Teachers cast non-confidence vote against school superintendent in northwest B.C.

Citing concerns over decision-making and communications style, teachers in the Coast Mountains School District serving Terrace and Kitimat in northwestern B.C. have approved,by a margin of 99 per cent, a vote of non-confidence in superintendentKatherine McIntosh.

Following the vote, the Coast Mountains Teachers Association declined to elaborate on its concerns, saying it wants to raise them directly with the school board.

However, at least one of the concerns seems to involve the reassignment of two principals and a vice-principal at Skeena Middle School and Suwilaawks Community School, both of which fall within the superintendent's jurisdiction.

The schools have a large population of Indigenous students.

"We were concerned about some of the repercussions of her actions that were creating a divide in our community," said Michael Wen, president of the Terrace District Teachers' Unionin an interview with CBC Daybreak North's Andrew Kurjata.

The federation sent a letter outliningthe same concerns to the school district chairafter passing the non-confidence motion.

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While the federation's public letter does not mention the transfers, the issuehas caused recent protests at both schools.

Some communitymembers say they'reupset theschool districtmade important staffing changes without first consulting them.

"You have three of the top-rated administrators in this district being directed to take a 'promotion' to other places,'" saidCalvin Albright, executive director of the Kermode Friendship Society, who was present at the protest atboth schools.

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Albright said the principals who are beingreassignedhave gone "above and beyond" to work with students and their families. Theyintroduced after-school programs and have driven parents to appointments and providedclothes to families in need.

"So, basically, the needsof the school boardare more important than the needs of the children of these two schools. And that's unacceptable."

Symbolic vote

Albrightsaidthe First Nation communities helped galvanize support for the non-confidence vote.

But the motion has limited powers.

The B.C. Teachers Federationsaid in a written response to Daybreak North,"votes like these are symbolic they are not unprecedented. And the locals will have to chat with the board about next steps."

Wen says the vote should getthe board's attention.
"It [no-confidence vote] is something that we considered carefully. It's a means of communicating a sense of concern and urgency to the board of trustees so that we can get that meeting with them."

At the time of publishing, the board had not responded to the teachers' request for a meeting. The CBC also contacted the superintendent's office for comment but has not heard back.

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