PLP: ‘Lack Of Movement On Teacher Transfers’

April 9, 2014

“We at the PLP are concerned at the lack of movement from the One Bermuda Alliance to resolve the ambiguity around the Teacher Transfer Process,” Shadow Education Minister Walton Brown said.

Mr. Brown added, “In September 2013, the then Minister of Education Nalton Brangman proposed amending the Education Act to abolish the need to institute board of governors and, in effect, hand exclusive power back in to the Ministry of Education. This move directly contradicts the OBA’s election pledge to fully implement the Hopkins’s Report.

“One of the ten key recommendations of the Report proposed the redistributing control to the school level and increase parental involvement, ensuring a place for a parent on each board of governors.

“Legislation, as proposed by the then Minister would indeed have allowed for the Ministry to approve teacher transfers for 2014, but we would have not overcome the issue at hand that has lead us to this point.

“That point being how to value, encourage and promote parental involvement in the public school system and give the parents the ability and platform to voice their concerns in their children’s learning environment in a meaningful way.

“While we support the consultation process and will always promote parental involvement at all levels, we also recognize that this situation needs to be resolved. To this date, we have not seen any legislation come through Parliament dealing with this matter nor have we seen any movement to resolve the matter in any other terms.

“This has resulted in there being no teacher transfers scheduled for September 2014, either voluntary or involuntary.

“Consequently, teachers, principals and parents are finding themselves held hostage by a failed bureaucratic process. We call on the Minister of Education and Economic Development Dr. Grant Gibbons to clear up this matter, and for the Ministry to cease deflecting to the PTA’s and to take responsibility for their lack of action,” concluded Mr. Brown.

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  1. somuchless says:

    Brown go find something to ramble on that’s actually important

    • Account a Bull says:

      Leave him be . The PLP know about transferring and can get it done. Didn’t they change Ministry of Education minister 5 times in 10 years?

    • Baltic Fury says:

      Wow, in the bigger picture this is very trivial.

      Does this mean the PLP can no longer find fault?

  2. watching says:

    I am loving the PLP pushing the OBA for accountability on their promises.

    • BlueFamiliar says:

      Yeah, it is kind of entertaining. Proves that those who can do, and those who can’t or don’t just want to talk about it.

  3. Banana says:

    The PLP really have this propaganda thing down. I kinda miss 2009/10/11/12 when they censored the press. Now it seems like they’ll do anything to stay relevant.

  4. frank says:

    first of all the government needs to appoint a minister to deal exclusively with education nothing else the junior minister can not cut it and doctor gibbons is to busy with economic development and realy could care less about eduction.
    the real problems in education are in the public schools and who goes to them

    • Account a Bull says:

      What we need to do is have each and every school govern itself!!!!

      Let the Headmaster or Headmistress of each School, the Teachers and the PTA decide the best direction for their students. I truly believe this will allow the teachers to get the most out of their students, the parents and the community. At the same time they should be held accountable for their actions and the results or lack thereof.

      We put these people in charge because we trust that they are qualified and capable then the ministry which is often filled with less qualified people tells them how to teach. There is no cookie cutter / one size fits all approach to teaching. Give the heads of these schools , the teachers at PTAs the ability to shine. If they fall, assist them and if they continue, replace them.

      Years ago, many of the most effective public schools with the public school system were often government assisted but self governed. Many of these schools included Warwick Academy, Berkeley, St. Georges Prep and a few others. Warwick Academy is now private and doing well.

      We must remove the restrictions from the leaders of these schools and let them teach!

  5. Ms. Scott says:

    Well, now do you all wonder why the Commissioner is looking for a new job!!!! The public school system is being held hostage by PTAs whose development and role was to be an extra support for parents, teachers, students and the school as a whole, not to be intermingling in the day to day running of the school. We are clearly mixing words, as PTAs are not school boards, however they are literally holding a whole system hostage . . . yes I said it . . . hostage!!!! For those persons who want to transfer for whatever reason, they can’t, so how effective do we think they will be trapped in an environment that they don’t want to be in!! And for those persons who need to be transferred for whatever reasons, they can’t!!!! So who exactly loses in all of this?

    Then, we have politicians who are also all wrapped up in the day to day running of the schools. Not your role either, politicians, concern yourself with the policies that are needed through legislation to give our kids the best education; let the C.O.E do what he was meant to do . . . run our schools!!!!

    • Tricks Are For Kids says:

      Thank you Ms. Scott……. Somebody had to say it…….

    • Real Talk (original) says:

      Ms Scott,

      I suggest that you direct your frustration towards the real source of your angst: the Ministry of Education.

      Under the law (see s19 Education Act 1996) school boards have the right to be consulted on important matters, including principal/teacher transfers. In the absence of school boards there is a duty owed to the PTAs (as parent-stakeholders) to “consultation”. The Ministry of Education has FAILED (despite multiple court rulings) to implement a consulation process, most recently attempting to change the Act altogether. This is dangerous for a number of reasons:

      1. In the absence of school boards there is absolutely no transparency or accountability in the transfer process, particularly as it relates to involuntary transfers. Despite possessing this authority since 1996, parents as a stakeholder group have only recently exercised their rights under the law after a number of attempted INVOLUNTARY transfers of principals and teachers which were viewed as not being in the best interests of the affected schools. When the Ministry was called on to justify their position they were unable to satisfactorily do so leading to claims of meddling, favouratism and cliques within the MOE.

      2. Parents as stakeholders have the right to know why particular teachers are being transfered and whether the replacement is quality candidate or an underperforming teacher who is simply being shifted around a dysfunctional school system that is more inclined to shuttle underperforming teachers from one post to the other rather than directly addressing the issue of sustained underperformance.

      3. The people best placed to know what is needed at the schools is not the Ministry, it is the schools themselves! Leaving the matter entirely to the Ministry (for the reasons provided above) is problematic as it fails to take into account the impact that certain transfers may have (ie, one of the affected schools had recently lost a number of seasoned teachers through retirement with other imminent retires scheduled. Losing a seasoned teacher through an involuntary transfer would have been detrimental to the level of expertise, however this was not taken into consideration by the Ministry).

      Finally, one should be clear to rest the blame where it lies: squarely at the feet of the Ministry of Education who has failed in their legal obligation, to develop a consultation for framework as required under the law.

      It is unfortunate that the PTAs (currently the only mechanism demanding for accountability and transparency in Ministry decisions) are being ‘scapegoated’ , and even more unfortunate that folks such as yourself appear to be falling for it.

  6. clearasmud says:

    I dont believe that we need legislation to resolve this matter. All we need is for the Chief Justice to clarify his ruling so that it is not left up to the interpretation of others!

    • Real Talk (original) says:

      The Chief Justice’s ruling was clear.

      A framework for consultation must be developed. The Ministry has failed to do so and is now attempting to throw the PTAs under the bus.

  7. in the know says:

    It’s funny that the plp is asking for the govt to huryr up & clean up the mess that started & left around teacher transfers. This all started back in 2008/09 when the plp was trying to move teachers from victor scott & the victor scott pta took the then plp govt to court.

  8. Navin Johnson says:

    Education needs a clean out like the Civil Service….the PLP did not have the courage or ability to do it and will be beside themselves if the OBA does

  9. #gilbert says:

    YEAH RIGHT-INCREASE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, … AND MAYBE THEY CAN FIND A WAY TO STOP THIS BULLYING GOING ON IN THESE SCHOOLS! IT’S RIDICULOUS!

  10. watchfuleyes says:

    I am so tired of hearing about teacher transfers. First of all let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of transfers. Why would a teacher want to transfer? Could it be a toxic school environment, the lack of leadership in the principal,a weak teaching staff, the rude, undisciplined students, rude,and demanding parents, or the lack of PTA involvement? Well none of those are reasons for leaving and being allowed to leave. Those are all reasons for the Ministry of Education to step in and send all those Education Officers, that get paid to do nothing, to fix the problem. All those are reasons for the Ministry to administer work shops for teachers who are performing under par, and to work with the principals who are lacking leadership qualities, give them more training because some principals lack experience and therefore can’t manage their school well. PTA’s should have to perform to a standard as well. They should have to do a certain amount of fundraising for their child’s school, attend PTA meetings. It is all just too loose. Moving teachers around serves no purpose. If a teacher is bad or weak, no school wants them, principals will be forced to accept that teacher no matter what, and now another school will be saddled with that teacher. How does that improve that teacher? No they just keep shuffling the deck to see who ends up with that teacher.
    If the teacher is a strong one who is being sent to help assist where possible in another school, the teaching staff, and PTA of their previous school is upset they are losing a good teacher, who may or may not have an equally good replacement. How do these two senarios help either school? Better training needs to be put in place for weak teachers, first we need to weed them out, force them do to training/workshops, re-evaluate them again and go from there. But that won’t happen because of the friends and family plan.
    I think that if the Ministry moves a teacher due to their ‘exceptional qualities’ that teacher should get more money- pay them for being a ‘consultant’ since they are moving them with the expectation of ‘helping,improving’ the other school they are being forced to transfer to.
    Who is being held hostage?

    • watching says:

      Teachers should be allowed to transfer for a variety of reasons.
      Perhaps one lives in Somerset and is stationed in Smith’s and would like a position closer to home. Perhaps there is a position open at a different school for more of a leadership position.
      Perhaps there is conflict and the resolution is to move someone. All of these are valid reasons.
      Do you really believe teachers should all stay in the same school for their whole career?

      • Terry says:

        The island is 20 miles long and 1 mile wide.
        Get real and get a life ‘watching’.
        Really.

      • Sandy Bottom says:

        Teachers should be deployed according to the bests interests of the students. It’s a JOB where they are supposed to WORK. It’s not a country club.

  11. watchfuleyes says:

    In the good ole days teachers stayed at the same school for most of their careers, they may have changed year levels and that can be one option and way of growing. The problem with transfers is that in order to facilitate a teacher’s move, someone else, somewhere has to be uprooted, or inconvenienced. What if no one wants to move to the school the teacher wishes to transfer from, due to all the above reasons mentioned before? How is that fair to someone else to have to be thrown into a dysfunctional school. Very few if any teacher wishes to move because the school they are leaving is wonderful! Suppose everyone moved due to conflict? Most schools have conflict of some sort, whether teachers vs parents, teachers vs principal, teachers vs teachers, come on.

  12. blue bird says:

    Mr Brown is a PLP/BIU “DEMAGOGUE”.while the OBA are TRYING to sort out the never ending mess of the Education ministry/Bermuda union of teachers and then the teachers.
    Interesting how the “PRIVATE” schools don’t have these continuous problems.
    The reason teachers want to transfer because they don’t want to work,
    Manny just want the wonderfull “PAY-CHEQUE” from the Government and all the benefits that go with it.
    The “POOR” bus driver only get (14) weeks sick leave he he he he you want to see what the Government teachers get.
    If you do not understand “DEMAGOGUE” please be so kind as to google it.

  13. frank says:

    if all the teachers had the same skill set there would be no need for all these transfers
    when they take the job they have to be told that you teach in Bermuda
    so if you live in somerset and the only vacancy is in Pembroke than that is were you have to go

  14. JUNK YARD DOG says:

    Mr. W. Brown is trying to make a name for himself on the Public Forum. , we all know the trick.

    ” Make someone look bad, so as to make your self look good”.

    Mr. Brown, that trick does not work any more, do not play the public for stupid.

    Do some thing worth while by changing the drinking and smoking age to 21 .

    If parents were made to pay half the school bill, then you would see dramatic changes in the education system and our children would actually amount to something.

    it is called a ” Vested Interest”.

    As I see it, we the tax payers are paying for a glorified baby sitting service.

    What is to be gained by moving teachers from pillar to post,it is just a bad as when children are moved from school to school, the young people never amount to any thing.

    The education system here is archaic it has been that way for years .

    You would think with the advent of computers there would be a dramatic increase in knowledge in our young people, not so, because some of the kids do not have the ability to retain information,are the methods out of date or is there a lack of discipline ?

    Fact ! There is a high failure rate of children coming out of schools to day.

    Blame the T. V.
    Blame some of the teachers
    Blame some of the politicians
    Blame the Bermuda life style.
    Blame the System.
    Blame the Parents, never.

  15. Valirie Marcia Akinstall says:

    It’s a breathe of fresh air to read postings that are debating issues of the disaffected public education system, rather than subjective and/or political finger pointing of insults and counter-insults.

    It’s a consensus that there are real problems in public education and the debate is beginning to highlight, analyse, reason and bring to the table well thought out details that can work towards resolving many issues.

    @Frank, regarding your post, when will it happen? Real change cannot be affected by ambiguous, indecisive and/or no movement at all from the top. Who will remain in what positions such as the Minister to the CoE? In other words, make the announcement of the team, answer clearly any outstanding issues of commitment then refocus and proceed to tackle the problems.

    @Ms Scott, you advocate for the retention of the current CoE, (as one of the few individuals courageously doing so) but does he really want to remain here in Bermuda? Additionally, I am impressed with your last paragraph, as it is very important that we, the public, recognise and advocate that all those who are bestowed with power and influence stay within their remit.

    @Sandy Bottom, I do not often agree with you, but teachers should be making a difference in the lives of their students, not counting the distance of travel time between home and work on a 24 square mile island. The measure of an excellent teacher is the depth of her/his commitment to the students.

    London, England

  16. PANGAEA says:

    Demagogue.

    DEM – A – GOGUE

    Noun.

    ” A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than using rational argument”.