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
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 For link to Oak Bay news article on this topic, direct your browser here: http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/oakbaynews/opinion/96429834.html
GVTA Annual General MeetingNewly Elected Officers for the 2010-2011 yearPresident: 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” Trainby 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: 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. For full BCTF press release, click hereNew budget delivers more uncertainty and instability for public educationBC 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 classesBC Government cuts grants, no funding from Board to improve class sizes this yearVictoria 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 CompositionThe 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. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 13 July 2010 ) |
