Please note: the GVTA office is closed for the summer, reopening at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 23, 2010

Community Presentation to Greater Victoria Board fromStarla Anderson, Victoria Public Education Coalition

For link to this presentation, click  Starla Anderson Presentation 43.13 Kb

MEDIA ALERT: K/1 Split Classes - the wrong approach to full day Kindergarten. Teachers worry of impact on literacy skills.

For link to media release, click  Media Alert K1 Split 69.17 Kb

For link to Oak Bay news article on this topic, direct your browser here: 

GVTA Annual General Meeting

Newly Elected Officers for the 2010-2011 year

President: Tara Ehrcke

1st Vice President: Bénula Giasson

2nd Vice President: David Futter

Secretary Treasurer: Pat Carrico

Contract Chair: Bruce Thomas

Professional Development Chair: Karen Whyte

Social Justice Chair: Sonia Furstenau

TTOC/New Teacher Chair: Leslie Donaldson

Local Representatives: Darren Companion, Patrick Schreck, Debra Swain

Members-at-Large: Suzanne MacDonald, Viva Moodley, Bill Myles

Derailing the “Highest Funding Ever” Train

by James Skwarok

(Published in the April 2010 issue of The Advocate.  To read the rest of this article and the entire issue, click this link:   Advocate April 2010 866.43 Kb)

This is my first year as Social Justice Chair and my second as a TTOC.  Even though I don’t have much experience teaching, it’s pretty easy for me to see through the BC Liberals' mantra of “highest ever funding”.   Just ask my mom, who was a teacher, about the number of times I have called her to vent about classroom conditions and government rhetoric.   In many of the classrooms I teach in, there is an insufficient number or availability of Educational Assistants for special needs students (check out Table 1).  My mom has also heard me gripe about overcrowded classrooms, classrooms with too many IEPs, a lack of textbooks and/or supplies and a discrepancy in the amount of supplies/resources between different schools.  Thanks mom, but maybe I should be phoning Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid, BC’s Minister of Education, for help…ahem, funding help.
 

BC education budget deceptive

“More funding than ever?” More like “more cuts than ever.”

The miniscule increase of $129 million on a $4.82 billion budget still leaves boards floundering with ever-increasing funding shortfalls.

New budget delivers more uncertainty and instability for public education

BC Liberals’ latest budget will lead to more instability and uncertainty for BC schools as downloaded costs continue to outpace government funding, BCTF President Irene Lanzinger said today. For full BCTF press release, click here

For the full Budget, click here

School year begins with funding cuts and more oversize classes

BC Government cuts grants, no funding from Board to improve  class sizes this year

Victoria teachers are deeply disappointed at the recent announcement of cuts to grants and PAC funds from the BC government. Once again, the government is putting students' education at risk by failing to adequately fund our public system. Funding cuts could impact playground upgrades, fieldtrips, and capital projects.

This is joined by an inadequate budget from our own Board, which will ensure that class sizes rise and overcrowded classes continue. The one-time funding of $500,000 used to hire teachers last year was removed from this year's budget, meaning larger and more crowded classrooms. 

Dorsey Award on Class Size and Composition

The BCTF grieved 1700 classes, but so far only 81 were examined as "representative" cases. Arbitrator James Dorsey decided 21 of 81 classes he examined violated legislation.

The arbitrator found:

School boards violated the School Act in 21 of 81 representative classes.

Consultations were inadequate in 19 classes.

There was not a reasonably held opinnion the classes were appropriate for student learning in 2 classes.

What can teachers do?

Watch for a decision on remedies for teachers.

Ensure you make your opinions known to your school Principal if you have an overcrowded class. Full details are available from your Staff Rep.