The following letter was sent to Silas White, chair of Sunshine Coast Board of Education, and copied to Coast Reporter for publication.
Teachers of the Sunshine Coast are surprised and angry at hearing that trustees voted themselves a 20 per cent increase to their honorariums at last Tuesday's board meeting.
Last spring, we heard at meeting after meeting of the dire school budget situation and that some tough decisions had to be made. At that time, teachers were upset to see many cuts to services to children, such as the adapted physical education program, guided reading programs, some special education support and drastic cuts (up to 50 per cent) to teacher librarian time in our larger secondary schools. Those tough decisions were made and, as this school year began, teachers did what they do best. They rolled up their sleeves and tried to do more with even less than the year before, trying their best to maintain services to children.
That is why teachers find it particularly galling that a majority of our trustees chose to vote in this substantial increase for themselves, with very little debate and no advance notice to the public. This year is a bargaining year for teachers, with our current contract expiring in June 2011. Perhaps trustees will support a similar percentage salary increase for teachers.
Jenny Garrels
President, SCTA
