The British Columbia Public School Employers' Association (BCPSEA) has filed an application to try to force teachers to prepare report cards this term and give back some of their salaries to the school district they work in.
The application to the Labour Relations Board (LRB) was filed by BCPSEA on Oct. 26. BCPSEA is asking for an amendment to the essential services order as permitted under the Labour Relations Code.
The application requests that the LRB vary the order to require teachers to prepare and distribute report cards and require the British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF), upon notice to BCPSEA, to reimburse each school district monthly in an amount equal to 15 per cent of the total gross salaries and benefits costs paid to or on behalf of the BCTF members by the school district for that month.
BCPSEA says the move is necessary to ensure report cards are provided to parents and to pay back the monetary value of the duties teachers have withdrawn as part of their phase one job action.
"BCPSEA's position is that the preparation and distribution of complete report cards is now essential to prevent immediate and serious disruption to the provision of educational programs and/or immediate and serious danger to the welfare of students," a press release from BCPSEA said.
This week Sunshine Coast Teachers Association (SCTA) president Louise Herle restated her position that report cards are only one form of assessment and not mandatory to track student achievement.
"Parents have received a letter from the union as well as advertisements placed in the newspaper just to let them know the many ways we are communicating with parents and in fact we've had a lot of positive feedback from parents," Herle said.
She also said teachers are not doing less work, and, in fact, often work more than 40 hours a week currently under phase one of job action. She also thinks the move by BCPSEA to file an application with the LRB is meant to force a walkout.
"It's over a million dollars a day that they would gain by pushing us into a walkout so we do not appreciate the tactics and we think its ridiculous that they're saying we're not doing our work," Herle said.
BCPSEA expects the LRB will make a decision on their application within the next couple of weeks.
In the meantime parents on the Coast are being encouraged to contact their children's teachers to discuss their performance at any time, as teachers are allowed to meet informally and talk to parents during phase one of job action.
Superintendent of schools Patrick Bocking sent home a letter explaining options to parents recently. If you missed it visit www.sd46.bc.ca to download a copy.
