September 12, 2024
The provincial government has confirmed the appointment of Bobbi Taillefer as Manitoba’s independent education commissioner, tasked with overseeing the new discipline process for teachers across the province.
With a distinguished background in public education and a deep understanding of labour relations commissioner Taillefer brings a wealth of knowledge gained from her extensive experience at all levels of the K-12 public education system.
MTS president Nathan Martindale emphasized the importance of commissioner Taillefer’s qualifications.
“We were clear from day one that the commissioner must have a strong background in public education to ensure the best outcomes for teachers and students,” said Martindale. “We are pleased to see that appointed commissioner not only fulfills but surpasses these expectations.”
The role of the education commissioner will involve reviewing complaints from the public, school boards, and employers regarding teacher misconduct and incompetence. The commissioner holds the authority to dismiss complaints or order hearings as necessary to uphold standards within Manitoba’s education system.
Martindale said that while he is pleased that the commissioner has a background in public education, it is equally important that the panel responsible for hearing or determining judgement be comprised of a majority of teachers.
“The public is not able to properly assess teacher competence or judgement having never taught in a classroom,” he said. “We will continue to advocate for a model which prescribes a panel composition that is a majority teachers.”
Concerns regarding the inclusion and broad application of competence in a misconduct framework were also raised.
“One of the main concerns with the current legislation is applying competence as a catch-all term to deal with poor judgment” he said. “This is too broad and will create significant problems. For starters, it can lead to complaints related to ideological concerns ranging from teaching about residential schools to displaying a Pride flag.”
Martindale said that dealing with competence, in the context of judgement, should be the jurisdiction of the school division.
“School divisions already have the responsibility to ensure teacher competence and have procedures in place,” he said. “This process is well established and is a cost and time effective way of addressing concerns with teacher competence.”
Looking ahead, Martindale expressed optimism about collaborating with commissioner Taillefer.
“We look forward to working with the commissioner in the coming months to help create a fair and balanced framework that serves the best interests of both teachers and students,” he said.