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What’s Your
SSTA PD Day 2015: April 24 @ HSS
“What’s Your Evidence?”
(Focus on Assessment)
Please Register ASAP!
Carl Walker
SSTA President
604-892-3056 lp48@bctf.ca
the voice of the SSTA: make yours heard
April 9, 2015
Healthy Debate at BCTF AGM!
The SSTA delegation of six members was our largest ever
at the BCTF Annual General Meeting. This change reflects
our increased share of overall BCTF membership.
As always, there were many contentious issues on the
floor, with lively, sometimes vociferous debate. There
were several motions dealing with BCTF finances and
member dues. After considerable debate, delegates
decided to maintain BCTF fees at their current rate of
1.79%. Certainly concern was expressed over member
fee levels, however, delegates recognized that we have
had tremendous financial pressures over the past several
years in legal costs, including ongoing court challenges
to restore our collective bargaining rights, working and
learning conditions. The Treasurer’s report included a
comprehensive plan over the next five years to replenish
our collective bargaining defence fund, based on a status
quo member fee. We were also informed that significant
cuts have been made to BCTF programs, staffing
levels and meetings, while maintaining core services
to members. Despite significant financial pressures,
members can be assured that the BCTF is not broke and
a plan to re-build our funds is now well underway.
The meeting also debated BCTF governance structures,
including investigation of a “one-member one-vote”
system of voting for table officer positions (president,
vice-presidents). This issue has been debated many
times over the years, with supporters of one member
one vote arguing that it is a more democratic system
that will enhance member engagement. The BCTF has
used a representative model of electing our executive,
with local delegates voting on behalf of their members
at the AGM. Supporters of our current representative
electoral system argued that our structures are, in fact,
democratic and those who vote for our highest positions
should be fully informed of candidates’ platforms.
Further, if we adopted a “one-member one-vote” model,
table officers would be in perpetual campaign mode as
their terms are only one year. It would be very difficult
for a candidate from a small local to be elected because
of a numerical disadvantage compared to candidates
from large metro locals.
Democracy is sometimes messy and difficult, and there
is no perfect system. The meeting defeated the “onemember one-vote motions” after thoughtful debate.
Notwithstanding this decision, members can be be
assured that we are a very democratic organization,
and there are many opportunities at local and provincial
levels for member engagement and participation.
The AGM is tasked with not only establishing our
governance structures, but actually electing an
executive! The three table officers, Jim Iker, Glen
Hansman, and Teri Mooring, won by acclamation. In
my view, we will be well-served at this time in having
continuity in our leadership, to ensure that our recent
contract settlement is properly implemented and
respected by all parties. Our table officers understand
the terms of the new agreement better than anyone and
their guidance and leadership at this time is important.
There were elections for five member at large positions
on the BCTF executive, and five ballots were required
to elect all five! These elections were a bit of a roller
coaster ride, but the final result was positive, with
a healthy mix of political viewpoints reflected in the
make-up of the new executive.
Overall, the 99th BCTF AGM was productive, uplifting
and inspiring, with difficult but respectful debate.
Delegates left the meeting with a sense of cohesion and
camaraderie, unified in our common purpose, despite
political differences. I have said many times that all
members should attend at least one AGM during their
career and take part in our sometimes unwieldy, always
democratic processes!
Local Letters to Editor - Please read the last page for a parent letter on independent school funding and Carl’s
rebuttal! These letters were published in the Whistler Question and Pique Newsmagazine (3/3/15; 3/17/15).
Sea to Sky Teachers’ Association Suite 104-40775 Tantalus Road, Squamish, BC V8B 0N2 Phone 604-892-3056 Fax 604-892-2296
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Please visit our website at: www.bctf.ca/ssta
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Professional Development
- April Lowe, pd48@bctf.ca -
SSTA PD Day 2015
April 24: “What’s
Your Evidence?”
Speaker Spotlight
Henry Verbeek
Henry has been teaching for 27
years in a variety of subjects but is
most passionate about Information
Communication Technology. He has
been the ICT Teacher and CRT at
DRS for the past eleven years and
has been using the Adobe Suite for
over ten years in the classroom.
WORKSHOP: Adobe Photoshop in the Classroom
Photoshop is a digital photo editing program and SD48 owns
a district wide license for it. It is the industry standard
for photo editing, banner and poster creation. Along with
Illustrator, Photoshop is the program most widely used
by graphic designers. Besides that, kids love it! This
workshop will get you ready to use two assignments for the
intermediate – senior classroom and for the more advanced
users we will give you access to a video library
Susan Leslie
Susan Leslie is the district principal
for Aboriginal education. Susan’s
masters thesis explored the use of
Talking Circles rooted in shared
values in creating a safe, trusting
and respectful learning community
in the classroom. Her work as a
Leadership coach in a Provincial
Literacy Project involving VIU and
6 BC school districts, focused on
supporting literacy through inquiry learning by creating
a community of learners in the classroom, using talking
circles as a vehicle.
WORKSHOP: Phonics in a Balanced Literacy Programme
Every child can experience print positively! This hands
on phonics approach provides an interactive, kinesthetic
learning model that engages students in learning sounds.
We will focus on providing students with a balanced
literacy program layering children’s experiences in
reading, writing and oral language with student choice,
self-regulation, connection and purpose. Students are
engaged in their learning, supporting each other in their
writing and listening deeply to one another in circle sharing
conversations. This workshop will be hands on, interactive
and a lot of fun!
Bill 11 Usurps Teacher PD
Teachers received alarming news over spring break with the
government’s introduction of Bill 11. Minister Fassbender
brought forward sweeping legislation on March 26th
that, if passed, will have implications for the operation
of school boards, privacy of personal student data, and,
most concerning for teachers, control over our cherished
professional development.
Section 36 of Bill 11 allows for the creation of an entirely
new requirement for annual professional development as a
condition of certification. The minister has suggested that
teacher professional development needs to be more aligned
with ministry education change initiatives. BCTF has a
long, proud history of supporting and implementing robust
professional learning opportunities for members. Moreover,
professional development is one of four foundational pillars
of the union. In fact, teachers agreed in the early 1970s
to extend the work year with no additional pay to allow for
pro-d days during the school year. Our current minister of
education’s insinuation, through his misguided legislation,
shows real disrespect to BC’s public school teachers, External
direction of teachers’ professional learning, is offensive,
to say the least! Further, it runs counter to the minister
and premier’s statements after our September contract
settlement that their desire was for peace and harmonious
relations with teachers in the coming years.
The minister has agreed to consult with teachers over the
next two years before any changes are implemented, even
though this consultation absolutely should have taken place
before the introduction of Bill 11. Our position on pro-d
is clear. Professional autonomy rights of teachers must be
respected and we will not accept a top-down, government
mandated approach to professional development.
Bill 11 will not be debated until April 13th, at the earliest,
and members will be apprised of any new developments.
We are hopeful that the government will re-consider this
misguided and disrespectful legislation, which is a diversion
from the real problems created by this government’s reckless
underfunding agenda.
Pat’s AGM Delegate Report
Steve’s AGM Delegate Report
~ by Pat Pawlett, SSTA Social Justice Chair
~ by Steve Lloyd, SSTA VP
It was great to be in Victoria at the grand old Empress
with 672 colleagues from around the
province! We had a strong
delegation from
Local 48 and
I enjoyed the
time we spent
together.
I found the 2015
AGM a little
subdued to start
with. The Sisters
and Brothers were
stressed and weary
from our four month
Strike. We were “in
the ditch” outside
Valleycliffe School recess and lunch starting last May in our
fight to support Public Education!
As the meeting progressed members
gained in strength and solidarity and I felt
heartened upon leaving the AGM. Over
and over there was discussion regarding
the importance of our Social Justice work
in the BCTF. We our deeply respected for
that work within the province but also
outside the country.
The BCTF is in good hands with our
teacher activists as we continue to battle
the neoliberal agenda to control and
underfund the public education system!
My favourite moment of this year’s AGM was our
colleagues’ restrained yet polite welcome to Teresa
Rezansoff, President of the BCSTA, who you’ll recall
had nothing good to say about teachers during our
job action. She said some reasonable things without
offending anyone this time. Hopefully we’ll find ways
to work with the School Trustees in future, given the
government’s clear agenda in its 2015 budget and
more recently Bill 11 to continue to attack public
education. Alliances will be critical to defending it.
Upcoming Events
What’s Your
Friday, April 24th
8:45 - 3:00 HSSS
SSTA PD Day 2015
Friday, April 24th (after our PD Day!)
3:00pm Howe Sound Secondary
Annual General Meeting
Hot Topics:
> SSTA Executive Elections
> SSTA 2015-2016 Budget
Announcements/Info
Retroactive EHB Claims
Pacific Blue Cross has updated
their adjudication system and
website to reflect the negotiated
improvements in the provincial standardized
EHB plan. The improvements are retroactive
to Aug 1/14. If members incurred costs
after Aug 1/14, and were reimbursed
by PBC at the old benefit levels, they
can now resubmit their claims to be reSpeaking of alliances, Jim Sinclair and Chief Stuart
adjudicated for reimbursement at the new
Philip were other highlights, and it was an added
benefit levels. For example, if a member
pleasure to tell Chief Philip and BCTF delegates
purchased eye glasses in September
from around the province of our weaving of
aboriginal values into education for all students in and was reimbursed $200, the old limit,
District 48, which with added direct support the member can now fill out a special
retroactive reimbursement form to receive
has helped to produce positive results
amongst our aboriginal students that lead BC up to an additional $200, as the new limit
for eye glasses is $400. This also applies to
and we’re told, Canada. It’s a ‘good news’
story that can be replicated in other Districts paramedical services such as physiotherapy,
with limits raised from $500 to $800 on Aug.
given a sincere commitment to doing so.
1, 2014.
Even the least involved among us should be
pleased that ‘the bar has been raised’ for
Members will find a summary of the
aboriginal students in Sea to Sky.
improvements and new benefit levels,
‘How we look after each other amid
rapid change’ was again touched on in
conversation with the BCTF leadership, and
will be further explored as we move forward
in 2015. With the government’s agenda
plain, we’re going to need to rely on each
other as much as we ever have. Thanks to
Carl, John, Sorcha, Pat, and Beth for helping
to make the long days enjoyable. Cheers.
including the special Claims Resubmission
Form, on the PBC microsite for teachers
at www.pac.bluecross.ca/teachers/. All
resubmissions for retroactive reimbursements
must be submitted on the approved form,
and must be submitted by mail.
The deadline to submit retroactive
claims is April 30, 2015.
Whistler Question - Mar. 3/15
equivalents.
Funding for independent schools
beneficial to everyone
Parents often make significant
sacrifices to educate their children in
such schools not because they want
to “buy” their children a head start
in life, but because these schools
offer an alternative approach to
education that they believe in.
Statistics can be manipulated to
make a point, even an erroneous
one, and this seems to be the case in
Ms. McIvor’s article (“Province should
axe increased funding for private
schools”) concerning provincial
funding of independent schools.
The funding of independent schools
has not changed in 25 years. Since
1989, independent schools have been
funded at 35 – 50 per cent of the
operating cost in the public school
district.
Since provincial funding is on
a per child basis, total funding
has of course increased as the
number of children in independent
education has increased. However,
the significant point here is that
for every student that enters the
independent system there is a
proportional increase in funding for
those remaining in the public system.
While 35 to 50 per cent of per child
provincial funding is given to the
independent school, the other 50 to
65 per cent remains in the system —
but without a child in the system to
utilize it.
Furthermore, this funding is simply
for the operational costs of schools;
there is no subsidization of the
independent schools’ infrastructural
costs — so ALL the child’s funding in
this area remains in the provincial
coffers, resulting in a significant
increase in available dollars to be
spent per child in the public system.
If all the children in independent
education returned to the public
system there would be a marked
decrease in dollars per child, a
catastrophic lack of facilities, and
less dollars per child to create and
maintain these facilities.
Independent schools are an
important part of any healthy
society of choice. Many (all Whistler)
independent schools are not elitist
as some suggest; many operate
on lower budgets and with far
fewer facilities than their public
We are fortunate that our
government recognizes the
importance of choice in this regard,
and it is significant that such
alternative education is provided
by the state in other provinces in
Canada, in the U.S. and across much
of Europe and Australasia.
A final thought: if this funding was
not supplied to the alternative
system, many parents would not be
able to afford this choice, and their
children would return in the state
system. Result? Less — not more —
funding per student.
Caroline Trench, Former public school
teacher and mother of two boys who
attend an independent school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whistler Question - Mar. 17/15
Setting the Record Straight
Caroline Trench, former public
school teacher, is correct in her
statement that “statistics can be
manipulated to make a point, even
an erroneous one.” Regrettably, in
her March 3 letter published in the
Question, Ms. Trench herself makes
several statements that are based on
blatantly erroneous manipulations
of statistics and data, to support
her spurious argument for taxpayerfunded, private education.
Ms. Trench’s claim that “for every
student that enters the independent
system there is a proportional
increase in funding for those
remaining in the public system”
shows a lack of understanding of
the funding model for independent
schools. Group 1 and Group 2
independent schools are funded
at 35% or 50% of the full time
equivalent (FTE) district school
grant, which is calculated based
on public school operating funding
amounts. As a result, per student
funding for independent schools
increases each year there is an
increase in public school operating
amounts, not the other way around.
Ms. Trench’s asserts falsely that 50 to
65 % of funding for students enrolled
in independent schools remains in
public schools. Public schools do
not receive additional funding for
students who are enrolled in the
independent system. Public school
funding is based on a headcount
of students enrolled and attending
public schools.
A big leap is made in Ms. Trench’s
assertion that extra funds in the
provincial treasury (that in some
hypothetical world could have gone
to private schools) are automatically
allocated to public education. The
most recent provincial budget
shows that this is definitely not
the case, with announced cuts to
administration costs of $54 million
over the next two years, despite
substantial surpluses.
Sea to Sky public school teachers
are strongly committed to a vibrant,
inclusive public education system.
Our schools are vital to healthy,
culturally diverse neighbourhoods
and communities. Unlike the private
system, all children are welcome at
our local public schools, irrespective
of socio-economic standing or
learning style, and we do our best
to meet the individual needs of
all learners. Public education is a
hallmark of Canada’s democratic,
socially just society.
Public school teachers will continue
to advocate for high quality public
education,based on principles of
fairness, accessibility and equity.
Our hope is that all students receive
the supports and resources they need
to help them realize their dreams
and reach their full potential, within
our public education system.
Carl Walker, President, SSTA