School District No. 46 (SD46) is backing teachers and raising serious concerns about Bill 22 this week.
At the March 13 school board meeting, trustees voted unanimously to send a three-page letter outlining their concerns to Education Minister George Abbott. On Wednesday, that letter was emailed in the hope it would have some effect on government's consideration of Bill 22, dubbed the Education Improvement Act. At Coast Reporter press time on March 15, the controversial Bill, which, among other things, would severely fine teachers for more strike action and impose a government-instituted mediator, was expected to pass by the end of the day.
"If there are improvements in this Bill, they seem to be wrapped up as a sheep in wolf's clothing," board chair Silas White wrote on behalf of the board, complaining that the Bill is too complicated. "It may be thrilling for a few legislators to take on so many B.C. Education issues in one swoop, but mixing heavy fines for any teacher job action in the next few months with confirmations of contract strips from a decade ago, with the correction of ill-advised legislation like Bill 33 [the class size and composition bill], with the unusual move of legislating a new line of funding, with forced and micro-managed mediation, with the threat of legislated contractual changes supposedly necessary for the B.C. Education Plan, is a tough sell under the umbrella of 'Education Improvement.'"
The letter also questions government's choice of a mediator if Bill 22 were to pass.
"We feel a mediator who represents government, which is a possibility that has been communicated to our local teachers, would be perverse," White wrote.
Coast teachers are also outraged at Bill 22, and in response to the expected passing of the Bill, local teachers voted at their March 8 general meeting to "immediately cease all extra-curricular and voluntary activities for the remainder of the 2011/12 school year and that all teachers not participate in extra curricular and voluntary activities for the 2012/13 school year."
It was a hard vote for many, according to Sunshine Coast Teachers' Association president Louise Herle.
"These are very difficult decisions. It's not business as usual and we have to respond to a bill that hurts students and attacks worker rights," she said. "We are in desperate times and there will be a lot of controversy about these motions, but there's only a few things left in our toolbox and the government's pretty much taken everything else away. It's important to make a statement and take a stand for public education."
The move means no more after-school clubs, groups or sports teams led by teachers, and it may have some impact on grad ceremonies for Grade 12 students this year.
"I think it's fair to say that typically in our schools, grad is a shared activity between parents, students and staff. At this time, we anticipate that our teaching staff won't be involved in the grad activities, and so what that will mean is that the administration and parents will have to fill in," said assistant superintendent of schools Greg Kitchen.
Superintendent Patrick Bocking added that some field trips will be unaffected by the vote.
"It's important too to realize that there are field trips that are continuing. There are extended trips from each of our schools. We do have some trips to Europe that are continuing. One of our elementary schools has a three-day trip to Whistler that is continuing, and [teachers] recognize that as extensions of the program," Bocking said.
While the school district adjusts to the move by local teachers, Bocking said things may change again after this weekend's B.C. Teachers' Federation (BCTF) annual general meeting.
"There are a lot of unknowns right now. The BCTF is having their annual general meeting over spring break and [what to do next] obviously is going to be what they are going to be talking about," Bocking said.
"It was made clear to me around what it looks like for us on the Sunshine Coast that certainly direction from that annual general meeting will have an impact on what happens here. So there's a fair amount of wait and see for everyone, including the teachers."
