The Edmonton Public School Board has reversed an earlier policy that cost one high school teacher his job, in addition to deciding whether to support the tentative agreement between the province and teachers.
In a vote Tuesday, board trustees reversed the ‘no-zero’ policy, which barred teachers from giving students a grade of zero.
Former EPSB teacher Lynden Dorval made headlines in Edmonton when he refused to follow the policy, and gave his students zeros anyways.
The teacher’s story went public and sparked public outcry, forcing the board to reconsider the policy and change it.
Dorval was fired in September, 2012 – and after a brief stint at a local private school, he’s now retired, but Tuesday’s vote is a kind of vindication for him.
“[I have] mixed feelings I guess, it’s nice to see that they’ve come up with a much better policy that allows, from what I can tell, teachers to make decisions,” Dorval said. “That’s sort of why I’m in the situation I am now, that’s what I’ve always felt.”
Decision on labour agreement
The public board also voted to accept the proposed deal between the Alberta Teachers’ Association and the provincial government.
A number of trustees expressed concerns with the agreement, but the board eventually supported the deal in a vote of five to four.
The board joins their teachers, who had already voted to accept the four-year labour agreement - which includes a wage freeze for the first three years, and an increase in the last year.
