School district free-for-all threatening much more than education
By Kyra Hoggan
After hearing the perspectives of many of the key players in the latest round of nastiness inspired by School District 20’s (SD 20’s) Planning for the Future document, I can only conclude that the well-being of the entire region is at stake, and in more far-reaching issues than education alone.
The angry rhetoric being wantonly tossed around – and in the venue where we should best be able to distiguish between children and adults – makes it clear to me that this region and our leaders cannot be trusted to come to a rational, much less a wise, decision that will serve our children as they try to pursue their academic goals. In fact, unrelated multi-lateral intiatives are being threatened as relationships between municipalities degenerate into destructive, ego-driven name-calling that I find both unworthy of adults, and disgraceful in community leaders. That being said, I empathize with some of it. The trustees have been taking heavy, sometimes abusive, criticism from all corners for months now, while trying to make weighty and painful decisions, all the while being used by the province as scapegoats for budget priorities set in Victoria, not in the West Kootenay. I’d probably start taking things personally, too, in their shoes. Let me give you an example: I spoke for the first time with Trustee Toni Driutti last night, for over an hour. She came across as educated, intelligent, articulate, and extremely well-informed for the vast majority of the conversation … but also said, “When we get a letter from Rossland and Castlegar telling us we’re stupid and our staff is stupid and our document is flawed and it’s not about education ….” She later said, “When the mayors team up and send us a letter telling us we don’t know what we’re doing …” I read the letter to which she is referring, in fact I published it verbatim, as did the Rossland Telegraph (click here to read it), and it said no such thing – it called no one stupid, said nothing about them not knowing what they’re doing….in short, it said the Planning for the Future document was flawed, not that the trustees and district staff are flawed. To put it in context, though, she has fielded outrageous fury from municipal representatives at some of these meetings – her accusation of municipal bullying is not, to my mind, unfounded. And Driutti is one of the calmer voices I’ve heard in recent days. Trail Councillor Robert Cacchione went so far as to say, “I don’t know who’s doing all the yapping out there (in Castlegar), but they don’t know what’s going on – that’s not just my opinion, it’s a fact.” I specifically asked him if he wanted that comment to be on the record … he said he absolutely did. And Driutti and Cacchioni are hardly the only ones getting a little hot under the collar – I’ll remind you, the quotes you read here are only the comments I can publish without quoting profanity or risking a defamation lawsuit. That’s not to say there aren’t calmer voices speaking …SD 20 Chair Gord Smith, for one, sounded totally calm, if also totally exhausted and disheartened…but they’re getting drowned out by the rhetoric and drama, and some once-calm representatives are rapidly losing their patience and becoming angry themselves. I understand the level of angst, I really do – our communities and our children will be impacted by impossible choices that ultimately don’t reflect, in dollar terms, how much we value our children’s education. It’s upsetting, even infuriating, and the people involved are human beings with feelings that can be hurt – and whose communities can be hurt. They’re not just taking it personally …it is personal. But there comes a time when reasonable adults take a step back, take a deep breath, and acknowledge that the path they’re following leads only to greater conflict, and that constructive resolution is no longer a possibility without outside intervention. That’s what SD 20 tried to do Monday night, passing a resolution that would take the Planning for the Future options off the table long enough to allow a positive dialogue with municipalities and the general public regarding education in the region, what the priorities should be, and how to progress with those priorities in mind. Instead, it prompted more division and polarization. This, at a time when Rossland and Trail need a compromise on sewer, water and recreation – when the mayors of Trail and Castlegar, along with those from Nelson, have to collaborate on the 2011 BC Seniors Olympics, and when those same mayors are meeting to explore regional economic development opportunities. Letting this single issue threaten to derail, not only education negotiations, but all the other critical, relationship-based interactions required of close neighbours in a provincially-under-valued region where cooperation is critical to large-scale success …that’s not just poor leadership, it’s absolutely grossly irresponsible. No wonder we can’t get recognized on a provincial or federal stage – perhaps we can blame the leadership vaccum, and say the lack of a worthy standard-bearer for either B.C. party is the core of the problem, or maybe cry rural discrimination – but the fact is, how can any other level of government take us seriously when we become utterly paralyzed by juvenile in-fighting in the face of any controversy? And, more importantly, do we even deserve to be taken seriously while behaving this way? There is a suggestion on the table – one first floated by Castlegar city councillor Kirk Duff – that the district bring in an independent, impartial consultant to review and evaluate the data gathered by SD 20 staff, and come up with recommendations – binding recommendations – based on both monetary constraints and community impacts … and by which all stakeholders will have to abide. It’s fair, it’s, by definition, impartial – and it is, I believe, our only hope at this point. Largely because I’ve absolutely lost confidence in this region’s ability to come to any productive resolution on its own. That’s not an altogether bad thing. It would be far worse if our civic leaders brought neither passion nor conviction to the table. But when we reach a place where our Kindergarten students are largely acting more responsibly than some of the leaders at the table (the kids at least know name-calling is wrong), then it’s time to do things differently. I think it was Gandhi who once said that there’s no shame in needing help …but great shame in lacking the courage to ask for help when it’s needed.
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