A teacher on a new committee examining ways to improve classroom conditions in Nova Scotia’s public schools says progress is being made after an initial three days of talks.
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Michael Cosgrove, an English teacher at Dartmouth High School, is one of nine teachers on the 14-member Council to Improve Classroom conditions.
The council was struck following a protracted labour dispute that saw the province impose a contract on more than 9,000 unionized teachers.
Cosgrove says the teachers put forward 18 recommendations and made immediate progress on issues around student attendance policies, evaluations and the data software used by teachers, including PowerSchool and TIENET.
He says after an initial period of “healthy skepticism,” he now believes the committee process can work as it moves to finalize an initial set of recommendations for a report due by April 28.
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The council has a $20-million budget that is expected to be spent over two years.