Consultant says Halifax school board debate “orchestrated”
Posted Oct 16, 2012 08:56:24 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Halifax education consultant is making damning allegations against the Halifax Regional School Board just days before citizens will vote in the municipal election.
Schoolhouse Consulting’s Paul Bennett says the board’s monthly meetings are rehearsed in order to put on a good show for the public.
“The last term, my estimate would be they spend two hours in private, closed-door sessions for every one hour in public,” Bennett told reporters during a news conference Monday.
While suggesting the public elect all new members to the school board in Saturday’s election, Bennett said the current board has been influenced by a “corporate model” which demanded more effective decision making.
“When the public is let in, we have to show that we know what we’re doing,” said Bennett. “It required a tremendous amount of rehearsal hours. Every single thing they did for the last year was orchestrated behind closed doors – entire discussions.”
The claim comes after a term in which the board has been criticized for being timid in discussion.
The current board is the first to sit following a one-man board appointed by then Education Minister Karen Casey, who dismissed the previous board for being dysfunctional.
David Wright, challenger for the school board position in District 8, said the current board has been intimidated by the previous board’s dismissal.
“The debate rose, but the meaningful extent of democracy was eroded because they were practising,” said Bennett.
The accusation is being refuted by HRSB Chair Irvine Carvery.
“It’s absolutely not true. We do not meet behind closed doors and rehearse what we are going to do at a school board meeting,” Carvery told News 95.7. “That is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard come from Dr. Bennett.”
School board members do have a scheduled set of meetings called leadership sessions, during which they receive staff reports. However Carvery said these are open to the public.
Similar to Halifax Regional Council, the board does have in-camera meetings which Carvery said are specifically for personnel or budgetary issues. These are also scheduled.
“In terms of being timid, I have to totally disagree with that. This board has been effective in bringing about changes with the Department of Education,” said Carvery. “You don’t always need to be out in the press or out in the public, and having opposing positions. When there’s an issue, it’s best dealt with constructively, through dialogue.”
