When it comes to being a role model, the Halifax Regional School Board needs to set a better example. Its elected board members seem to have blatantly disregarded the fundamental rules of the schoolyard: play fair and play nice.

The first fracas in the most recent round of bad behaviour came at the start of the year, when one member walked out after discovering his assigned seat had been changed. He was followed by supporters, leaving the meeting without a quorum.

The quorum issue reared its nasty little head again a few weeks later, when a vote was taken to remove a board member who had missed three consecutive meetings. The vote went against the member, and her supporters flounced out the door with her — leaving the meeting, once again, without a quorum.

At about this time, Big Brother decided to step in and bring order to chaos. Nova Scotia Education Minister Jamie Muir issued “ministerial directives” to the school board intended to bring the members back to their senses and back to the job at hand. The seasoned political veteran went so far as to say he will replace members if they don’t get their act in gear — and quickly.

But there is at least one member Muir won’t have to worry about replacing: board chair Wade Marshall, who announced he is stepping down. It appears, in his case, hindsight really is 20/20. Marshall, who declared personal bankruptcy in 2001, now sees that continuing to sit on the board while insolvent violated the school board’s previous policy, which was in place at the time of his bankruptcy. Realizing the error of his ways, and wanting to do the right thing, he is stepping down, albeit five years after the fact.

Parents concerned

No one seems to be quite sure what all the ruckus is about or why the province’s largest school board can’t seem to accomplish the simplest task, such as holding a meeting. “I share the frustration of many parents who have written to me expressing their concern regarding recent behaviour of the board, and the impact it is having on staff and students,” Muir wrote in a letter to the board.

Indeed, for many Nova Scotians, the recent tantrums seem like something out of a Monty Python skit. Unfortunately, there is little to laugh about as those expected to lead educational activities in Metro Halifax fail to get past their own internal issues.

Certainly, the province could step in. Section 68 of the Education Act gives the minister the power to dissolve a school board and appoint a person to take over operational authority of the organization. However, it is unlikely the provincial government will take such a drastic step, at least in the short term.

For now, the Halifax Regional School Board has its marching orders. The education minister has handed over directives that include: establishing a seating plan based on random selection; ensuring members remain in their randomly assigned seats for all regular and special meetings until their term of office expires; prohibiting any board member from leaving a meeting without informing the chair or board secretary before the start of the meeting, unless they have received approval by board resolution; counting as absent without reasonable excuse any member who leaves a meeting without permission and not allowing the absence to affect the quorum; and, finally, requiring the members to reaffirm and observe the board’s code of ethics, which contains the word “respect.”

The directives would seem to cover all the bad behaviour to date. However, it is a creative board, and is certainly up to the challenge of finding another way to thwart itself — and those who depend on it for leadership — and fail to get through one single meeting, at the very least. IE