As a retired teacher who has teachers in the family, I must let readers know, I do not agree with everything Gerry has to say but I do look forward to the responses and hope some teachers will clearly point out and describe the real issues teachers face in the classroom for too often the perception is that, this is all about teachers salary. From experience I can tell you it cuts a teacher to the core when they cannot give any time to those deserving well-behaved, well-adjusted, 'normal' children because there are 5 or 6 just as deserving but needy, less well-behaved, challenged students who demand the vast percentage of a teacher's time. There are too many of those classrooms and yes, it is about money because taking care of everyone's needs costs money.
I chose to stand against the union once but not this time.
Perceptions by Gerry
Warner
A plague on
both of their houses. But a bigger plague on the house of the BCTF, which has
to bear the brunt of the blame for the dysfunctional education system we have
in the province now, depriving the province’s children – the forgotten victims in this dispute – of
their right to be educated because of dereliction of duty by teachers and a
government that’s lost its way.
I
can explain.
B.C.’s
education system began to go off the rocks in 1972, the year the NDP came to
power for the first time aided by the BCTF’s infamous “apple campaign,” when
federation members openly campaigned for the NDP and were given credit for
helping bring Dave Barrett’s crew to power.
But
once teachers got their feet wet in politics they quickly got addicted and
they’ve been a political force ever since. Then in 1987 the Social Credit
government of the day passed legislation forcing teachers to choose between an
association or a union model for the BCTF with only the union model having the
right to strike. The government move was designed to split the BCTF and gain power
over it. Instead, the move backfired and close to 99 percent of teachers chose
the union model and the rest, as they say, is history.
You’d
think the Socreds would have known better in 1987 because the teachers had
already participated in an illegal three-day strike as part of the Operation
Solidarity movement which came perilously close to triggering a general strike
in 1983. But like the Clark Liberals today, they didn’t, and once again
education in the province is being held hostage by a rogue union and a
bumbling, incompetent government incapable of showing decisive leadership. And
the big loser? I don’t need to tell you because there’s 450,000 of them from K
to 12.
In
October 2005, the BCTF went on strike illegally again this time against an NDP
government, which shows if nothing else, they don’t discriminate politically in
getting what they want. And what they
want is always gussied up in talk about class size and composition, but it
always boils down to the same thing – money. You be the judge.
Under
the last province-wide contract (June 30, 2010) that I was able to find,
salaries of fully qualified teachers in the province ranged from $43,099 to
$83,195. Now in a perfect world that may not be enough because teachers are in
charge of educating our children and it’s hard to underestimate the importance
of that responsibility and the great job most teachers do.
But
gentle reader, I don’t think I need to remind you that we most assuredly don’t
live in a perfect world and these days the world has been looking even less
perfect than usual with most of the globe still in recession, the European
economy collapsing and Israel and the U.S. engaging in ominous war rhetoric
with Iran. Indeed, most of us are just glad to hold onto the jobs we have and
hope sanity returns to the world scene. And many of us would be damn glad to
have a job that pays what teachers get and comes with more than two months
vacations, a generous pension plan,
classroom assistants, paid professional days off, and in the case of Cranbrook
teachers, almost every second Friday off.
Nice
work if you can get it. Little alone a 15 per cent raise no other government
worker is getting.
“It’s
not about the money,” teachers are fond of saying, but I’m sorry because I have
trouble believing that. If it truly wasn’t about the money 450,000 B.C.
students would have been safely in their desks all this week soaking up
knowledge instead of falling further behind in an already badly truncated
educational year or being looked after by a parent at home missing days of work
or – and this is the one that really bothers me – being shamelessly exploited
by their teachers and participating in illegal demonstrations against a stupid,
incompetent and apparently somewhat leaderless government.
Yep,
and once again B.C. is the laughing stock of Confederation. Can’t you hear the
tongues wagging. “B.C., what a place. Not only do the teachers strike, the
students strike with them.” I don’t blame the students. They’re caught in the
middle. But we know who to blame, don’t we? Teachers whose priorities are askew
and a government incapable of setting priorities.
The
obvious way to end this dispute is to impose binding arbitration and salvage
what’s left of the school year. But that would take maturity by both sides,
something sadly lacking in B.C. politics.
A more appropriate title would be "Bashing the BCTF". BTW, the Liberals have been in power in BC since 2001 and Christy Clark was the Minister of Education in 2005.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if Mr. Warner has had a chance to read through Bill 22 or whether he's speaking as a disgruntled ex-teacher?
ReplyDeletePerhaps he might like to read what Vaughn Palmer wrote about it in the Vancouver Sun earlier this week in an article entitled:
BILL'S HARSH TERMS MORE THAN "COOLING OFF".
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Bill+harsh+terms+more+than+cooling/6263389/story.html
Just an excerpt
DeleteBill's harsh terms more than 'cooling off'
BY VAUGHN PALMER, VANCOUVER SUN MARCH 7, 2012
Then comes Part 2, which, in the words of the bill, "amends various education statutes on a number of matters, including class size, additional compensation for teachers of classes that exceed 30 students and a learning improvement fund."
The contents are rather less benign than that official description. For instance, there's this all-embracing restriction on the contents of teachers' collective agreements:
"There must not be included any provision regulating the selection and appointment of teachers under this act; the courses of study, the program of studies or the professional methods and techniques employed by a teacher; restricting or regulating the assignment by a board of teaching duties to principals, vice principals or directors of instruction; limiting a board's power to employ persons other than teachers to assist teachers in the carrying out of their responsibilities under this act; restricting or regulating a board's power to establish class size and class composition ..." Take a deep breath.
"Establishing or imposing class size limits, requirements respecting average class sizes or methods for determining class size limits or average class sizes; restricting or regulating a board's power to assign a student to a class, course or pro-gram; restricting or regulating a board's power to determine staffing levels or ratios or the number of teachers or other staff employed by the board; establishing minimum numbers of teachers or other staff; restricting or regulating a board's power to determine the number of students assigned to a teacher; or establishing maximum or minimum case loads, staffing loads or teaching loads."
Cut and paste the link:
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Bill+harsh+terms+more+than+cooling/6263389/story.html
I must admit I am a young teacher, I am not 'up' on my political dealings, and I don't always understand what the arguments are about. I do know one thing, I LOVE my job and unfortunately is this new bill comes into play, I may not have any say in how, what, or where I teach. I honestly do not care about a raise, I want a class size and composition that will let me help ALL of my students. I want enough resources so that I do not have to share essential textbooks between students. Gerry needs to come into a classroom and see what teachers these day are dealing with. I work over 60 hours a week inside and outside of the school. Believe me, if I didn't love what I do and believe that my students deserve the best of me, I WOULDN'T do this. My students deserve my full attention and teaching ability and in order to provide this to them, I deserve the best from my employer and my government.
ReplyDeleteGood attitude, Proud to Be a Teacher... you sound like a true professional... which is what all teachers used to be before they accepted the radical, confrontational union stance of the BCTF. Until teachers throw out the BCTF and form a Professional Association, they will never have the public respect and esteem of other professionals in BC.
Delete