Large number of teachers moving around, out of region
by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services
RANKIN INLET (June 11/97) - There's a migration going on in the Keewatin, a teacher migration.
This summer more than 30 educators across the region will transfer from one school to another, go on education leave or move out of the NWT altogether.
He explained some of the reasons why so many of his colleagues are on the move.
"It comes in cycles," said Budgell. "Some years there's lots of people moving, other years there's little movement."
By the new school year, 17 educators will have left the region -- three of them transferring to other school boards. The remaining 14 are leaving the NWT -- four for medical reasons and two are retiring: Whale Cove's principal Virginia Torio and Rankin Inlet Math teacher, Mac Proctor.
Two teachers, already on education leave in the south, have chosen to stay in the south and work as educators there.
Chesterfield Inlet will lose teacher John Kandorp. He's decided to leave the education field and pursue a career in art.
Arviat is losing a teacher, Jane Payne. Her husband Mike is an RCMP officer and he is being transferred.
The other teachers are leaving the North to move back to their homes in the south.
Five teachers are taking education leave. Besides Lou and Diane Budgell who will be studying in Newfoundland, Don Dietrich and Shirley Tagalik -- both of Arviat -- will be doing distance education courses in the community. Alan Everard, a Rankin Inlet elementary school teacher is also doing distance education from Rankin Inlet.
In addition to these moves, there will be eight transfers in total by next fall.
Steve and Kim Faulkner, who are teachers in Repulse Bay, are moving to Rankin Inlet. Bill Cooper and his wife Denise, who are educators in Arviat are leaving for Baker Lake. Jennifer Hodgen, an Arviat teacher, is transferring to Baker Lake and so is Tammy Mansbridge.
Jerry Komaksiutiksak is moving from Whale Cove to Rankin Inlet, Shane Golby is leaving Whale Cove for Baker Lake and Caroline Thompson of Coral Harbour is moving to Whale Cove.
Finally, Jane Moore, an elementary school teacher in Rankin Inlet, is taking one-year leave without pay.
While there may be a fair bit of movement in the region, Budgell said it has its advantages.
"Anytime you have a turnover in staff you have a disruption," he said. "But with new teachers you have new ideas, fresh ideas. They bring a certain energy with them."
High housing costs, growing student-teacher ratios, and the loss of vacation travel allowances are all contributing to a high turnover in teachers in the North, so says Lou Budgell.
"Teachers are faced with a whole lot of challenges they weren't faced with four or five years ago. It's getting more difficult teaching in the North," he said.
Last spring the territorial government imposed a contract on the NWTTA which forced teachers to take a 6.25 per cent cut in their salary. The contract also wiped out their vacation travel allowances.
The NWTTA took the territorial government to court to reverse this imposed contract. Hearings wrapped up last week and a ruling is expected in the near future.
Budgell admits that teachers are still some of the highest paid employees in the North, but they don't have the same quality of life as they used to.
Lou Budgell, a Rankin Inlet high school teacher who is also regional president of NWTTA will be involved in the migration. Budgell and his wife Diane, who is also a teacher, are taking education leave for one year.