The teachers union associated with Montreal’s Bedford Elementary School, where 11 teachers were suspended for allegedly fostering a toxic work environment, is not responsible for the continued mental and physical harm to students at the school. , it claims.
In an interview with Radio-Canada’s Tout en Matin on Monday, Catherine Beauvais St-Pierre, president of the Montreal des Professeurs et Professors, refuted criticism of Quebec Education Minister Bernard Delinville. did.
When the union was first made aware of concerns about classroom management and disagreements among teachers, it directed teachers to the school administration to file complaints, she said.
Bedford Elementary School in Montreal’s west-central Côte-des-Neiges district is the subject of a 90-page government report. The 11 teachers had formed a “dominant clan” that had been terrorizing students and staff since the 2016-17 school year, according to a Department of Education report.
Witnesses cited in the report said some teachers denied the existence of autism or learning disabilities. Teachers allegedly said struggling students were “lazy” and “unwilling to put in the necessary effort,” according to the report.
Since the Department of Education’s report was released on October 11, the department has dispatched two state government officials to the school to monitor the situation and develop an action plan by the end of November.
Drainbill said he believes the teachers did not report the incident to the department for fear of retaliation. In an interview with Radio-Canada’s Tout le Monde en Parts on Sunday, he defended teachers who are aware of what is happening in schools but oppose the “dominant families.” He blamed the union for not doing so.
But the union president said Monday that like other employers, it is the responsibility of school administrators to protect staff and students from harassment.
“We did what we had to do,” Beauvais-St-Pierre said. “No, we don’t blame ourselves because we care about our school. We care about our students.”
Beauvais-St-Pierre confirmed that the school’s union representatives were also the subject of complaints during the investigation. But when asked why the union had not removed the delegate from his position, she said the Teachers’ Union had no authority to replace the delegate, because delegates are democratically elected by the school. He said it was the body.
Marwa Rizky, Liberal MNA for Montreal’s Saint Laurent race and the party’s education critic, says the executive director of the University of Montreal’s Center for Educational Services is unfit for the job.
Marwa Rizky, Liberal MNA for Montreal’s Saint Laurent race and the party’s education critic, says the executive director of the University of Montreal’s Center for Educational Services is unfit for the job. (Sylvain Roy Roussel/CBC)
Teachers suspended more than a week after the report was released
The 11 teachers targeted in the report were suspended on Friday night, more than a week after the report was published.
Drainbill said suspensions cannot be imposed until the service center identifies these teachers. He also noted that substitutes have been assigned to each affected class. He said the chair of the investigation committee recently notified Isabelle Gelinas, executive director of the Center for Educational Services of Montreal (CSSDM), of their names.
On Sunday, Draineville said it was not yet clear what CSSDM knew about the situation in Bedford. Nevertheless, he reiterated his confidence in Gelinas.
But Liberal MNA Marwa Rizki, who called on the Ministry of Education to investigate the school following a report on Quebec radio station 98.5 FM, disagrees. Rizky has been calling for Gelinas’ resignation since Tuesday.
In a post on X posted Sunday night, Rizky cited part of the department’s investigation report that said “several employees” reported the situation and alerted CSSDM. However, these reports were “not necessarily considered formal complaints” and required follow-up.
Speaking Monday on Radio-Canada’s “Tout en Matin,” Risky accused Gelinas of trying to cover up an initial 2021 report detailing alarming conditions at the school. Gelinas began his tenure in 2022.
She also scoffed at the idea that Gelinas had just learned the names of the 11 teachers being investigated.
Three other schools with CSSDM, Bienville Elementary School, Saint-Pascal Byron Elementary School, and La Voie High School, are being monitored by the state department for potentially harmful climate-related issues.
Beauvais-St-Pierre said the school service center is refusing to share information with the union about interventions at three other schools currently being investigated by the ministry.
