YLJ June 19, 2014 Letter to the Editor:
On June 4, 2014, the Couillard government passed its first Budget. Even before the reading of the Budget , school boards were raising alarms. Kids and education will suffer, they said. This is standard procedure for the boards to complain, regardless of which party is in power.
Sure enough, as predicted, after the reading of the Budget, the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) put out a press release: “We are worried for our schools and students given this continuous reduction in school board funding.”
Meanwhile, you may recall, four weeks ago, the President of the Quebec Treasury Board, Martin Coiteux, blasted the spendthrift boards for their “lavish spending.”
Also, on June 4, the Pearson Board put out a “Public Notice” announcement of a meeting on June 23, concerning the proposed “Budget 2014-2015.”
Prior to the school board budget being passed, the board goes out to the community for a consultation. This year was no exception. However, there was one response that was missing – the Central Parents Committee (CPC).
Last year, the CPC recommended that the board “minimize Head office personnel, including past employees of the Board.”
Anyway, as a taxpayer, last September, I submitted several questions dealing with monetary matters to the Board, in the hope, the Sept. Council meeting would provide some answers.
I was told by Chairperson Stein Day, there were too many questions and told to go to ‘Access of Information’ or to other organizations, such as the QESBA, where she is a director, to get some answers.
Shortly after that I was barred from addressing the Council. However, I still submitted the same questions to Council meetings, in writing, hoping that I would get some answers. After all, the chair answers questions, by other people, who are not present at the meeting, but put “live” on the blog, which is beside the screen webcasting the meeting.
I will be attending the June 23 Council meeting. I was wondering if Madame Stein Day would answer my questions if I put them on the blog “live,” so to speak.
That said, in April, I decided to run as chairperson of the board in the Nov. 2 elections, created a website and opened up a special Facebook page.
The concerns of parents and my questions from Sept. 2013 are posted on my developing website: www.aceteacher.ca.
Chris Eustace
Pierrefonds
Thank You
