our presence known by having members at each of the remaining seven public meetings, and by asking members to send in brief reports from each meeting to be collated and sent back to the membership. They raised concerns about impact of the Hub School model, the use of former school buildings, the job loss and other impacts associated with school closings, union representation on the School Advisory Councils, and the impact of school closures for students. They also asked that the union make a formal submission to the Minister of Education by January 24.

Please attend one or more public meetings during the next two weeks if at all possible, and send us a brief summary of what happened at the meeting(s) you attend with your ideas of what the union should include in its submission to the Review Committee. Please send your reports and any comments or questions to Nicole McKim (Employee Relations Officer for our Public School Locals) at nmckim@nsgeu.ca.

We have posted below the public meeting schedule as well as a link to information about the school review consultation process.

Thank you for your participation!

Joan Jessome

President

Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union

2014 Public Meeting Schedule

Thursday, January 9 – Truro –  7-9 pm – Cobequid Education Centre (CEC)

Monday, January 13 –  Bridgewater –  7-9 pm – Park View Education Centre