Upcoming Bermuda Educators Council Election

The Bermuda Educators Council will hold its 2011 Election on Tuesday, March 22, 2011. The nomination of eligible candidates will run from February 23 through March 8. Nomination forms and Electoral Scheme Rules are available on the Council’s website or from the Council Office.

The Council comprises 15 members, who serve a four-year term. 11 new members will be appointed through the election process in March, including one principal each from a public and a private school, four teachers from public schools, three teachers from private schools, one para-professional and one teacher with specialist qualifications in the teaching of persons with special education needs.

The remaining four members have already been appointed by the Minister of Education and represent the interests of employers of educators, parents of pupils and the general public.

Co-Chairman of the Council, Tina Outerbridge stated, “Members of the Bermuda Educators Council have a critical role to play in ensuring that our young people receive the best educational instruction possible. Through the Bermuda Educators Council Act 2002, we have been mandated with improving the standards of teaching so as to enhance the quality of learning and maintaining and improving standards of professional conduct of educators, all in the public interest.”

“Becoming a member of the Council is an opportunity for our educators to get involved in improving education standards in a way that occurs outside of the classroom and/or their normal roles. I urge my colleagues who have the time, dedication and passion to consider getting involved.”

Voting will take place between 12noon and 7pm at three locations across the Island and is based on the geographical region of the particular school at which the educator is employed:

• Educators employed at schools located in the western portion of Bermuda (from Paget Parish to Sandys Parish) will cast their votes at T.N. Tatem Middle School. These schools include Gilbert Institute, St. Paul’s Pre-School, Paget Primary, Purvis Primary, Warwick Academy, Warwick Pre-School, T.N. Tatem Middle School, Bermuda Institute, Heron Bay Primary, Port Royal Primary,Southampton Pre-School, Dalton E. Tucker Primary, Sandys Secondary Middle School, Somerset Primary, West End Primary and Lagoon Park Pre-School.

• Educators employed at schools located in the central parishes (from Pembroke Parish to Devonshire Parish) will cast their votes at Berkeley Institute. These schools include Berkeley Institute, Bermuda High School for Girls, CedarBridge Academy, Dellwood Middle School, The Education Center, Northlands Primary, West Pembroke Primary, St. John’s Pre-School, Saltus Grammar School, Saltus Preparatory Cavendish School, Somersfield Academy, Mount Saint Agnes Academy, Victor Scott Primary, Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, Prospect Primary, Prospect Pre-School, Devonshire Pre-School and Elliott Primary.

• Educators employed at schools located in the eastern parishes (from Smith’s Parish to St. George’s Parish) will cast their votes at Francis Patton Primary. These schools include Whitney Institute Middle School, Francis Patton Primary, Harrington Sound Primary, Lyceum PreSchool, Clearwater Middle School, St. David’s Primary, St. David’s Pre-School, East End Primary, St. George’s Preparatory School and St. George’s Pre-School.

“After reviewing the process used previously for Council Elections and to ensure that our overall election process is aligned with best practices, the Council worked closely with Mr. Randolph Scott, Parliamentary Registrar of the Bermuda Government and Council lawyer, Larry Mussenden”, advised Dr. Glenn Bascome, Co-Chairman of the Council. The BUT, through their representative, also agreed to the procedures being used for the March election.”

“Similar to General Elections,” he continued, “each polling station will have a Returning Officer who will be charged with executing the Election at his or her assigned location. Ensuring the integrity and security of nominations and ballots, along with the accurate counting of those ballots, is a major priority for the Council.”

“I am hoping that all educators will take the time to review the Electoral Rules, consider as candidates those colleagues who will be prepared to work assiduously to advance the work of the Council and ultimately come out and cast their vote.”

Formed by the Bermuda Educators Act 2002, the principal aims of the Bermuda Educators Council is to encourage and maintain high standards of teaching in Bermuda so as to enhance the quality of learning and to improve the professional conduct of educators in Bermuda.

Members of the Council include one principal each from a public and a private school, four teachers from public schools, three teachers from private schools, one para-professional, one teacher with specialist qualifications in the teaching of persons with special education needs and four members appointed by the Minister of Education to represent the interests of employers of educators, parents of pupils and the general public.

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