Greater than a yr after ”chaos” at a west-end elementary faculty made headlines, a report on the state of affairs has not been launched and former lecturers are nonetheless at the hours of darkness.
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A yr and a half after accounts of chaos at a west-end elementary faculty emerged, Ottawa’s largest faculty board has determined a report on the state of affairs is not going to be launched — leaving workers questioning what a human rights investigation into an alleged “poisoned” surroundings has concluded.
“We wish to see some justice,” stated Michael Sternberg, a instructor at Pinecrest Public College who was despatched dwelling “beneath investigation” in June 2022. He retired quickly after and by no means returned.
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“It was presupposed to be an investigation right into a poisonous work surroundings. If it was all about communication, there was no communication.”
Sternberg was not alone. Through the 2021-22 faculty yr, six classroom lecturers have been despatched dwelling beneath investigation, and a number of other occasional lecturers employed to interchange common lecturers left all of a sudden, Sternberg and a number of other different sources have confirmed to this newspaper.
Throughout that college yr, lecturers at Pinecrest instructed this newspaper they struggled to keep up order after the varsity’s administration adopted a philosophy geared toward respecting pupil “voice.”
“Lecturers should transfer away from rewards and punishments, keep away from energy struggles with youngsters and cease losing time making an attempt to say their energy and authority within the classroom,” principal Naya Markanastasakis instructed workers in newsletters.
“We aren’t on this work to police youngsters or to method conditions from a spot of mistrust and assumptions.”
Sternberg, a Grade 5 and 6 instructor, stated he believes he was focused for self-discipline as a result of he spoke up in regards to the state of affairs.
Sternberg stated he was referred to as to the principal’s workplace in June 2022 and was despatched dwelling on full pay for “contributing to a poisoned work surroundings” after he despatched out an e mail to workers with the topic line: “College students reporting they don’t really feel protected!”
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“There was chaos all yr within the identify of pupil voice,” stated Sternberg in an interview. “Chaos reigned at that college. It’s absurd that the varsity board allowed it to occur.”
A number of the older college students roamed the halls throughout class time, bullied different college students, intimidated workers, and ignored requests to comply with primary guidelines like not utilizing their cell telephones, he stated.
“College students might simply level their finger at an worker and accuse them of being sexist or racist, they usually (the workers member) can be despatched dwelling.”
Lecturers invited by the principal to offer their feedback within the spring of 2022 on a digital “Jamboard” echoed considerations about disruptive, defiant and harmful behaviour, together with sexual harassment and bodily assault and kids bringing knives to highschool.
“Will there be a workers debrief in regards to the assault within the boys (sic) toilet?” stated one message on the Jamboard.
“Security considerations for college students who’re being intimidated by different college students and the violent assaults which have occurred,” stated one other remark.
Different feedback expressed considerations about college students utilizing cell telephones with no tutorial function, Grade 8 college students roaming the hallways intimidating fellow college students and workers in addition to college students “play preventing” with sticks.
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“When college students gained’t hand over their sticks and are ‘play preventing’ with them, what’s the subsequent step?” stated one submit.
Within the spring of 2022, the varsity board’s Workplace of the Human Rights and Fairness Advisor (OHREA) started an investigation into what it stated “seems to be a poisoned working and studying surroundings at Pinecrest.”
The arms-length workplace investigates complaints of discrimination primarily based on human rights codes. The workplace deliberate to look at “interactions and conduct all through Pinecrest amongst and between workers, college students and households,” in keeping with an e mail from the workplace despatched to workers in April 2022.
The e-mail suggested workers to “chorus from yelling or elevating voices at college students and one another,” and to “proceed to cease, interrupt and appropriately tackle the usage of slurs and hate-related incidents.”
Workers have been instructed to not focus on the state of affairs or gossip about “perceived issues” on the faculty with college students, households, the media or amongst themselves.
The college board declined to touch upon particular person acts of misbehaviour throughout that college yr however offered this assertion to this newspaper: “Like different colleges incidents of violence, assault, hate, discrimination or different points reported to the varsity administration can be investigated and acted upon as mandatory.”
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In September 2023, Markanastasakis instructed dad and mom in a letter what the varsity was doing in response to the human rights investigation report. She stated the investigation recognized two fundamental areas to be addressed on the faculty stage: communication and relationship constructing.
Within the first class, she named bettering communication amongst workers as a measure to “be sure that workers is healthier in a position to reply to points as they come up.”
Within the second class, suggestions included setting clear expectations for pupil conduct, rising supervision throughout unstructured occasions and making use of “a relationship-based, harm-reduction method to managing pupil behaviour.”
She stated that the varsity will work to be extra inclusive, construct a greater sense of belonging and have a good time success. There can be new tips and coaching for workers “on tackle hate and discrimination,” she stated.
“This work has already begun and, in reality, we made good progress in lots of of those areas final faculty yr. We’re seeing a rise in dad or mum engagement, extra college students really feel empowered to be self-sufficient and exhibit management, and a renewed sense of satisfaction and belonging at Pinecrest,” stated Markanastasakis within the letter to oldsters and caregivers.
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She didn’t tackle the departure of workers members or the alleged poisoned work and studying surroundings.
The Ottawa Carleton District College Board has denied this newspaper entry to the report, saying it “contains private data associated to employment issues and, in accordance with privateness laws, is not going to be made public.”
The board declined to reply questions on what number of workers members have been despatched dwelling to be investigated and what occurred to them.
“In response to this example, actions which are being taken on the faculty shifting ahead have already been shared with the Ottawa Citizen, workers, and the group,” stated OCDSB spokesperson Darcy Knoll.
“We’re unable to share particular particulars regarding inside worker issues because of privateness issues.”
Sternberg spent 22 years as a instructor and stated it was a fantastic profession apart from his final yr at Pinecrest, which left him feeling disillusioned.
And he says the report from the Workplace of the Human Rights and Fairness Advisor needs to be launched. “It’s a public establishment supported by taxpayers’ cash.”
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In an audio recording of an emotional September 2023 workers assembly at Pinecrest, obtained by this newspaper, some workers members expressed skepticism in regards to the investigation.
One stated the investigation was presupposed to be an arm’s-length investigation, however two individuals who have been supposedly investigated (principal Naya Markanastasakis and superintendent Shannon Smith) have been reporting the outcomes, not Carolyn Tanner, the varsity board’s human rights and fairness advisor.
“It feels such as you investigated yourselves and also you investigated us. It doesn’t appear particularly reasonable and it doesn’t appear very clear and I’m actually upset about it,” stated a workers member on the assembly.
One other staffer on the assembly stated she didn’t know if the board acknowledged the stress workers have been beneath. “The triggers …. a variety of workers who have been right here two years in the past and are nonetheless perhaps presently right here usually are not effectively.”
Added a workers member: “I’ve PTSD.”
With a breaking voice, one educator stated there was a necessity for therapeutic: “To say, transfer on, that is what it’s, let’s transfer on, it hurts mentally, it hurts.”
“This isn’t presupposed to occur in a rustic referred to as Canada,” stated one other staffer on the assembly. “This isn’t North Korea. And I really feel, I really feel that generally I’m not in a democratic nation,” she stated in a voice breaking with emotion.
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Superintendent Smith additionally spoke on the assembly. “The gossip and rumours that have been unfold sadly by a few of these within the workers painted a really inaccurate image of what was occurring and it created heightened concern amongst workers members,” she stated. “Due to that …. we now have process 542, which offers with workers misconduct.”
Smith instructed workers that those that have been a part of the misconduct course of have been “due to complaints that have been acquired from workers, college students and oldsters.”
She stated she had no position within the human rights workplace investigation. Nevertheless, she stated the varsity board is answerable for supporting Pinecrest in shifting ahead, together with implementing suggestions to enhance the state of affairs, she stated.
Smith acknowledged that some workers had skilled trauma and that help is obtainable for educators beneath stress.
The college board, in a press release from spokesperson Darcy Knoll, stated it was a “advanced state of affairs which required cautious and considerate investigation.” A complete of 34 folks have been interviewed by the Workplace of the Human Rights and Fairness Advisor.
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“We acknowledge the size of time to finish the investigation might have added extra stress for workers,” stated the varsity board assertion. “The Workplace of the Human Rights and Fairness Adviser is new and was coping with a variety of competing priorities all through this era.”
This newspaper submitted a Freedom of Data request looking for the total report from the Human Rights and Fairness Advisor in addition to emails between Markanastasakis and Smith in regards to the investigation. The applying was denied.
This newspaper requested interviews with Markanastasakis and Smith. Each requests have been denied by the varsity board.
When the Ottawa Citizen was supplied a tour of Pinecrest in 2022, Markanastasakis stated that “she by no means felt the varsity was unsafe” and that “she abides by ‘protected colleges’ insurance policies, suspension protocols, violent danger assessments and the creation of ‘security plans’ for college students who current a danger.”
A letter from a college board lawyer stated the act doesn’t apply to proceedings or anticipated proceedings earlier than a courtroom tribunal, or different entity referring to labour relations or the employment of an individual by the establishment, in addition to conferences or communications about labour relations or employment-related issues.
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“Because the report of the OHREA straight pertains to the conduct of staff at Pinecrest Public College, the correspondence between Principal Naya Markanastasakis and Superintendent Shannon Smith all relate to labour relations or to the employment of an individual, as does the OHREA’s full report,” stated a letter from board lawyer Richard Sinclair.
“Furthermore, the report could also be used as a part of an ongoing grievance process and due to this fact pertains to labour relations.”
The Ottawa unit of the Elementary Lecturers’ Federation of Ontario was equally tight-lipped when requested in regards to the investigation involving its members and its response.
The union has filed a number of grievances associated to Pinecrest, in keeping with an e mail despatched to workers.
Within the 2022 article, when the Ottawa Citizen spotlighted a few of the troubles at Pinecrest, Rebecca Zuckerbrodt, the president of the Ottawa-Carleton Elementary Lecturers’ Federation, stated the native unit couldn’t touch upon the Pinecrest investigation till after the report was accomplished.
The report now full, Zuckerbrodt once more declined an interview request in regards to the union’s response.
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“ETFO is engaged in a confidential mediation course of with the board which has been fruitful,” she stated in an e mail response to the request. “Our confidential discussions proceed and an replace can be offered, as acceptable, when the events have accomplished discussions.”
However the report and mediation course of all being saved confidential is of little assist to folks like Sternberg, the retired Pinecrest instructor who was despatched dwelling greater than a yr in the past, who remains to be left at the hours of darkness as to what occurred.
He stated he thought the human rights investigation would deliver out the reality. “They promised it will be neutral. I had hope in that.”
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