OPES

Page 12 February 1983 Cassiar Courier BELT TIGHTENING LIKELY cont. from Page 1.

sible. The statistics are based on September 1, 1981 fig- ures and at present 75% of the teachers in this District have 4 years or more experience. In addition, 85.7% of the present teaching staff have 4 years or more teacher training.

QUESTION: The average elementary class size for our dis- trict is 17.2 pupils against the provincial average of 23.7%. What is the average class size in the Snowridge Elementary School?

ANSWER: The average class size is 23.2 pupils and the pupil/teacher ratio is 17.8/1. Student/teacher ratio has a very large cost factor significance in our district. You must have one teacher per class, whether there are 12 or 30 students.

QUESTION: With the small attendance at the Good Hope Lake School, has the Board considered combining this school with Cassiar?

ANSWER: If we were to close Good Hope Lake School and bus the students into Cassiar there would be a cost saving. However, there would be an educational loss — in that the primary children are doing well in the home/ school atmosphere there and the total tone at Good Hope Lake is at an all-time high. You have to remember that we can’t just consider costs from a black/white point of view as would an accountant — but we have to consider each student's individual needs on more than just a dollar figure.

QUESTION: We understand there is going to be a Trustee/ ‘Administrator Retreat at Dease Lake in March. During

this time of restraint and cutting expenses, why is it being

held in Dease Lake, where at least 14 people will have to

be accommodated, instead of in Cassiar, where this num-

ber would be reduced to 8?

ANSWER: According to Board policy, one board meeting and one administrators meeting will be held in each school area once a year. This is not just a Retreat, but also there

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will be a regular administrators meeting and a regular board meeting, so we are, in effect, cutting costs by com- bining these meetings, which would be held there anyway.

QUESTION: With the computer being installed in the Dis- trict Office does this mean the establishment will be increased?

ANSWER: There will be no increase in establishment. We have been paying approximately $2500 a year to have our payroll done on the Royal Bank computer. The program for the payroll system will cost $2,500 and then there will be no cost after the first year as it will not involve hiring another person. Eventually it is hoped to put the accounts receivable and accounts payble and other basic office pro- cedures on the computer. Another benefit is that we have been able to produce a much more accurate budget to work with because we are able to make changes more quickly.

QUESTION: Do you feel the Dept. of Education should introduce provincial exams?

ANSWER: When | went to school in B.C. we had provin- cial exams and the passing grade was entirely dependent on them. However, it is a proven fact that some people do not perform well on tests but actual normal day to day achievement is very good. Another danger is teachers teaching to the test. | have no objection to the tests being used as a guideline for standardization of education across the province as long as it is not used for the total basis for the end mark.

QUESTION: A spokesman from the B.C.T.F. recently said he felt it was important to keep students with their peers, and provincial exams, if they were used as a guide- line to passing, would not allow this. Do you feel a stu-

dent should be kept with his/her peers, even though not —

academically capable?

ANSWER: I've not resolved this problem completely with- in myself. Obviously, if a student is not capable he/she

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ility, then | think there is a grey area. | do not agree with automatic promotion.

QUESTION: In business circles, employees evaluation is usually done each year. How often is each teacher eval- uated and who does the performance evaluation for the teachers in this district?

ANSWER: — Supervision is done by the Principal on an on-going basis. A formal evaluation report is done every 3 years by a supervising principal, the assistant District Supt. or the District Supt. An evaluation report may be written at any time by the supervising administrator. All teachers new to a school have evaluation reports written in their first year of teaching in the Stikine School District,

Yearly evaluation of the senior administration is done by the Board as a whole and also by each other. The senior administration evaluation is a process which we have just instigated.

QUESTION: We understand that approval has been given by the Stikine School Board for the S.T.A. president to sit in on all committee meetings. What effect do you think this will have on these meetings and the relationship be- tween the S.T.A. and the School Trustees?

ANSWER: This question was discussed at three separate Board meetings before it was passed, There was much dis- cussion as to whether the presence of the S.T.A. president would hamper the free flow of conversation between mem. bers and whether it would work towards the goals we wanted to achieve - better communication and better working relationships between the Board and the teachers - or whether it would work as a negative force in supply- ing the S.T.A. with privileged Board information. The final outcome was support of the motion for a trial period to June 30, 1983. At that time it will be evaluated to see whether the goals are being achieved. The Board has reserv- ed the privilege of starring items on the agenda which we feel are of a confidential nature such as personnel mat- ters, bargaining strategy or any controversial items where a board member feels free speech is inhibited by the per- son being there. This can be done at the start when the agenda is being put forth or during the meeting when it may appear that the person’s presence is causing a prob- lem. To date it is working quite well. | think the S.T.A. ~ member has a responsibility to the Board, themselves, the S.T.A. and to the people of the community. They have been given a privilege that is not standard practice and, therefore, must operate within the context of the Board as a person working for the good of teachers and students and not always from a party platform.

QUESTION: Now on a personal level, there have been rumors that you are going to be a candidate in the next provincial election. Are you interested in confirming or denying this?

ANSWER: | would like to thank the person who started this rumor for having so much confidence in me. | am not a political person and | have no aspirations in the political

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