NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION
NLTA reacts to announcement of Education Accord

The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association is reacting to January 25's announcement of the creation of Education Accord NL. The Association had little notice of the announcement or initiative and is looking forward to more fulsome details from the Department of Education.

"Right now, our Association has the same information as the general public. We need further details on the terms of reference for the Education Accord NL and how the co-chairs intend to action their mandate as it relates to the K-12 public education system," said Trent Langdon, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association. "We are calling on government to ensure any targeted approach to transforming and modernizing the education system in this province includes ample and meaningful opportunities to truly hear and listen to the lived experience of teachers in the field. The biggest concerns we hear from NLTA members relate to the working conditions they face each and every day. It is not entirely clear how or where this fits into the four pillars of focus, but to have any real chance of successfully improving the K-12 system, the Education Accord must take a hard look at the circumstances in which teachers are required to do their jobs. We all know that the working conditions for teachers ARE the learning conditions for students."

The NLTA has been calling for a long-term plan to address issues in the K-12 public education system for a number of years. The Association has, in good faith, participated in and prepared presentations and submissions for many and varied reviews, committees, task forces, studies and commissions in the hopes of seeing practical and tangible positive change. The system does not need another action plan that is not effectively implemented, improvements that are rolled back over time, or policies and procedures that are not adequately resourced. The Association will continue to fulfill its legislated role and responsibility to promote the cause of public education in the province through affording decision makers and the public with the advice and experience of teachers.

"We have been waiting for over 15 months for action on the recommendations from the Teacher Allocation Review Committee," said President Langdon. "At this point, and based on the information available, we can only hope that the end result of the Education Accord process will be grounded in the lived reality of teachers in our schools and meaningful consultation with teachers. I commend the co-chairs for taking on this considerable task, with the caution that effective and positive transformation in K-12 public education cannot be achieved without tangible action to improve working and learning conditions in our schools."