Greater than a yr after “chaos” at a west-end elementary college 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 college emerged, Ottawa’s largest college board has determined a report on the state of affairs won’t be launched — leaving workers questioning what a human rights investigation into an alleged “poisoned” atmosphere has concluded.
“We need to see some justice,” stated Michael Sternberg, a trainer at Pinecrest Public College who was despatched dwelling “underneath investigation” in June 2022. He retired quickly after and by no means returned.
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“It was alleged to be an investigation right into a poisonous work atmosphere. If it was all about communication, there was no communication.”
Sternberg was not alone. Through the 2021-22 college yr, six classroom lecturers had been despatched dwelling underneath investigation, and a number of other occasional lecturers employed to switch common lecturers left instantly, Sternberg and a number of other different sources have confirmed to this newspaper.
Throughout that college yr, lecturers at Pinecrest advised this newspaper they struggled to keep up order after the college’s administration adopted a philosophy aimed toward respecting pupil “voice.”
“Academics should transfer away from rewards and punishments, keep away from energy struggles with children and cease losing time making an attempt to claim their energy and authority within the classroom,” principal Naya Markanastasakis advised workers in newsletters.
“We aren’t on this work to police kids or to method conditions from a spot of mistrust and assumptions.”
Sternberg, a Grade 5 and 6 trainer, 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 known as to the principal’s workplace in June 2022 and was despatched dwelling on full pay for “contributing to a poisoned work atmosphere” 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 title of pupil voice,” stated Sternberg in an interview. “Chaos reigned at that college. It’s absurd that the college 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 observe primary guidelines like not utilizing their cell telephones, he stated.
“College students may simply level their finger at an worker and accuse them of being sexist or racist, and so they (the workers member) can be despatched dwelling.”
Academics invited by the principal to offer their feedback within the spring of 2022 on a digital “Jamboard” echoed issues about disruptive, defiant and harmful behaviour, together with sexual harassment and bodily assault and kids bringing knives to high school.
“Will there be a workers debrief in regards to the assault within the boys (sic) lavatory?” stated one message on the Jamboard.
“Security issues 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 issues about college students utilizing cell telephones with no tutorial goal, Grade 8 college students roaming the hallways intimidating fellow college students and workers in addition to college students “play combating” with sticks.
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“When college students received’t hand over their sticks and are ‘play combating’ with them, what’s the subsequent step?” stated one publish.
Within the spring of 2022, the college 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 atmosphere 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 handle the usage of slurs and hate-related incidents.”
Employees had been advised to not focus on the state of affairs or gossip about “perceived issues” on the college 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 supplied this assertion to this newspaper: “Like different colleges incidents of violence, assault, hate, discrimination or different points reported to the college administration can be investigated and acted upon as vital.”
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In September 2023, Markanastasakis advised mother and father in a letter what the college was doing in response to the human rights investigation report. She stated the investigation recognized two major areas to be addressed on the college stage: communication and relationship constructing.
Within the first class, she named bettering communication amongst workers as a measure to “make sure that workers is healthier ready to answer points as they come up.”
Within the second class, suggestions included setting clear expectations for pupil conduct, growing supervision throughout unstructured instances and making use of “a relationship-based, harm-reduction method to managing pupil behaviour.”
She stated that the college will work to be extra inclusive, construct a greater sense of belonging and rejoice success. There can be new pointers and coaching for employees “on the best way to handle hate and discrimination,” she stated.
“This work has already begun and, in actual fact, we made good progress in lots of of those areas final college yr. We’re seeing a rise in dad or mum engagement, extra college students really feel empowered to be self-sufficient and reveal management, and a renewed sense of pleasure and belonging at Pinecrest,” stated Markanastasakis within the letter to folks and caregivers.
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She didn’t handle the departure of workers members or the alleged poisoned work and studying atmosphere.
The Ottawa Carleton District College Board has denied this newspaper entry to the report, saying it “contains private info associated to employment issues and, in accordance with privateness laws, won’t be made public.”
The board declined to reply questions on what number of workers members had been despatched dwelling to be investigated and what occurred to them.
“In response to this case, actions which are being taken on the college shifting ahead have already been shared with the Ottawa Citizen, workers, and the neighborhood,” stated OCDSB spokesperson Darcy Knoll.
“We’re unable to share particular particulars regarding inner worker issues because of privateness issues.”
Sternberg spent 22 years as a trainer and stated it was an excellent 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 alleged to be an arm’s-length investigation, however two individuals who had been supposedly investigated (principal Naya Markanastasakis and superintendent Shannon Smith) had been reporting the outcomes, not Carolyn Tanner, the college board’s human rights and fairness advisor.
“It feels such as you investigated yourselves and also you investigated us. It doesn’t appear very 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 had been underneath. “The triggers …. quite a lot of workers who had been right here two years in the past and are nonetheless possibly presently right here are usually 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 alleged to occur in a rustic known 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 had been unfold sadly by a few of these within the workers painted a really inaccurate image of what was taking place and it created heightened concern amongst workers members,” she stated. “Due to that …. now we have process 542, which offers with workers misconduct.”
Smith advised workers that those that had been a part of the misconduct course of had been “due to complaints that had been acquired from workers, college students and fogeys.”
She stated she had no function within the human rights workplace investigation. Nevertheless, she stated the college board is liable 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 assist is offered for educators underneath stress.
The college board, in an announcement from spokesperson Darcy Knoll, stated it was a “advanced state of affairs which required cautious and considerate investigation.” A complete of 34 folks had 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 could have added extra stress for employees,” stated the college 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 Info request searching for the complete report from the Human Rights and Fairness Advisor in addition to emails between Markanastasakis and Smith in regards to the investigation. The appliance was denied.
This newspaper requested interviews with Markanastasakis and Smith. Each requests had been denied by the college board.
When the Ottawa Citizen was supplied a tour of Pinecrest in 2022, Markanastasakis stated that “she by no means felt the college 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 faculty board lawyer stated the act doesn’t apply to proceedings or anticipated proceedings earlier than a court docket 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 immediately 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 Academics’ 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 Academics’ 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 will likely be supplied, as applicable, when the events have accomplished discussions.”
However the report and mediation course of all being stored confidential is of little assist to folks like Sternberg, the retired Pinecrest trainer 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 convey out the reality. “They promised it will be neutral. I had hope in that.”
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