Author: Robert Ford

Fassbender, Clark and Sullivan, To say that I was disappointed to read the news article below is as much as an understatement as to say that un-anesthetized knee surgery does not hurt. www.news1130.com/2014/09/06/education-minister-rejects-binding-arbitration/ I can’t decide if your ardent desire to crush the BCTF or your paternalistic “I’m the Education Minister you have to do what I want” attitude has clouded your judgement. I am deeply worried for my children’s education.  I kind of didn’t…

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I happened to receive via email this from the BCTF. They had seen my wish in an earlier blog post and reached out to me and have provided comparisons as shown in the PDF below. I have some views on this but frankly, but I’d rather just be presenting information at this point because I’m tickled pink just to have something fairly simple. BCTF Proposals However, I have to admit I feel more like this…

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Mr Sullivan and Mr Eby, I call upon both of you to team up and form a bi-party team to do only one thing.  Bring clarity to the dispute.  I call upon you two as your riding connect and you are both close to Hudson Elementary where I am PAC Chair. Specifically I can’t get a handle on what’s separating the BCTF and the government.  If you two sat down and went through the existing…

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Here is my most recent email to Iker, Fassbender and Clark. Mr. Iker, Mr. Fassbender, So, it’s begun. Educational Erosion. A family of my acquaintance has sent their children to independent school so that their children can go to school at all. They were walking distance to school, but now have to drive. But with no school on, what does distance matter? I am disheartened because they were an active part of the school community.…

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While on the way back from Qualicum Beach yesterday I was called by CTV. They wanted to do an in home interview. We managed to catch the correct ferry and get home in time to make the news. This was September 1, 2014. bc.ctvnews.ca/2.1141/ctv-news-at-six To find the video segement, look for “CTV News at Six for Sep. 1: Teachers” in their section on the right. The segment I’m in starts at 5:26 minutes into the…

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A mother of two and teacher of many and volunteer extraordinaire wrote this letter to the premier. Please people, whether you are taking sides or not, the thought of refusing school to kids this September is unacceptable at many levels. Write, tweet or email your MLA. Dear Premier Clark, Minister Fassbender and Minister De Jong, I was outraged to hear of your proposal of paying parents of school-aged children $40 per day should the strike…

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If you have an opinion, send it to them here: premier@gov.bc.ca peter.fassbender.mla@leg.bc.ca FIN.Minister@gov.bc.ca educ.minister@gov.bc.ca To Ms Clark, Mr. Fassbender and Mr. de Jong, I am writing to say I am disgusted with the way you three have handled the teacher’s strike. The $40-a-day plan that was announced yesterday was so distressing that I had to write to you again. Apart from the blatant practical issues with the plan (negative tax impact, cost of setting up…

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I just emailed back (see previous post) on the response from the Premier’s Office. Please everyone … we have to keep asking that the strike is fixed by Aug 15! Hi, Thanks very much for replying. It makes a difference to know that a single voice can be heard. I’ve been thinking more about the situation and before I prattle on, I want to let you know that my intent is always for a practical…

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I was in Ontario and Quebec for family vacation for two weeks. The objective was visiting distant family and friends and exposing my recently-graduated-grade-7 daughter to French outside the classroom. (It was a huge success for her; pity the parents and administration failed to set up a proper FI cultural exchange during the school year. It would have been better.) Naturally during out visit, the topic of the teachers’ strike arose. As I tried to…

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On Wed June 25, my daughter’s class had a grad ceremony at Kits Community Centre, instead of Hudson, due to the strike/lockout. This turned out to be quite the adventure because the ceremony was basically cancelled and I had not worried too much because I felt there was little I could do. Then I got a call from a dad, who I’ve know since my daughter was 3, who said, “I have a contact with…

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