With contract talks between teachers and government negotiators set to resume today in Vancouver, the Greater Victoria board of education has levelled pointed criticism at the way the province is handling the impasse.
Chairwoman Peg Orcherton outlined her board’s frustrations in a letter Thursday to Education Minister Peter Fassbender, saying that the provincial government “appears to have completely lost focus on the issues at hand, firstly supporting public education and secondly negotiating a collective agreement with the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation.”
“Our board has repeatedly called on your government to properly fund and resource public education.”
The BCTF and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, which represents the government in bargaining, have not had any face-to-face sessions since June. Teachers began a full-scale strike June 17 after three weeks of rotating, one-day strikes.
There is uncertainty as the 2014-15 school year approaches, Orcherton wrote.
“We now have a circumstance where everyone involved in the K-12 system in B.C. is unsure as to when the school year will begin. Minister, our concern is for our students — they do not get a ‘do over’ and there is no second chance for them to fully regain what will be lost.”
Orcherton expressed concern that both sides are engaging in “brinkmanship” when they need to be concentrating on students and public education.
“Now is the time to be focusing on solutions and keeping education dollars in education, for the benefit of our students, parents, teachers and public education itself.”
Orcherton said in an interview that the letter is the sixth since February that the board has sent to the provincial government regarding labour issues, and is one of the most strongly worded.
“We want a fair agreement,” she said. “What we’ve been saying in all of our letters is you have to come to a solution, both parties need to.
“We’re speaking for the students in this.”
Orcherton said the board does not agree with the government decision last week to pay parents $40 per day for each child under 13 to receive care or educational opportunities should the strike run into September.
The money for the program would come from the $12 million the government would save in daily spending should there be a full-scale strike in September.
“Our board is quite taken aback by your government’s unilateral announcement,” she wrote. “This announcement does damage to an already damaged relationship between the parties, it undermines public education and, further, it signals to parents and students that the government is planning for continuing uncertainty and confusion in the K-12 public education system.
“Your energy would be far better spent in finding a solution to this impasse.”
Orcherton said in her letter that other school boards and the B.C. School Trustees Association have also contacted the government with their concerns.
Spokespeople from the Ministry of Education and the BCTF were not available for comment. Earlier this week, Fassbender expressed optimism about the renewed talks.
Letter from Peg Orcherton to Education Minister Peter Fassbender
August 07, 2014
Dear Minister Fassbender:
I write today on behalf of the Board of Education of School District No. 61 (Greater Victoria). Our Board is quite taken aback by your government’s unilateral announcement regarding the repurposing of education dollars to provide $40.00 per day for child care in the event that the current labour dispute extends into the 2014-2015 school year.
The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance and your government as a whole appears to have completely lost focus on the issues at hand, firstly supporting public education, and, secondly negotiating a collective agreement with the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF). Our Board has repeatedly called on your government to properly fund and resource public education. We along with other Boards and the British Columbia School Trustees’ Association (BCSTA) have urged your government to focus on finding solutions to this bargaining impasse. We have called for mediation, and a renewed focus on finding a solution. We believe that there is a common purpose that is shared by the Ministry of Education and the BCTF—the recognition of the value of public education for our youth in British Columbia.
This announcement does damage to an already damaged relationship between the parties, it undermines public education and further it signals to parents and students that the government is planning for continuing uncertainty and confusion in the K-12 public education system. Your energy would be far better spent in finding a solution to this impasse.
It is ironic that on the very day that your government makes this announcement you received the BCSTA “Back to School Action Plan”. Your government’s actions, taken without consultation and with a seemingly complete disregard for co-governance will not lead to certainty. We urge your government to support the BCSTA “Back to School Action Plan.”
We are less than a month away from the school year start-up. We now have a circumstance where everyone involved in the K-12 system in BC is unsure as to when the school year will begin. Minister our concern is for our students—they do not get a “do over” and there is no second chance for them to fully regain what will be lost.
Minister, we are very concerned that both parties are working at brinkmanship when both parties need to be advocating for public education and our students. Now is the time to be focussing on solutions and keeping education dollars in Education, for the benefit of our students, parents, teachers and public education itself.
Sincerely,
Peg Orcherton
Board Chair
