Teachers feeling pushed out of district advisory councils

Teachers are being rebuffed once again, says the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation, being told they can't represent their school on the province's district advisory councils for schools.

The councils were established following the dissolution of the English Language School Board. They are designed to advise the education minister on priorities.

The councils began meeting earlier this year.

• P.E.I.'s new Education Act is now in place

CBC News has confirmed at least one home and school association recently had to choose a new representative for the local advisory board, after it initially chose a teacher to represent the school.

"Teachers are very frustrated, and we are very frustrated of course as well," said Bethany MacLeod, president of the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation.

"We don't understand why a teacher who is in the front lines, who is in front of the classroom, who knows the needs that exist within the classroom, but yet we're not being consulted on any level. And now it feels like we're being ostracized even moreso."

Other places for teachers

The Department of Education says the advisory councils are meant to represent students and their parents. Teachers are allowed to represent only if they have a child at the school.

This summer the deputy minister of education sent an email to all Island principals, reminding them of the rules.

The province says teachers have a voice in other groups, including the principals council and one position on the learning partners advisory council.

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