How to Decrease Teacher Turn-Over Rates?
John writes: "Teachers in northern Alberta receive a very healthy wage in comparison to other professionals in the province. In addition to this, the northern living allowance is a great tax benefit. How do you plan to change the transient nature of teachers in High Level? I have lived here for over 15 years and my children have seen many teachers come and go. Is this something that can be easily changed or is it an unrealistic platform item?"
John, this certainly isn't an unrealistic platform. Employees satisfaction is not a product of wage or financial compensation. I agree that the teaching staff of the Fort Vermilion School Division are well compensated however, pay cheques and tax benefits are a form of unconscious motivation. We need to make the compensation we pay teaching staff, support staff and the like in other ways on a daily basis such as honest recognition. Recognition through continuing education allowances provided annually to a level that will foster meaningful progression of their professional development, consistent and continuous support from competent and experienced administrators for new teaching staff, attracting the proper teachers and allowing them to teach within their qualified field and finally true 5, 10, 15 and 20 year service awards that demonstrate to the new hires that the school division actually cares. A typical framed print of the northern lights for years of dedicated service to this division to me is an insult. I think an honest reflection of these individual's careers and a sincere tribute to their professional accomplishments would be more fitting and go further to expose the real side of the school division. It sets a tremendous example for new hires.
There isn't one single easy fix but many little changes can go a long way to set the Fort Vermilion School Division apart from the school divisions south of here.
Many Regards,
Aaron
posted by Aaron Lambie at 10:44 PM
10 Comments:
As recently as two years ago, the school division was content to have men fill nearly 90% of it's principalships and 70% of it's vice-principalships. This is a division that has females filling 60% of it's teaching positions. It is a blatantly, perhaps grotesquely sexist environment. The bulk of it's employees to fill only 10% and 30% of the administrative roles! The division is famous for its annointing of new administrators at private bbq's and golf courses. They are always male and fairly new to the division and must begin working on a master's degree after they are hired. Parent council reps sit in as unknowing props at "show-interviews". I would challenge anybody to name a woman who has advanced to administrative duties in this division without having a masters degree first and fifty years experience on top of that and three or four unsuccessful attempts behind her. How does this contribute to the system, to the job satisfaction of it's employees, to the interests of parents and, perhaps more importantly, to the developing consciousness of students in the system?
1:42 AM
Brad8888...
Thanks for the comment. I don't however have a position on this aspect of the school division. I have seen recent changes with staffing assignments that would tend to contradict your remarks specifically in the High Level area as well as the rest of the division.
Regards,
Aaron
4:43 PM
It appears that brad_8888 should do some homework prior to posting. However, that is the benefit, and the downside, of this technology - One can post whatever one wishes using 'anonymous' or a pseudonym and avoid taking responsibility for the uneducated and unresearched comments one makes.
I am not the Fort Vermilion School Division's biggest fan - Far from it. This school division has numerous flaws and shortcomings, and should be required to answer for, and correct them. However, this is not necessarily an issue they should be 'trashed' over.
Other than the obviously contradictory comments of Brad_8888, he is wrong on several points.
Although I cannot comment on the gender division amongst the teachers, 90% of the administrative positions are NOT filled by males. This can easily be verified by visiting the Fort Vermilion School Division website and hitting the link "Schools". Several principalships and vice-principalships are filled by females. In fact several female principals severed in numerous schools and went on to key roles in central division office. One school of note - Spirit of the North Community School - has both the role of principal and vice-principal filled by females. This is quite personal knowledge, as my wife serves as vice-principal.
I have a long record of association with the FVSD and it is my experience that very few of the administrative positions were filled by those holding post-graduate degrees. As a matter of fact the school division may encourage the furthering of ones formal professional education, but does not require it.
In addition, neither my wife, nor her female principal, were required to have 50 years experience nor did they have to suffer 3 or more unsuccessful attempts to achieve their current positions. In addition both are long serving, and (in my biased opinion) meritorious, members of the FVSD staff.
The decision of some of these women to delay their advancement to the ranks of administration would involve a detailed sociological and physchological discussion that Brad_8888 has shown he does not have the time, nor inclination, to undertake. Suffice it to say, my wife had her reasons and it had little to do with a generalized, fictional, chauvinistic mind-set on the part of the school division.
Aaron shows some perception in his comments that monetary compensation have little to do with employee satisfaction. However, he is naive if he believes he, or any elected official, has a great deal of flexibility when it comes to the allocation of resources purchased by public funds, or with employee agreements negotiated by unions. Yet I see little correlation between the satisfaction of employees and the gender of those involved in the system, as implied by Bard_8888.
I apologize if I come off too harsh or critical, but the dissemination of false information is a disservice to our society and community. I further have little use for those who hide behind walls and cast stones. Aaron has placed himself on the block by making this site, and his views, available. Some of us are unafraid of being on public display, warts and all. I challenge posters like Brad_8888 to show some spine and not hide behind psuedonyms.
11:56 PM
In regards to Clark's comments, I have a few comments that I would like to make on behalf of women working in the Fort vermilion School Division.
You may have a history, but so do many others that you obviously do not know about and how would you? You cannot know everything. Yes, Clark, you may be knowledgeable about what goes on in your personal cirle, but please do not be so arrogant as to criticize others without knowing what you are talking about. If you read more carefully, this mister (or miss ) brad says that those statistics showed for two years ago. Upon my own examination of the current situation, I have found the following:
1 out of 3 superintendents/deputy are Female = 33 1/3%
SUPERINTENDENT is MALE - AND ALL BEFORE HIM WERE MALE!!!! 100% Male
3 out of 16 principals are Female = 18.75%
3 out of 7( schools that have VPs) are Female = LESS than half
THANKS for the NEAR TOKEN EQUILIBRIUM!!!!
So, Clarke ( Glad you signed your name after doing your homework). Brad's statistics still hold up even though he/she did say it was two year old information. Seems to me that you are quite proud that your wife has an "Administration Position"! You seem to be basing your entire commentary on her achievement.
Even if your wife had psychological and sociological reasons for holding off before leaping into the big world of administration; please, do not assume that all women fall into the same profile.
"50 years of experience" - Clearly Brad was not serious - more a figure of speech to make a point.
Yes, Clarke there is most definitely a correlation between employee satisfaction and gender distributtion in positions of authority. Society in general still has a long way to go in issues of gender equality. However, this division is antique in this regard. If we want to have a division that is current and attracts people for the long run than this is an issue that does need to be addressed.
Modelling a fair and equitable society for the students is key to their endeavors and futures.
Fiction - No!!! Chauvinistic - Looks like it to me!!
Educate yourself, Clark!!
Do I sound harsh? If so, I do not apologize! I feel quite strongly about this issue. I am not putting forth my name for fear of persecution in a small town that loves to blacklist and gossip. I love the fact that I can speak anonymously on this blog.
Aaron, if you do not have a position on this issue then I believe that you should put some thought into how this does indeed affect teacher turn over. Females will not so easily leave this area if they can see opportunities for advancement.
If one were to look at those females in administrative positions - how many years did they have to work for this division before they finally were able to get a secure footing on the next rung? All women, do not hold back due to psychological and sociological reasons! Can the same be said of all of our male leaders?
Clark, you seem to be a very opinionated man- open your eyes - and ears - look and listen. You just might learn something. Why do people stand behind walls? Ask yourself that question. Do we really believe we live in the democratic society we profess to live in? Do we really have freedom of speech?
I have little time for people who come off like they know all.
Good Luck, Aaron!
1:28 PM
It appears Clarke K.Mcaskile needs to do his homework before making uneducated comments. A quick look at the school division's administrative positions shows an obvious inequity. He also seems to have taken comments personally, his wife being a VP in a school with a Principal of the same gender is an anomaly not the status quo.
6:04 PM
Yes this is a small town both in size and mindset. But that has two sides, taking the school division to task for a problem that is society wide is pointless. Maybe you think small changes lead to big ones. What about some facts that are not being thrown around. Does anyone know how many women applied to vacant administrative jobs? How many for the superintendent? Why stats from 2 years ago, was that some magical time? There have been several female administrators in the division and in central office as well. This all started on the topic of teacher retention, look around it is not only teachers that leave the High Level region, we see it in every single business in town. Until you can physically move this area south you are not going to retain teachers at any better rate than currently exists (I believe this year was a very low number of teachers leaving).
Did anyone bother to factor in the fact that half of the schools are in La Crete? That is an area that is of a very religious and old fashioned mindset (gradually changing but still prevalent). Do you think that has anything to do with the percentages? Even with that mindset there have been two principals in that area. What you are suggesting would take an enormous agenda being handed down from board to board and superintendent to superintendent, all of these positions have changed and I don't think a requirement is "don't hire women as principals". The whole picture of this "problem" can only be assessed if you know how many people applied, how many were women and in what cases did they have a legitimate claim that they were screwed over. Take a look at Grande Prairie Public, they have 12 schools with 3 female principals ( I am going by name alone here). One would think that with possibly 3-4 times the staff that is in this division they could find more than 3 quailifed individuals? But yes, this is only a Fort Vermilion School Division issue and our leaders are obvioulsy racist or at the very least biased.
Back to teacher retention. Aaron you are insulted at the 5, 10, 15 and 20 year awards, were you aware that a lot of those awards are picked out by the person receiving them? Yes there is a set limit to the amount that you can spend, if there wasn't then that would be something else for people to complain about. So tell me, what do other school divisions give out for recognition, rolexes? Most teachers in the division leave for different reasons than money or recognition, maybe the first point of your platform is to find out what those are? The teachers that left that I know did so for medical reasons, distance from family (also contributing to medical), lack of social opportunities and desire to be in a larger center.
10:56 PM
Men are hauled aside here and encouraged "wink, wink" to apply for administrative positions. This doesn't happen to women here. This is well known. High Level Public, as an example, has practically become a launchpad for male VP's who go on to principalships shortly afterward, either within this division or elsewhere. Even if it is happening out of ignorance, or even subconsciously, doesn't make it any more acceptable. When you are in an environment where you know you are discriminated against, it hardly makes sense to bother to apply for a position you know you will never get.
Loads of teachers feel unappreciated and unheard. There needs to be some sort of division-wide mantra developed that makes it a top priority to show them how their work is valued. Kind words, praise, letters of recognition do go a long way.
Gotta love all the parents that expect teachers to do it all too. There really is nothing more repugnant than an unappreciative parent with a sense of their child's entitlement to all sorts of extra-curricular programming. Many parents do not even show up to their kids games let alone become one of the coaches. Is it really any surprise that not one parent came forward to run in this byelection? It is all ao sad really. Such apathy.I believe that the Chair of this board used to be a childless man from Edmonton for the longest time. Speaks volumes doesn't it?
Great leadership is not evident in this division. It never has been. If it were, perhaps many more teachers would do extra-curricular activities. That makes for a happier and richer school environment. If it were, perhaps we would have more money wrangled away from this cash-fat province to build infrastructure our kids need and deserve. One cafeteria serving nutricious meals and one stage (both could be shared by all schools)would be good enough to start with. Aaron's platform seems fine to me.
This blog is great too. I believe it shows that Aaron Lambie is technologically savvy, dedicated to transparency in public institutions, open-minded and unafraid to hear all opinions and ideas. I hope people are asking themselves what the other candidate is thinking. He is invisible thus far. Where is his blog??? Looks like he is trying to win by flying under the radar. What is his interest in running for school trustee? Has he even stepped inside a school in High Level the whole time he has lived here? Has he been posting here?
Tom Hoffman served for years as a trustee for this division. He was hardly poring over teacher salaries at every board meeting. To assert, like Clark does, that this is an untenable position to find oneself in, is asinine. Teacher salaries are most often worked out with negotiations between the Superintendant and Treasurer with Union representatives.
How many of the six trustees installed now hold University degrees? Could it be just one? A school board should be amply endowed with trustees that have solid academic backgrounds. This is common sense.
2:45 AM
AGain in this town apathy is a wide ranging problem. As for males being pulled aside ask the current VP of FMCS or SNCS who asked them to apply for their current positions. High Level Public had a female principal for years and the current Asst Superintendent was a VP there and she is female. If you never apply and never challenge what you deem to be a leadership organization then how do you ever expect things to change? I think the changes recently in the leadership of the division have been good, so far anyway.
It was good to see you call out the parents in this community though. YEs I understand that this is an oil patch/logging town but the lack of parent involvement borders on the criminal. I try very hard to be involved in all aspects of my childrens education and make sure that I give credit where it is due. However, that said there are a good number of teachers simply in this for the money and the holidays (not all, not most but a significant portion). It is like a child who does one good thing and you praise them, they expect it all the time nd rather than try to maintain that good behaviour and attitude they sulk about not being recognized. Those teachers who are waiting for community or parental praise are in the wrong job. Most good teachers that I know are satisfied with knowing they are doing a good job AND hearing it from the ones that matter, the kids.
7:43 AM
Advocacy concerning gender issues is healthy, but it doesn’t surprise me that it ruffles feathers in a town that can be so ignorant and red neck that sometimes I think I am in Texas. No, I am not a Dixie Chick. The comments regarding this issue do not shock me as gender equality issues are sensitive and prone to conservative and chauvinistic reactions expressed by some fellow bloggers.
The Fort Vermilion School Division is not the only division in Canada with a glass ceiling - but it could be one of the more transparent. Only a fool would think that people relocate for just medical & family reasons; they are valid reasons, but they are not the only ones. People will live in rural, northern towns if they love what they do. This is achieved with job satisfaction and equality – women in this division are at a disadvantage when it comes to advancement. Yes, we all know there is the small pocket of women principals and vice principals and our one female assistant superintendent. It is widely known that this is a problem that also occurs outside of High Level, as stated by a previous blogger, but should we disregard it for this reason? Give me a break. I would like the division to be accountable and ensure women have equality of opportunity, with all appointments being based on merit.
Advancement in this division is frequently based upon principles many men subconsciously learn as they grow up. It frequently operates in ways emulating team sports and the locker room “whose pee pee is bigger” mentality. Women, who fail to understand the importance of golf course politics and going through the proper channels, are put at an automatic disadvantage. In fact, High Level women are often shut out of these informal networks that help men make crucial professional contacts. Please, don’t get me wrong - all corporate life is a game which is not always fair - for men or women. Nonetheless, the present situation in the FVSD needs to be acknowledged if it is ever going to change.
Just because sexism is a “society wide problem” does not mean women in this division should be subject to it. Some of the best teachers I know in this division are women – and they ARE applying for administrative positions. Therefore, there is an accomplished and experienced group of females to draw on from this division; in fact out of the 199 full time teachers in this division 132 of them are female. This information comes directly from central office, so I have to ask: Why are many inexperienced, one and two year male “veteran” teachers getting administration jobs?
Aaron: I think your ideas about improving job satisfaction and teacher retention are extremely valid. This September, central office added 36 new teachers to their payroll. Last September is was 34. Thank you Aaron for your technological efforts and open mindedness. It is refreshing in a town that is often hesitant to publicly speak the truth. Hoping to close the gender gap in the FVSD…all the best on October 4th.
4:52 PM
blink blink
wink wink
i'm annoyed
9:27 PM
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