Elections 104 - Exposure

Yeshivah Centre have held their 'Town Hall Meeting' for Yeshivah-Beth Rivkah Schools Ltd. 
Hard and Fast - The Feedback from a range of sources...

• Great opportunity to hear from the candidates;
• Evening affected decisions for whom people would vote;
• Big impact by 3 - 4 candidates; these candidates repeatedly named as having swung attendees around to vote in their favour.

The event took place well into the voting cycle and well past the period that many had voted.

This is why I have repeatedly advised members NOT to vote till as late as possible.   

This is why if you haven't yet voted, the call is out to hold your vote and either (preferably) attend and vote at the AGM or hold your vote for casting as late as possible when as much information about candidates as possible can be gathered.

BIG IMPACT POINTS:

• Major concerns re lack of grievance or dispute resolution policy
• School needs to be more empathic, better at listening, more responsive
• Women needed and valued on Boards
• News on bullying within the school environment - Strongly and factually confirmed from a number of sources;  This is a major and ongoing concern
• Concerns re teachers not being confident to speak out - Fear factor exists
• Parents 'harassed' accused of being 'agitators' or otherwise intimidated by school leadership for previously speaking out on issues of concern
• Confidential information being leaked from leadership - culture and practices needs to be addressed

A brief wind-up from my own perspective.  There are some1200+/- students in the schools and in the zone of 150 teachers.  

Estimations had about 100 attendees on the night.  Where was the rest of the school community?  If parents aren't members they did not receive an invitation to this event.    

Every parent is a Stakeholder in their child's school.  
Board members will be required to serve every parent in the schools.
What better time than an evening such as this for all parents to meet and hear from prospective members of the Boards?  
Even more to the point - what better time to encourage further school membership; regardless of timelines associated with the election.

THIS WOULD BE THE ACTION OF AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE.

Yeshivah has to get its head a round a cultural turnaround.