Last Updated: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | 11:54 AM CST . CBC News : Yukon school councils must follow proper procedures if they are unhappy with the principals at their schools, according to one of the territory's top education officials.

Assistant deputy education minister Christie Whitley was responding to reports of petitions from parents at Tantalus School in Carmacks and Johnson Elementary School in Watson Lake, calling on the Education Department to let them keep their acting principals.

Parents in both communities have told CBC News they prefer their acting principals, who have been filling in this past year as the previous administrators took leaves of absence. Those parents say they do not want the previous principals to return to work this fall.

But Whitley said the petitions, which circulated in Watson Lake and Carmacks this month, are not the right approach if parents in those communities want staff changes at their schools.

Must respect employees' rights

"We're reminding our school councils that there are proper processes that they need to follow, respecting the rights of our employees," Whitley told CBC News in an interview.

"The processes are that the school councils have the dispute resolution mechanisms and have the processes in place to deal with issues related to personnel."

If a school council is not happy with its principal, Whitley said the correct approach is for the council to recommend an evaluation to the Education Department.

School councils may also recommend a principal's dismissal, she added.

"You're always going to have parents that may not like the principal. It comes with the role," she said.

"The interesting thing is, school councils hire the principals; the department does not hire."

Principals and teachers are protected under the Yukon's Education Labour Relations Act, Whitley said.

Parents happier with acting principals

Parents in Carmacks have said their acting principal made many positive changes in the past year, which have resulted in students showing better academic performance and more enthusiasm about going to school.

In Watson Lake, former school council chairperson Stacy Bauer said the previous principal was not functioning well, while the acting principal has shown a good attitude towards students.

In both communities, some parents have threatened to take their children out of the schools if the old principals come back.

But Whitley said the proper processes have not been followed in Carmacks or Watson Lake. At least one of the previous principals has said he intends to return to his job this fall, she said.


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