Principal: I dread coming to see another resignation
College grads hired to replace three educators leaving Marcus Garvey Tech
Published:Thursday | August 25, 2022 | 12:08 AM
Teacher migration is not expected to severely impact the new academic year at Marcus Garvey Technical High School in St Ann as Principal Anniona Jones says only three teachers have resigned their posts in recent times.
“Although we do dread the resignations, I am very fortunate as a principal, though, when I compare my institution to colleagues of mine that would have lost almost their entire math department, language department, general studies, humanities. One school that I’m aware of lost 19 teachers so far,” Jones told The Gleaner.
The headmistress said that the current exodus from the local classrooms did not materialise overnight as she knew of teachers who were planning to migrate earlier but were forced to postpone their plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said that Marcus Garvey Technical has been able to recruit teachers fresh out of college to fill some vacancies. And while wishing departing teachers well, the principal, nevertheless, noted that there was a gap being created by the migration of these experienced educators.
“Some of you, though, your skills are irreplaceable. You have some unique combinations of majors and interests and hobbies and experience and it is posing quite a challenge to get someone to do the things that you used to do,” she said, addressing the teachers.
Jones suggested changes in the teacher-training regiment going forward.
“It means now that we have to look at the system again. What are those combinations of subjects that we have at the college level? Are we really thinking about emerging professions, emerging subjects, emerging jobs, and interests? Maybe we need to align college a little bit more, new combinations – auto mechanics, welding, and maybe art because automotive art is a brand new industry. Again, computer science with art and graphics because, again, digital media marketing are emerging fields. So that is something new for us in education to figure out,” she said.
“It’s going to be a tough September,” she admitted. “I will have to redo my timetable. This is the fifth iteration, and it’s still not September morning, and like my fellow principals, each day, I dread coming to school not knowing if there will be another resignation on the desk.”