The Tribune

Chris Minns, a veteran and highly regarded educator, offers an open letter to Jeffrey Lloyd, the new Minister of Education, Science and Technology . . .

Before I get to the motivation for this letter, here are a few things you should know about me: While I am upset, frustrated, disappointed, hurt, even angry, I will do my best to be objective about what follows.

I am an educator. For 35 of my 37 working years I have worked with children and adults to do my best to ensure that learning opportunities were optimised for students. Importantly, I am a lifelong learner and hope that everyone else is. I am wholly committed to my students.

For personal reasons, in 1990, I emigrated from my home, Exuma, to the United States. I stayed for 25 years, returning each year for four to six weeks before moving back full-time to Exuma in June, 2015. I returned to George Town because I felt I had at least 10 good years of classroom teaching left in me and that I wanted to spend that time contributing to helping young people learn at L N Coakley High School on Bodie Hill.

I learned a substantial amount about educating young people during my time in the United States, and wanted to use my experience to do my small part to help education in my homeland. I started my teaching career in public schools in the Bahamas; here is where I was hoping to end it.

I returned to Exuma even though I knew my compensation would be at least half, perhaps even a third, of that I was accustomed to in the United States. Further, while I knew that, under current civil service regulations, I would be forced to retire on my 65th birthday, I had hopes that, by the time February, 2021, rolled around, this outdated requirement would be abandoned.

Either that, or because I was still an effective educator, I could persuade the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Public Service Commission (PSC) to allow me to continue to work in the classroom.

I am a rational, honest, hard-working, professional human being who does my best to respect people as individuals. I speak truthfully and I expect others, especially adults - particularly those who consider themselves to be professionals - to do the same; to not simply say what they think I want to hear or lie in order to appease. I expect others to treat me and everyone they come into contact with similar respect and consideration. As written in the New Testament, Titus 2:7, “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness …”

Additionally, I have two fundamental guidelines for my students:

(1) Respect yourself; respect others; and

(2) always tell yourself “I can,” rather than “I can’t.”

My references from my former colleagues and administrators are stellar. They contain language such as: “Chris served in many leadership capacities within our school [and] he was a thoughtful and sage advocate, support, and role model for the students and adults in our community. I could always depend on Chris for sound advice. He is greatly missed at our school. I have no doubt he will bring the same passion and commitment to the next community in his journey. He is an outstanding educator and colleague. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance to you.”

And “Chris is a tremendous educator. He is unbelievably productive, constantly developing and tweaking class activities, lessons, and content ... None of this, however, would amount to much if Chris were not also totally focused on the academic and developmental needs of his students. All of us were in awe of Chris’s narrative student evaluations, which eloquently demonstrated his deep knowledge of each student as an individual, his keen grasp of their academic and emotional development, and the high standards to which he held them ... The fundamental quality of Chris’s teaching work is his deep commitment to his students. It has been one of the highlights of my career to work alongside Chris Minns. He will be an extraordinary teacher-leader wherever he chooses to go. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.”

Many of the Bahamian students I helped to educate during the 1980s are successful adults. Two of them are MPs in the current Parliament, one on either side of the aisle. Three are principals in Exuma schools. All of my students would say that I had high expectations for them, that I believed each could succeed, that I worked hard to ensure their success, and so on.

In the Bahamas, 19 per cent of all public school teachers are male; on Exuma, about 10 per cent. I’m a male.

I didn’t readily satisfy the requirements of the MOE/PSC application process. I completed the application form on the computer, rather than writing out two copies by hand. I supplied my original birth and marriage certificates - as well as my “smart” National Insurance card and a Bahamian passport renewed in 2016 - as evidence of who I was. On the Government of The Bahamas Security Questionnaire, I answered Question 12 (“If you have at any time visited a country, having at the time of the visit, a Communist Government, give full details below:”) and the five related questions about being a communist, fraternising with communists, and having communist sympathies honestly. No to all of the latter, and I haven’t had the good fortune yet of being able to visit Cuba or China. Note: In the end, I was “compliant” and did re-write in duplicate my MOE

application by hand and did provide the 21st century version of my birth and marriage certificates because doing these things were deemed essential components of the MOE/PSC application process - as were my deceased mother’s and retired father’s occupations.

The purpose of the letter

After more than a year of trying to get a job teaching with the MOE and after six months of volunteering four days each week at L N Coakley High School, I am returning to the United States to teach. After two years without gainful employment I need a job. Once I decided that I had to leave, it took 16 days to obtain a job in the United States. As with my prior jobs, it is at a top independent (private) school, in this case rated in the top five in Florida. How did I end up there? On April 12, 2017, I received an email from a principal at the school that read, in part, “I have seen your impressive profile on the Carney Sandoe site, so I am writing to see if you are interested in a teaching position, possibly including Middle School Department Head responsibilities ... We are looking for an instructor with your passion and experience, and I feel confident that you would find [name of school] to be an excellent opportunity for you.”

All it took was an hour-long phone interview and a day visiting the school - a day at the end of which I left with a written job offer from the Head of School.

While I don’t expect such expediency from the MOE/PSC, I don’t understand why I can’t get straight answers about whether or not it will employ me, only evasive or oblique second-hand ones about this or that missing or inappropriate document. In 1980, when I was first employed by the MOE, I was an inexperienced teacher fresh out of graduate school. Back then, it took only eight months to get an answer. Today, perhaps the problem is that I’m an experienced teacher. Who knows? Perhaps it’s simply that my hopes were Panglossian.

One thing I do know - something I suspect most Bahamians know - our system of public education is failing too many of our young people and our country. Our government knows this, particularly since the publication of Vision 2040 Bahamas in 2016. For example:

Other statistics, however, paint a more complex story - one of increasing poverty, violent crime, poor educational outcomes and skills training that do not reach the people who need it most. Many young people find themselves without the necessary hard and soft skills to find and keep employment and some, frustrated, turn to socially destructive behaviours. Employers report that finding workers with the required skills or work habits is difficult … (p 12) Despite significant government investment, our education and skills outcomes need to be improved. (p 22) Additionally, the inadequacy of the education of the workforce was seen as the single largest obstacle to doing business in the Bahamas … (p 28) The lack of education and skills has been highlighted as a leading cause of poverty. (p 29)

I find solace in the knowledge that I will continue to return to Exuma and that, for the near future, I will be able to contribute in some way for four to six weeks each year. Additionally, I anticipate returning full-time in the next five to seven years and, though I will no longer be looking for employment in the schools, I will be able to volunteer. While it is undeniable that our public education system must be overhauled if we are to better meet the needs of our people, for now - for the immediate future - I mourn the reality that schools like L N Coakley desperately need experienced, dedicated teachers. People passionate about helping children to learn. People who believe in them. People who see them as part of the solution, not part of the problem - an essential part of the solution to the challenges facing our local and national communities.

For those who share my concerns: If you are interested in a detailed overview of Bahamian education and its challenges and possibilities, read VISION 2030: A Shared Vision for Education in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Submitted version: 16 November, 2015, produced by the National Education Committee chaired by former Senate President Sharon Wilson. Further, while Vision 2040 Bahamas makes recommendations about reforming the civil service generally, Vision 2030 is specific about rebuilding the MOE. For example, on page 21 it states:

“There is the need for reform within the Ministry of Education and policies, programmes and procedures will be adopted which provide for a system that is:

fair and equitable;

accountable and transparent;

progressive and strategic; and

efficient and effective.”

Further, the basis of the reformation efforts must be the concept that any and all enhancements to the MOE must be connected to developing an institution capable of leading the country in the process of attaining its vision for education.

• Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia.net