Alix McNaught
Northern News Services
Published Friday, June 13, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Trustee Reanna Erasmus had three initial goals for the district when she joined the board: a new school building for K'alemi Dene school, improving aboriginal education and eliminating systemic racism.

"By 2009/2010, the children of Ndilo will be moving to a brand new school building. Aboriginal education has grown in our district beyond what I thought was possible. Although we can still improve, I believe we are on the right path. My last goal is somewhat larger and more difficult to measure: systemic racism," said Erasmus, adding many aboriginal children face the residual effects of residential schools.

"I challenge the board to eliminate systemic racism; it can only make our district stronger, celebrating the differences," she said, suggesting the production of a manual defining and explaining racism that could be distributed to teachers and district staff.

Numerous district staff will also receive professional development in aboriginal education at the beginning of the 2008/2009 school year.

Erasmus's comments were well-received by the board.

"When we started together and we realized we weren't doing much for aboriginals, it was through your personality and thoughts that helped us to try," said board chair Duff Spence.

Housing crisis

Nolan Swartzentruber, superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council, was in Yellowknife June 10 to speak to the board about the problem of housing for teachers throughout the South Slave, Tlicho, Sahtu, Dehcho and Beaufort Delta. A study on housing was commissioned by these five districts.

Referring to teachers in Fort Resolution who were housed in a still active church, he added how hard it is to provide quality education with constant turnover.

Trustees voted to support the report, The Impact of Inadequate Housing for Teachers in Small Communities, by writing a letter to the minister and copying it to all Yellowknife MLAs.

Housekeeping

Yk1 is in negotiations with YCS over housing St. Joseph school students during the next school year due to the ongoing retrofit.

The trustees also voted to enter into a lease agreement with the NWT Montessori Society. Through this one-year agreement, Yk1 would provide classroom space for the Montessori preschool and primary education programs at N.J. Macpherson school for the 2008/2009 school year.

Trustees renewed the superintendent services contracts that Yk1 holds with both the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Ndilo Education Committee and the Dettah District Education Authority, for K'alemi Dene and Kaw Tay Whee schools, respectively.

They also passed their 2008/2009 budget and voted to support Sir John Franklin high school's trip request to Cozumel, Mexico in April 2009.The Yk1 board of trustees will meet next on Sept. 9, 2008.