“Is there really NO class size limits anymore?”

In an opinion piece, “A Letter To B.C. Parents, From A StrikingTeacher” posted to the Huffington Post on Sunday June 30^th, a teacher states:

"Dear parents, I believe that my employer shouldn't be able to load up my classroom without limits and expect that I'm going to provide a good service for your child. It's just not... humanly possible."

As I read that, I said to myself, “Is there really NO class size limits anymore?”

 

Now for those who aren't aware, I am in my late 50's, and so I remember classes when I went to school, when there were 30 to 32 students in a classroom ... and just one teacher, no assistants. Even with that many kids in the classroom, I honestly don't recall there being an issue with the teachers having the ability to spend time with us, nor for us to learn.

 

So back to the letter; would you agree it appears that the teacher is implying there are now no limit to class sizes?

 

Well nothing can be further from the truth as BC Teachers Federation President Jim Iker himself stated on January 27th of this year, in the Vancouver Sun ... and I quote;
" ... in 2002, kindergarten class sizes were capped at 20 students, while Grades 1 to 3 were capped at 22. Today, those limits are 22 and 24, so each primary class will have to go down by two students. In 2002, class sizes for Grades 4 to 12 were negotiated by each school district ... " 

 

As to the question of whether or not we need more teachers, well that same story in the Vancouver Sun went on to say:
"The total number of students in the province has also changed since 2002 ... this year, there are 558,985 students attending public schools in B.C. In 2002, there were 621,200 students." 

 

I guess my point in all of this is ... I wish the BCTF, and 'some' of its' members, would just stick to the facts, and not make them up as they go. 

 

Furthermore to that teacher, who ends her letter to BC parents with the following:

“Dear parents, this strike has put your family (and mine) through the wringer -- I get that -- but somehow you are still with us in support. I acknowledge your sacrifices and inconveniences... I honk for you!” 

I want you to know that 'Yes' this strike is putting parents of school age children through the wringer ... 'Yes' I appreciate the work you put in teaching our children ... but 'No', I don't support your demands ... and finally, don't bother with the symbolic honking of the horn to me; it's just going to make me more annoyed at this whole situation.

The sad fact is that this action by the BCTF will impact everyone involved ... teachers, administration, support staff, parents, and especially students ... and the younger they are, the more trauma they will suffer.

The longer this goes on, there will be more negativity felt towards teachers. In fact, I believe the actions of the BCTF will have long-term negative results which will last for many many years. 

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.

Now before anyone says I am teacher bashing, I am NOT

WOW … it’s a long time since I’ve been here, but I’m back today.

 

BC classrooms now empty in dispute
between BCTF and the BC government

I thought I would do a little exercise with regards to wages and salaries in BC, and try putting teacher’s pay in perspective. I have had to do what I believe to be a fairly accurate calculation on an hourly wage for teachers (as noted in my calculations below), but any teachers / friends are welcome to correct me.

 

Let’s start with Statistics Canada, which states the ‘average’ teacher’s salary in BC is $64,131 per year.

 

I then went to the BC Stats website to look at a long list of wages and salaries in BC http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/LabourIncome/Earnings/WageSalarySurvey/WageSalarySurveySearch.aspx).  Here are a number of professional, career, and industrial careers … and the hourly wage paid.  The numbers quoted below are for the most frequently page wage (not the lowest or highest).  Pease note I am not saying these jobs are equal to what a teacher does, only that most have a combination that includes a combination (any or all) of the following … training / education, responsibility for safety, professionalism, and legal obligations.

 

Community and Social Service Worker: $18.83

Post-Secondary Teaching and Research Assistant:  $22.08
Automotive Service Technician / Truck and Bus Mechanics: $25.67
Welders and Related Machine Operators: $27.91
Electrician: $27.03
Financial Auditors and Accountants: $29.32
Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic: $30.85
Computer Programmer and Information Systems Managers:  $30.92
Insurance, Real Estate and Financial Brokerage ‘Managers’: $36.32
Registered Nurses: $36.59
Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management: $36.73
Business Development Officers: $37.91
Senior Managers (Goods Production, Utilities, Transportation, and Construction): $39.49

And now … back to BC teachers:

52 weeks – 8 weeks off for Summer = 44 weeks

44 weeks – 3 (Christmas, Spring Break, Easter) = 41 weeks
41 weeks multiplied by 5 work days per week = 205 days
205 days – 3 stats (BC Day, May Day, and Remembrance Day – others already in above days not worked) = 202

Again, this is just a ballpark figure, so the figure of 202 days worked per year is my calculation based on the above.  Please note it also does not include the non-instruction days off which used to be called Professional Development days)

Let’s say the teaching / classroom time per day is 6 hours; from there let’s add 45 minutes on the front end (at school) for prep, and 45 at the end (at school) to wrap-up the day – we now have 7.5 hours per day.  I’m just guessing, but for each day ‘worked’ I’m going to add another 1.5 hours at home for prep and marking; we now have 9 hours per day.

202 instructional days times 9 hours per day equals a total of 1818 hours worked.

The average salary, paid to BC teachers, of $64,131 divided by 1818 equals $35.27 per hour … that seems not bad to me given the above noted salaries, and before the current salary offer is added in to the equation. 

Now before anyone says I am teacher bashing, I am NOT.  I am simply saying that the salary they receive, is a good one.  In other words, the raise being offered by the BC Government is more than generous!

The government is NOT off the hook however; more money does need to go into classrooms so there can be better services delivered to students … especially those with special needs.  That is NOT however something I believe is a part of contract negotiations, that is something that each of us as parents need to demand of government.

These just my thoughts … what do you think?

The education of our children is of paramount importance, and whatever WE decide, it will have to be considered with caution and a lot of thought

A ten year teachers contract? It's an idea that our premier, Christy Clark decided to float this week.

One of the things that I heard Christy point out was that with something like this in place, a child currently in Grade 3, would be able to get through all grades to graduation without a disruption.

Hmmm ... but what about a child that is currently in grade 1 or grade 2?

I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but what I question is the need to have a contract going for this length of time.

If I was a teacher, I would sure question whether to have something like this. After all, who knows what economic conditions will be next year ... never mind 6, 7, or 8 years from now.

And what would the government have to give up to get teachers to agree to a contract of that length?? I find it highly unlikely that teachers will go for anything like this, WITHOUT there being a huge carrot at the end.

ALSO ... on top of questionable economic conditions for everyone ... in terms of inflation, cost of living, etc ... how is the government going to know, with any certainty, what the population growth rates are going to be? Will we end up with the government locked into employing teachers where there are no jobs for them?

I just think the whole thing has far to many questions, and uncertainty, to even be considered.

On the other hand ... perhaps if the two sides sat down to look at better ways of working out wage structures, classroom composition, needs of students, etc ... that would be a far more productive and useful idea worthy of consideration.

Why do both sides need to bring themselves to the precipice of strike action every couple of years?

Meantime ... the other day I asked if people had any suggestions regarding issues of importance ... what was working well ... what wasn't ... what we needed to do better.

One of the suggestions and comments that came back to me was:

Since you have asked I will respond with public education and our society's attitude toward being an educated, healthy, happy citizen to ensure each individual person has success within their potential. 

If we do not ensure our students are educated, and, somewhat competitive with themselves as individual to ensure their own success; the majority will not be successful in their chosen career.

A poisoned atmosphere, created on both sides of the bargaining table, is not going to lead to our children being the number one concern

John Rustad is the BC Liberal MLA for Nechako Lake, and he makes good use of social media to find out what people are thinking, and asking for their thoughts. 

A post he made the other day on Facebook caught my attention; this is what he asked:

"Many teachers volunteer for extracurricular activities making an enormous difference in student's lives. Here's the interesting question: if it's voluntary, why does the union have the ability to intimidate and force teachers to not participate? If it's not voluntary, then should it be classified as an illegal strike?"

I often will post comments to the queries and so I replied to him with the following:

I do not mean to be critical, but as I understand it, teachers have a pay scale for the roughly 200 days a year that they work.

Taking their pay over those 200 days, they make far more than most workers in the province. As I understand it, that pay also takes into account a day that is longer than regular classroom time (ie: prep), and I think it’s fair to say it would also cover some time outside the classroom for student activities.

The BCTF themselves have said the average maximum salary for a teacher is $74,353 ... based on 200 days, that works out to over $370 a day.

There is no magic pot of money to pay for any wage increases --- so what is this strike really all about?

THE BC Federationist, in a release to members, says:

For salary and benefits — teachers want to “keep up” and “catch up.” What do we mean by that? We want to keep up with inflation ... unfortunately; the government’s position has and continues to be “net zero.” The government claims that taxpayers cannot afford increases to public sector wages and that wages must remain flat because the government is running a deficit.

Well that really does sound reasonable, doesn’t it?  Yet it is simplistic in that the BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) fail to acknowledge that an increase in wages for teachers means an increase to ALL public sector employees that HAVE already negotiated "Net Zero" contracts.

Taxpayers -- which includes teachers and all other government workers, have to understand that means there would be an increase in fees and taxes, to pay for ANY wage or salary increase for teachers!  There is ONLY one source of revenue for the government, so how do they plan to see wage increases paid for otherwise?

The truth is the BC Federation of Labour, and the BCTF, don't care.  The hierarchy of government unions want wage increases for all members, and they are using the teachers to try and force that.

BC Conservatives are the "Little Engine That Could"

The following story was published in the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial for March 5, 2012:

The leader of the British Columbia Conservatives says his party is the only one in the province committed to controlling government spending and lowering taxes.

Speaking to about 60 people at the Chemainus Theatre Feb. 28, John Cummins reacted to last week’s provincial budget and shared his views on other issues such as the negotiations between the provincial government and the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and BC Hydro smart metres.

During his town hall meeting, Cummins also told the crowd he feels the Conservatives are poised to surpass the Liberals in the polls and can win the next provincial election.

Cummins says he was in Chemainus to help grown the constituency associations on the Island and spread the message that the BC Conservatives are alive and growing.

“Sort of like the little engine that could, we started from really nothing a year ago, and we’re now at 22 per cent of the polls,” he said. “The message is we can win the next provincial election.  "I think British Columbians are looking for change, and they’re tired of what they see in Victoria, and I think that’s why a lot of folks showed up here.”

In a poll that came out the day prior to his speech, the Conservatives stood at 22 per cent of decided voters, while the Liberals were at 24 per cent, and the NDP at 42 per cent, noted Reed Elley, president of the provincial BC Conservative Party.

“As I travel around this province, I know that what you’re reading in the polls is what people are thinking because that’s exactly the kind of message that I get,” said Cummins.

Cummins was critical of the provincial budget that was presented a week earlier.  "(The Liberals) were hoping that somehow or another, this budget was going to convince Conservatives that they should look at these Liberals as real small-c conservatives able to represent them and their issues in the legislature ... they hoped to present a budget that would be appealing to us who are fiscal conservatives. Well, it was anything but,” he said.

“The polling tells us that only 29 per cent of the people believe this budget was in their best interest, that it was a conservative budget.  And why is that?  Well, with a small-c conservative budget, you’re not going to see tax increases in these tough times, but that’s exactly what this budget does.”

The 2012 budget cancels tax cuts that had been planned for small businesses, noted Cummins.  "This is a huge disincentive to business to grow in British Columbia and to create jobs,” he said.

“One of the reasons we as a country have done well during this recent economic downturn is because our businesses taxes were low, businesses continued to invest in Canada because the corporate taxes were low, and in these tough economic times, to raise them is foolishness, and yet that’s what this Liberal government wants to do.”

Cummins says the Conservatives would do things differently by governing and managing this province based on two essential components — tax relief and spending restraint.

“Under tax relief, we already announced right at the get-go that we would eliminate the carbon tax,” he said. “We’re also committed to getting spending under control. You cannot keep accumulating debt the way we have been in this province and get away with it.”

To get spending under control, Cummins says a Conservative government would ask three questions before spending the province’s money: ‘does this program help economic growth’, ‘does this program help people who, through no fault of their own, can’t help themselves,’ and ‘does this program make B.C. a safer place to live, work and raise a family’.

“We have to address those things that really matter to people, we have to carefully manage spending in this province, we have to get the taxes under control,” said Cummins.

“We cannot continue to go back to the days of increases taxes for businesses and personal taxes; we’re paying far too much in taxes now. It’s not helpful.”

When asked how he would handle the negotiations with the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) differently, Cummins said both sides should bear responsibility.

“This should have been dealt with early last fall,” he said. “It should not have dragged on as long as it has, and I think part of that problem has to be placed squarely at the foot of the government.

“I think respect both ways is necessary — I think the government has to respect the teachers in a way that they haven’t, but I think the leadership of the teachers’ association could have done the job a lot better as well.”

The ineptitude of this government hurts people -- real people!

Moderate scoliosis curve -- read on and
you'll understand why this photo is here.

Earlier today I posted the following on Facebook

GEORGE ABBOTT SAYS:

“We are truly disappointed by the union’s decision to hold a three-day strike beginning next week. A strike of this nature will significantly disrupt student learning and creates tremendous concern for parents and families."

ME ... as you may have noticed George, I am a little more than just disappointed in both the BCTF and the government -- you're both acting like spoiled brats!

Given that you do seem to understand there will indeed be a significant disruption to learning, may I suggest that members of the legislative assembly get their collective butts into the legislature over the weekend, and pass Bill 22!

It didn’t take long for a response to be posted by my MLA, Kevin Krueger who said:

I am presently in the Legislature, working away. There are times to do night sittings and weekends; we do not think this is one of them. We're looking for lasting, long-term solutions, and an outcome respectful of all. Did you watch the debate yesterday? Obviously not - there was nobody there "acting like spoiled brats," as you put it. If you want to be a serious candidate, do some serious thinking and research, and refrain from childish admonitions about people's "collective butts," as above. Good grief.

That required a response … and included something I have been sitting on for a few days now because I was extremely angry.  What I have been sitting on and not made mention of prior to today, is exactly why I am not only tired with the petty politics we have been seeing by the NDP and the Liberals, and with government waste ... I am actually very ANGRY!

BC Politics … the week that began January 30th

Everyone has heard, see, read results of the latest political poll in BC, and as previous polls during the past year and a half have shown, the BC Liberals are in trouble.

There was more that took place this week however, so let's begin a wrap up of things political in BC, that began on January 30, 2012.

Fact finder might help resolve education crisis

… looks as if a legislated settlement is inevitable, with soft-spoken Education Minister George Abbott showing increasing impatience … government, however, is now so wounded in the opinion polls it may be unwilling to provoke a political backlash by appearing too draconian … government needs to appoint an independent "fact finder" to come up with common-sense suggestions for resolving the current education crisis …

B.C. Liberals planned to promote HST with iPad giveaway

… obtained by The Vancouver Sun after a 19-month battle under the Freedom of Information Act, draft copies of the pamphlet contain a large image of the Olympic flame on the cover and bear the title “Spirit of 2010: Building on BC’s Olympic Advantage.”  … government never sent out the pamphlet, shredding all copies not long after having spent $780,000 to have them designed and printed …

Get ready for a provincial Conservative government – Cummins

… we are doing very well in the polls … two outstanding candidates representing us in the upcoming by-elections … it’s been quite a while since we have been in such a strong position … much of the credit for that progress, he said, can be laid at the feet of the governing Liberals … We have momentum right now … what has changed is the disgust level of the people with the BC Liberals has risen …

This Week in BC Politics … a News Wrap-up

Halloween is just around the corner … and as if right on time, there have been some scary stories coming out of Victoria, and in the news media regarding Christy Clark's BC Liberal party … about BC Hydro … and about the Teachers College.

Here are some of the stories that made the news this week … and that you may have missed.

Barinder Sall guilty plea bargain in Kash Heed election overspending case: $15,000 fine, 1 year probation, 200 hours community service, no jail time

BC Liberal MLA Kash Heed's 2009 election campaign manager Barinder Sall avoided a jail sentence Friday afternoon but was fined $15,000, put on one year's probation and ordered to perform 200 community service hours in the Vancouver-Fraserview election overspending case.  Sall admitted to six violations of the Elections Act in a guilty plea bargain deal that saw serious Criminal Code obstruction of justice charges dropped that could have seen him sentenced to up to ten years in jail …

Les Leyne: Wallace's words ring true, 40 years on

… he said: "There have been changes indeed in this chamber and ... the House should know that the change which I appreciate most lies in the fact that I now have a much easier time in caucus."  Jeered about switching teams, he said he'd be happy to let his constituents decide … after winning as a Socred with 52 per cent of the vote, he ran in Oak Bay as a Conservative and won 52 per cent of the vote again.  Back to his debut as a Conservative. Wallace said his new party's priority was to raise the standard of living for the poor, the sick, the disabled and those on fixed incomes….

BC Hydro Spend-Today, Pay-Tomorrow Ripped by Auditor General

Doyle is worried that BC Hydro is using American-style accounting practices to defer billions of dollars of debt to future years … neither the BC Government nor BC Hydro seems to have a plan to pay down those deferred costs.  Doyle says the government… is forcing BC Hydro further and further into red ink, and it will come back to haunt future rate payers …  BC Hydro is using smoke and mirrors to appear profitable, while actually pushing off costs into the future. This is extremely troubling …

BC Liberals imploding under Premier Christy Clark's leadership and fears of impending doom

… they fear the surging strength of BC Conservative leader John Cummins in traditionally safe seats, including in the Interior, Okanagan and North.  Cummins is now at 12 per cent, up two points since May …. Cummins is also creating a viable network of constituency associations and attracting former Reform Party Members of Parliament to his cause, with Jim Hart and Paul Forseth seeking nominations while Randy White chairs a key election committee.

“I Want a Stable British Columbia That Looks Forward to the Future” ... John Cummins

So do I, and so I believe do all people in BC --- but how do we get there???

In his speech to members of the BC Conservative Party, he invited people to imagine what the province could look like with a government that ... worked for all interests, not just special interests ... that managed resources for the good of all British Columbian's ... where parents and students were the focus and concern of the education system, not the BCTF ... where the courts and judicial system have the resources they need so that criminals do not go free ... where BC Ferries are part of the Highways systems, not some semi-quasi private business with luxurious offices and million dollar salaries ... where we have the lowest unemployment and the lowest taxes ... and where politicians do not feel they have to be politically correct.

Today John Cummins, leader of the BC Conservative Party, reminded us there was a time when our province was the envy of all of Canada ... and that it can be again ... and that BC Conservatives will fight for our positive vision for BC.

Strikes in the public sector?? Not if the service is considered essential!

Seventy percent of teachers in the BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) have voted ... and they voted overwhelmingly (90%) in support of strike action to meet their demands.

So here's my thought ... and I know I am not alone in it ... if it is part of the business of government, then it should be considered essential.  If not, then it should be in the private sector.

NOTE TO BCTF --- you are not the employer

I'm going to start by saying this blog will likely get some people ticked; however here goes.

Two decades of provincial negotiations with the BC Teachers Federation have resulted in only one collective agreement --- all others have been imposed. Many you reading this probably know why; for some reason or other the BC Teachers Federation doesn’t seem to understand they are not them employer!

Years ago I worked at a unionized open pit copper mine. The union bargaining committee were able to negotiate safety issues, wages, work hours, etc ... typical things that would be brought up / negotiated during bargaining in the public sector.

Teachers though??? Well they seem to think think they can negotiate how few days and hours they work --- how small class sizes should be – the pay they receive – where and when they work – and on and on it goes.

What have we been offered by those who want to be the leader of the BC Liberal party

On November 9^th, 2010, just days after the announced resignation of Premier Gordon Campbell, Jeff Jedras of the National Post wrote an article entitled, “BC Liberal Leadership still a prize worth winning” (http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/11/09/jeff-jedras-b-c-liberal-leadership-still-a-prize-worth-winning/#ixzz1A5LdypS0).  His article began with the following:

It’s hard to know where to start in appreciating the wacky state of B.C. politics. It has arguably the most electorally successful premier in B.C. history in Gordon Campbell, who survived a drunk-driving charge while in office, only to be felled by a caucus and taxpayer revolt. A taxpayer rebellion led by Bill Vander Zalm, a former premier who presided over the destruction of the once-mighty Social Credit brand and left office in disgrace and mockery. And an opposition party in the BC NDP that, with the government at historic lows in the polls, seemed more interested in knifing its own leader, Carole James.

The latest development, Campbell’s resignation as Premier, was both inevitable and surprising. He tried to save himself with a televised infomercial a few weeks ago, offering large personal tax cuts, but the damage was done. With a caucus revolt brewing, Campbell recognized the writing was on the wall and decided to go as gracefully as possible …

That was nearly two months ago, and since then what have we been offered by those who want to be the leader of the BC Liberal party -- and premier of the province? … here’s a quick reminder: