~ Says confidential information regarding teachers and students is leaked by DPE to WITU President and Vise Versa.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Local Teacher Glenda Mussen who has been teaching at the Prins Willem Alexander School (PWAS) decided to speak out on Friday after she was informed that she will be transferred to the Marie Genevieve de Weever School as of Monday, August 7th, 2023.
Mussen said that she has been working at PWAS for the past four years and that a number of teachers filed complaints against the School Manager Norma Barry, these complaints she said has gone on deaf ears, she explained that the Department of Public Education had a mediator intervene in issues the teachers are having at PWAS and instead of DPE or the mediator contacting her and informing her of the outcome of the mediation, she only got word on Thursday that she would no longer be teaching at PWAS but instead be moved to Marie Genevieve de Weever School.
Mussen maintained that she will not be going over to the school she has been assigned as the manager of the Department of Education did not inform her in a timely manner. “ I do not really have a problem with what was done but how it was done.” She explained that she has been known to be very vocal with issues affecting the school and her person and while she has been expressing herself behind closed doors she intends to go public with these issues, hoping that Government will see and hear the issues publicly and will eventually deal with the matter.
Conflict of Interest
Mussen said when she discussed the transfer with the School Manager of Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Stuart Johnson he told her that this will now become a situation of conflict of interest since Mussen is a member of the board of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU).
The WITU board member also confirmed that several teachers have been complaining that the President of WITU Stuart Johnson has not been defending their interest, instead, confidential information from the School and its students are leaked to the Human Ressource Head of DPE Helen Van Putten while confidential information at DPE is leaked to the President of the WITU Stuart Johnson.
Mussen also confirmed that Johnson is saying that being moved to Marie Genevieve de Weever School will create a conflict of interest but so far he did not address the conflict of interest his position as School Manager creates while being President of the Union.
She also confirmed that the former President of WITU Claire Elshot was placed on inactive duty (Leave of Absence) while she held the position as President of WITU and felt the same could have been done for Johnson. However, she said Johnson is concerned that should he go on leave of absence, then he would risk losing the position as School Manager should he not be re-elected as President of the WITU. ‘ I also understand that no one would want to leave a high position and if they have to return they are given a lower position.”
SMN News asked Mussen as a member of the WITU board that are aware of the teacher's plight and lack of representation why didn’t the WITU take the necessary action and call a new election in order to have Johnson removed. This question Mussen could not answer but confirmed that even though she is a member of the WITU board she was not represented by the union when she was targeted a few months ago.
In an invited comment Minister of Education Rodolphe Samuel said he was not up to speed with the situation regarding teacher Mussen, however now that he was informed he will look into the matter.
