Only 38% of grade 9s across the province meet math standards; in Niagara, only 29% of public school grade 9ers meet the standard.
Those numbers are unacceptable.
“It's one area we definitely have to pay attention to", said Carol Germyn, superintendent of school support services" at the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN). To me, that doesn’t sound the least bit like a commitment to get DSBN students to the 100% achievement mark anytime soon.
If there was only 38% of flow from the water tap, or only 29% of the toilet flushed, taxpayers would be on the phone demanding the problem be fixed immediately. Municipal staff would be dispatched, contractors brought in, blockages removed, reports issued, and resolutions passed to bring the system to 100% efficiency in the shortest time possible. Or, heads would roll.
Where's the hue and cry?
Improving math scores is about dealing with school boards run by superintendents who have moved from the classroom to being principals and then been rewarded with a promotion to the education system equivalent of the Canadian Senate. At the DSBN, nine superintendents earn over $137,100 each and the Director of Education ($205,749.02) makes more than the Premier, but none have real-world major corporate experience. These superintendents make recommendations to Trustees who earn less than $1000/mo and are responsible for a $372,792,088. education budget. That’s more than the budgets of the 12 Municipalities they represent, and they too appear to have no relevant major corporate experience.
There is no independent third-party over-sight of school boards; boards can open and close schools willy-nilly regardless of a municipality’s strategic plans; there’s no accountability; students at taught to meet standards rather than to learn how to learn; the Education Act says school boards ‘shall’ rather than ‘will’; Trustees dismiss criticism by saying you can vote them out at the next election (which can be impossible in a board where a large urban vote cancels out the rural vote) and on and on.
As far as DSBN is concerned “Overall, the board was "encouraged" by the latest test results.” That’s like putting lipstick on road kill.
Bernadette Secco
Niagara Falls, ON
