Superintendent of Schools Deborah Palmer spoke about Bill 33 requirements on class size and composition within School District No. 46 (SD46) at their monthly board meeting Tuesday night.
Bill 33 states that class sizes cannot exceed 30 students in grades 4 through 7 without consent or without consultation at the secondary level, and there should be no more than three children per class with an individual education plan (IEP) in any grade unless the classroom teacher is consulted first.
Denis Fafard, president of Sunshine Coast Teachers' Association, agreed that SD46 is in compliance with the law, but raised issue with what consultation means and the fact that 67 per cent of teachers disagreed with increased numbers in their classes but had to accept them anyway because they had technically been consulted.
Fafard spoke at the end of the board meeting and said 11 classes at the elementary level and 104 classes at the secondary level that were consulted said the increased numbers would adversely affect the learning environment for all the children and create a workload that unfairly challenged teachers' ability to perform professionally.
Fafard asked the board to move past the numbers and consider the people behind them. In one classroom, there are children with multiple needs from severe health issues and limitations from autism to behaviour problems, each requiring a different approach and/or adapted learning plan that the teacher is responsible for creating. Palmer said consultations involve a 48-hour process where the principal speaks to the teacher about the children they would like to place in the classroom, the teacher gives feedback, both take time to contemplate the situation and then meet again to give final input. If the teacher says no to increases, they still have to accept them if no other solution is possible. Principals compile a report on each consultation that goes to the school board offices. Palmer and board chair Silas White said the reports had just been received and not yet reviewed. White said the new information would be looked at next.
Palmer went through the report school by school to speak to the high numbers and what measures they are taking to address them within the tight budget they have to work with. She said that all $150,000 received from Bill 33 monies went into elementary schools for special education teaching assistants (SETA) and extra teaching hours. She noted that some schools used creative methods to work with the high number of children with specific adaptation and modification needs.
Cedar Grove Elementary School received $20,000 while Kinnikinnick Elem-entary School (KES) was given $85,000 to address the situations in their classrooms. The rest was divided between the other elementary schools.
Gloria Lindsay-Dybwad is a veteran teacher currently at KES where four classes have between four and 10 children with an IEP. She emphasized that teachers are passionate about when they do and do not want to turn away children, but the overload of children with IEPs is detrimental to everyone in a classroom.
"Younger teachers find the load heavy. Cutbacks have seemed gradual to seasoned teachers and we have expertise to fall back on," she said. Palmer said high school science labs and shop classes are being monitored to ensure safety with overloaded class sizes. Three blocks of additional time are being created for extra SETA help, and the board will cover any shortfall expenditures through the unrestricted service funds.
Fafard acknowledged the tough position the school board is in and encouraged the board to communicate more effectively with teachers about why decisions are made the way they are and to advocate on their behalf more stridently when dealing with the ministry of education.
