If a student plagiarised his/her dissertation and/or report there would be severe consequences from the professor backed by his faculty members, which could include being expelled from university and a permanent record in your transcript.

Dr Heatley is not in university, but in the real world of senior management in education, in a position which holds both power and influence. So, this is his example to his peers, to those that he manages and those who look up to him in respect and inspiration?

And his actions in his Orleans application throws his Bermuda application into suspect. How vigorously, thoroughly and/or comprehensively was his application vetted in Bermuda? And, if it is re-visited now, will it stand up to scrutiny, in other words, will the results be the same?

What Dr Heatley has demonstrated is how easy it is to walk over the selection Committee and get a job in Bermuda. With glaring controversies abound he was given the top post, even in an atmosphere of hostility. Conversely, how many controversial Bermudians are given the top jobs in their own country based upon the same dynamics? This Government is willing to go the extra mile for an expat, but not a Bermudian? Not a position that I’m taking, but a thought that I ponder.

What continues to be demonstrated is that there is a lot of preferential treatment being extended to Dr Heatley. So, if the intent is to salvage his career in Bermuda by ‘talking up’ his paradigm for school principals, then take his model and have some-one else implement it. You have already paid for his plans, acknowledge his brilliance and the fact that they are his plans – not yours, but never attempt to suggest that because he has identified these key issues that he is indispensable and/or irreplaceable.

The chain of commander needs urgent overhaul. Dr Heatley’s employment issue needs to be dealt with, but he is not the problem, he did not hire himself. The selection Committee needs serious changes, but that will never happen. And there needs to be a full-time Education Minister. A part-time PS vs a full-time PS? The glaring problems are at the top of the structure and they fan out into the education system.

If we can sincerely thank Dr Heatley for anything, it is the fact that his appointment to the position of CoE and his subsequent actions (and by contrast the transparency of the Orleans School District) have unintentionally opened a window into the senior job selection process in Bermuda as it has shone a light on the systematic and systemic weaknesses therein.

Are the schools principals playing hardcore politics with a very vulnerable CoE with their vote of no confidence? The injury to Dr Heatley was made by Dr Heatley. There are so many issues that come into play regarding education in general in Bermuda, and that’s before one gets to the most important issue of them all – the students.

London, England

Further, I keep seeing three comments about commitment to our system. Dr. Heatley was brought here to do a job for a period of three years, that is his level of commitment. Without the benefit if seeing his actual contact and the opt out clauses of either party,.we cannot make these generalized statements about his commitment.

I would categorically love to see this level of outrage in principals who are incompetent and not performing well as administrators to be replaced. This is the first time for as long as I can remember that we have had a leader in education who has identified principal weakness, developed or implemented a professional growth plan for improvement of these principals, which we must note were getting their full pay while being trained to do a job that they applied for and said they could do …..or did they misrepresent their abilities????

Maybe the teachers at several schools should take a vote of no confidence in their principals!!!! Ooops I forgot they may have to Conakry or get the permission of school PTAs.

And their problems and challenges are more wide spread as there are so many different ethnic groups with cultural norms of faith, dress codes and language barriers. Bermuda’s challenges are not unique nor are they atrociously bad as most would like you to think.

However, it is riddled with political bullets, it has become a Ministry of politics first, educators’ upward mobility second and educating students last.

EoM needs to change its mindset to become both an example and the leader in moving Bermudians from a sense of ‘entitled’ to the position to – competing in a global job market based upon qualifications, experience and background in your relevant discipline. Noteworthy, being Bermudian should be a footnote in your CV, NOT a desired seal of approval to secure the job.

There needs to be a culture change. It needs to be a Ministry of very well educated individuals who stop projecting the culture of, “I’m Bermudian, so I’m ‘entitled’ to the top position when it becomes available.”

If any Ministry in Government should be identifying and changing the cultural mindset where Bermudians are demanding to be the first choice of the selection committee, it should be in Education. Because isn’t the rationale of higher education – you enter the job market door based upon your education [and experience] not your skin colour and/or ethnicity.

Where education is truly failing in Bermuda, in my humble opinion, is where it fails to reject the mindset that Bermudian candidates are entitled’ to a position, in favour of, standing on their merits of qualifications and experience within their discipline.

But a few questions beg to be answered, why would any educator rely upon, “a Bermudian is ‘entitled’ to the top position?” And on the flip side, is the Government actively seeking to change the ‘entitlement’ mindset within its ranks, (which has its roots planted in real fears of Bermudian candidates being passed over for key positions? But that rationale really does not apply in Government today. Note, I’m not addressing the private sector employment cultural norms here.

It can be candidly stated that the Government has done positively nothing to demonstrate that they are actively seeking out the best candidates for the top positions in Bermuda, as the blunder by the selection Committee for a new CoE has clearly demonstrated. What when wrong and why deserves to be analysed.

Addressing this cultural sense of ‘entitlement’ from its origins to its active implementation in employment opportunities in Bermuda can help to identify and root out some very destructive patterns in work and employment ethics in Bermuda.

And why is all the above relevant? Because the interwoven patterns of who politically controls education, and, the delivered success rate of well educated Bermudians, will consistently place Bermudians in global standing for positions based upon ‘merit’ not entitlement. And when we turn that corner in thinking and action, we have truly taken control of our destiny.

And yes, I’m back in London…

London, England

1. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8505639/British-education-system-is-our-greatest-national-crisis-says-David-Starkey.html

2. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/02/tougher-marking-gcses-peg-grades-chinese-students-results?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

simple answer really: Board run (not education department) and diversity – more successful families mixing with struggling families to set clear standards and expectations of the school.

St. Georges Prep is a public school that operates like a private school, responds to new trends, controls content and climate within the school.

ELIMINATE 80% (trying to be nice) of the education department – institute board run schools on the St.Georges model. Allocate increased resources to the central schools that do not benefit from a diverse student population, demonstrate the school commitment to education and market that to those successful families who would love nothing more than to have an extra 18K a year that they do not need to spend on education.

I totally disagree, go back and look at his history and performance, is he a shrinking violet? No, he has implemented very bold initiatives and taken very bold steps forward.

Stop cuddling this man and making excuses for him. If he find’s Bermuda’s political education system to be too much, he never had the fortitude for this job in the first place.

Right now he should be eternally grateful to keep his job, as his self-induced harm has made his international prospects a tad grim, at this time.

Why not re-negotiate his contract, a reduction in salary would demonstrate a ‘shared sacrifice’. And no, I’m not being rude, next to the premier they (Cannonier and Heatley) are the most emotionally volatile individuals in public life in Bermuda.

Your having said all of that, please explain why Dr. Heatley would apply for a position overseas if he was so committed to working in Bermuda’s mis-education system?

If there are seat warmers in MoE waiting for the opportunity to blast Heatley, then he tripped over his own feet. You cannot blame others for his lack of integrity, even if it presents the perfect storm for them.

But what is to stop the Committee that hired him in the first place from making the same mistake, again and again? Why couldn’t they get it right? Why have they waited for events to unfold that make them look like lame ducks, with the inability to take proactive measures?

And the gigantic problem which has always been the gigantic problem for MoE is POLITICS – the politics of all who have power within this Ministry flex their muscles. The part-time Minister claimed to want to speak directly with Dr Heatley on this matter, rather than have the Committee get solid answers from him and make a final determination that he (the Minister) should support.

And this transpires into a severe lack of consistency by the OBA Government Ministers; such as, Minister Crockwell will not jump in and deal directly with staff issues, yet, Minister Gibbons speaks directly to Dr Heatley regarding his future as CoE? It does not matter that his is very senior, it is a staffing matter as directed from his contract. Each Minister appears to develop his/her own style of dealing with Government matters, even if it’s outside protocol norms and procedures.

It is the collusion of so many individuals who have power and exert that power to the detriment of those who they are employed to help – the students. The Minister can decide to do his own thing, the Committee may not want to step on his toes, so they defer, Dr Heatley has neutralised his own powers and now other forces are taking a stand.

Public education continues to limp along due to the political plays of educators, Ministers and former PSs. Once Government Ministers stop interfering, once the Committee get its act together, Dr Heatley’s future will be decided, but do not allow the public and/or principal heads to do the job for you. The Committee needs to make a final decision and stand by it.

London, England

Clearly Heatley must go. But unless the dead wood at Southside and in our classrooms is removed, his replacement ( Bermudian or Non Bermudian) is bound to fail.

As for the good doctor, hopefully he will be gone, but forget filling the post – allocate those resources so teachers are not spending their own money to paint classrooms, buy books for children etc.

But all you have to do is look at the statistics to see that the public education system isn’t exactly doing well.

(not scared to admit my mistakes!).

Heatley’s integrity is in question, & rightly so. However he may have been making moves to break up the cosey little club that is the MOE. You just know the seat warmers don’t want their world upset & will do anything they can to disrupt anyone who tries to make them do anything different from what they have done for decades.

As usual the losers will be the students.

Heatley will get a golden handshake. The DOE will rest easy content that another attack on their comphy lifestyle has been beaten back.

Presently things are going through the correct channels and that should be allowed to play out.

What’s so different now?

The principles taking a united stance on this has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with educating n effective management.

In the coming weeks he will be fired and we will have to pay off his contract. He will leave with a smile on his face and never gorget how dumb and gullible Bermudians are. We do it to ourselves time and time again.