Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 17/02) - Throwing caution to the wind Tuesday, Yellowknife Education District No. 1 board swallowed whole two dozen recommendations to improve school district operations.

But trustees won't say what those recommendations are until the review is discussed with its "stakeholders." Yellowknifer attempts to clarify who those people are were unsuccessful.

Yellowknife No. 1 officials promised a press release on the review sometime today, but said that the release would not include the entire report.

When the $50,000 review was commissioned, trustees Rob Meckling, Anne Enge and Terry Brookes said they were prepared to make the report public.

The review was conducted Terriplan Consultants. Among other things, it suggests the board draft a statement of goals and create a mandatory training program for the superintendent and all trustees.

Brookes suggested the review's results pointed to an ineffective board of trustees.

"We are half-way through our term and the consultant has said, 'you have to go out and do your job better,'" he said.

Brookes moved motions to adopt only the first and third recommendations, saying it would be better to take things slowly.

He raised the stakes by saying "if you're not making a commitment to board development (the first recommendation), you're not doing your job."

His motions were voted down by a 4-2 margin. Only Mildred Wilke supported him.

Trustee Marlo Bullock's motion to adopt all 24 recommendations passed by a 4-2 vote, with Wilke and Brookes opposing.

"I think we have the obligation to everybody in the system to advance all 24 goals," said board chair Dan Schofield.

Bullock spoke out against Brookes' comments on the board, saying she had attended 18 board-related meetings in the past month.

"This is an unbelievably committed board," she said.

In her motion, Bullock split implementation responsibilities between the district office and the trustees.

Opportunity for change

District superintendent Judith Knapp said the operational review provides an opportunity to focus in on needed changes.

"It lays out a number of directions for us to take. Many of these things we've been wanting to do, we just haven't been able to focus in on it. It will take time, but it's a very good review and I believe that the direction is sound."

But before they are implemented, there are signs that the board will not complete the steps on time -- or at all.

"They have very short timelines in this document and I think some of those will need to be amended," said Knapp.

And, Schofield said that "maybe all things aren't accomplishable."