2009
Department of Education

As Registrar of Teachers over the past 21 years, Robert Parsons has seen significant change in the Province’s education system. Throughout that period he has maintained a consistent high quality of service.

Robert began his service with the Department of Education in 1978 as Supervisor of Information Statistics and Publications. While in that position, his strong innovative qualities and organizational skills led him to publish the first Department of Education newsletter and to develop the School Directory – which is still operating in the same format to this day.

He has been a key member of a national group tasked with establishing a national approach to teacher certification enables teacher mobility across Canadian jurisdictions. As well, he has established excellent relationships with individual clients, the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association (NLTA), Memorial University, the Newfoundland and Labrador School Boards Association, and all School Districts, as well as other government departments.

Robert has diligently guided and administered the Teacher Certification System. His impact on regulations governing teacher certification has been simply immeasurable. On his appointment to Registrar of Teachers he set about initiating changes to teacher certification regulations. The changes Robert recommended virtually eliminated the appeals by teachers on questions surrounding upgrading and saved significant dollars while at the same time reducing inconvenience to teachers, the Department of Education and the NLTA.

Robert’s penchant for service excellence was also at work when he assisted in the design of a review panel process around other teacher certification matters. This procedure and others that Robert was instrumental in establishing are still in place today.