Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 15/02) - Yellowknife public school teachers are not happy at the prospect of returning to work on a Friday for the 2002/2003 school year.

The NWT Teachers' Association hoped the district would reconsider by striking the day off the calendar, and allow teachers to return to work Aug. 26 instead of Aug. 23.

The Yellowknife No. 1 board of trustees didn't bite, however, and sided with administration to leave next year's school calender unchanged.

Territorial guidelines stipulate that school calenders must be set by April 1.

"I would've hoped today the board would've sent the calendar back to the teachers' advisory committee," said NWTTA president David Murphy after the meeting.

"We're not saying to the board we want the minimum requirement. If that was the case, we'd be asking for five days less."

Murphy said it didn't make any sense for staff to have to come into work on a Friday, especially since the calender already exceeded the government required 1,000 hours of instruction.

Murphy said the NWTTA was also frustrated because they only learned of the new calendar a week ago.

Superintendent Dr. Judith Knapp said that allowing any changes to occur at this late stage could limit the board's flexibility and decision-making power.

She also argued that changing the calender could disrupt co-ordinating efforts with Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

"Most of our teachers will be back anyway," said Knapp. "It's a professional development day (Aug. 23) to get them started on the same leg for the rest of the year."

The Aug. 23 date was added to the calender after administration learned that schools would be closed June 21 to commemorate Aboriginal Day.

That date is problematic because it is also the same day students write Alberta departmental exams.

The calendar fills 192 days, including five professional development days.

In comparison, YCS' calendar fills 192.5 days. Staff there must return to work by Aug. 20.

The issue clearly rankled board chair Dan Schofield as well, who criticized administration for not consulting with teachers over the calendar, but didn't want to see any days taken away either.

"My job is not to reduce hours of instruction, that's for sure," snapped Schofield while discussing the calendar with administration other trustees.

The board approved the calendar unanimously.