Nunavut’s premier apologizes to teachers
Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq issued an apology today to the territory’s teachers, saying that his comments earlier in the week had been “careless and dismissive.” On Monday, Savikataaq suggested that teachers leaving the territory could be replaced with laid-off educators in Ontario, prompting angry criticism from the Nunavut Teachers’ Association. “It was a reactionary and inappropriate response,” he said today, adding that he wanted all the teachers to know how much he appreciated them. “Teachers, thank you for all you do for Nunavut.” See our story later at Nunatsiaq.com. (File photo)
Thank you Premier Saviqataaq. This is the right thing to do. Sometimes we shoot from the cuff and have to back up and apologize. It takes a mature leader to do so.
Thank you policy advisors with master degrees and real world experience for advising Joe on the right thing to do. I am confident he did not come up with the idea himself.
Mr. Premier, please used the millions of dollars you were going to spend to put teachers in isolation, and instead use that money to buy laptops and provide free internet for Nunavumuit so that they can learn online in September as other aboriginal school boards are doing. Because school reopening is a no – no.
I have a sense that his ‘policy advisors’ weren’t doing their job; otherwise he wouldn’t have made such stupid comments ( with a smirk); the Sr bureaucrats need to value teachers to a much greater degree; quality teachers are much harder to replace than those ‘senior advisors’ and ‘press officers’…. Joe – show some strong leadership…value your educators, and all other public servants….
Policy Advisors with Masters Degrees, for real? Isn’t that overkill? Where is the balance? People need to go back to work! This is turning into a gong show. What the hell is going to happen if we do get real confirmed cases here. So much confusion and chaos and we don’t have a single confirmed case. It appears that the right hand don’t know what the left hand is doing, leaving us all feeling a bit mystified. Just let people self-quarantine in Nunavut and be done with it. Put our tax payers dollars back into our economy unless the federal coffers are paying the bills. I guess if that’s is happening then the attitude would be why would you give a hoot, right? Take responsibility, show leadership, take pride, show appreciation for all, and most of all do what your hired to do! People need to be held to account. You can only get away with this type of rhetoric for so long.
NTA:
You need to start doing annual surveys with all teachers, not just those who are leaving. You will have so much more data.
This year’s exit surveys– how about some additional questions such as: Is the backlash against teachers a factor in you leaving? Are the comments and attitude of the premier a factor in your decision to leave? Have you lost confidence in the Dept. of Ed? Are you frustrated with the lack of support for students, educators and schools?
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Nunavut is the land of forgive and forget: this applies to various crimes– B&E, assault, drunk driving, sexual assault, child abuse, etc. Victims have this mentality shoved down their throats. This mentality applies to a whole lot of other categories too in this territory. For-sure there will be a club out there saying to forgive and forget the premier’s comments and attitude. . . . wait for it –it’s coming people.
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Joe, you are sorry, but I don’t believe you: you said what you said on Monday with conviction & a smirk on your face. Your ‘apology’ is hollow. The government does not value teachers, that’s the problem.
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There’s nothing new or different about recruiting practices mentioned.
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“I will speak more carefully in the future”– I should hope so, for your words have and will cost the territory dearly. Speak more carefully . . . so you don’t reveal your true beliefs about educators.
“Please do not let my unfortunate comments discourage you” . . . I wasn’t discouraged; I was fed up and disgusted with your attitude and words.
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The business about people paying for their own 14 day isolations: Joe– “sorry for the confusion” . . . no one was confused, when first announced and then several times afterwards when questioned by the press there was no confusion: you guys were adamant in your stance.
The stress you have caused individuals and families is very real.
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Apologies not accepted.
Premier Joe, i also do not believe your apology. You did not mean it. Your gut reaction is that teachers are replacable cogs, and paying for new teachers makes more sense than retaining the ones that are here. Let me remind you how teachers are part of your constituency, teachers teach citizenship, including how to vote, we don’t teach what to vote, but perhaps in Arviat they should. I am guessing your childern noticed your lack of support for education, and that your communtiy understands that for you being a polititican is more important than following the IQ principles, which started in Arviat. My mom would be ashamed of you. I know in this time of such trauma, where we are struggling to feel valued in the schools, producing packages for the landfill sites, your words were very honest and true. We get it. We heard you. We have no support, no dept people to help teachers understand their jobs. My only consulation is that maybe you also do not understand your job very well, and that maybe you need to go back to school to figure it out. Come to my class, i might have a bit to say that I can then apologize for and keep my job.
Now you’ve seen the real attitude of our premier.