To Clark, Fassbender, Iker, Bacchus and those in your employ. When you increase the MSP rates and cause budget shortfalls, you attack my children. When you deny a French Immersion spot at my local school for my son, you attack my child. When you call a strike, you attack my children. When you slow down the rate of seismic upgrading to schools, especially my child’s school, you attack my child. When your toxic negotiations rub…
I just emailed the text below to the Premier, Minister of Education, the head of the BCTF and the BCSPEA. ————— There’s a straightforward way to solve the dispute between teachers and government. This solution has the benefit of actually helping children, meeting basic goals of both the government and the union. I suspect that the government is being so weird about pay because paying the teachers more does not guarantee better results in the…
I always knew I’d learn a lot being a parent, but this is ridiculous. At time of writing there’s a labour dispute between the BCTF (teacher’s union) and the BC Provincial government (employer). Representatives from each side of the dispute have said their actions are “for the children.” I’m not sure to which children they are referring, but it sure can’t be the ones currently attending school. Maybe it’s some theoretical bunch of children they…
I just sent this in email to Clark, Fassbender, Iker and Marchbank. I’d rather be working on real work. Hi, I’m a parent, a PAC Chair and a citizen. I think the whole lot of you are out of your heads. (This is the polite version of what I think.) If you want an agreement that isn’t the result of more legislation, please hire a good mediator and go to binding arbitration right away. You…
It’s a sad day when parents can’t cook food for their own children. Last night at Henry Hudson Elementary, I presided over the death of a hot lunch program provided by the parents of Hudson since the end of World War II. The meeting was our regular monthly PAC (Parent Advisory Council) meeting and the week before the PAC Executive had been made aware of the new improved regulations. See http://www.hudsonpac.ca/lunch-fundraiser-issues-and-concerns/ for details. I won’t…
Dear Ms Clark and Mr Fassbender, I think I’m becoming a frequent writer. Just the other day I talked about school board budgets. Now I write to you about the Teachers’ Job Action. Can you please, please, please get a grip on this? I suggest going immediately to arbitration because there’s not a mouse’s chance at Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Convention that you’ll be able to come to a deal with the court cases against…
I emailed this to these folks on Easter Sunday 2014. ————— To Ms Clark, Mr. Fassender and Mr de Jong, I am writing to you three regarding funding for Education. I am, honestly, spitting mad and I am working hard to stay focused, logical and professional. I am currently the PAC Chair at Hudson Elementary in Vancouver and I’ve had 5 years in this role and have some experience with the school system beyond just…
Dear Mr Fassbender, The recent 8.2 quake in Chile has inspired me to follow up my email from March 30, 2014 with some further suggestions on how to cost-effectively accelerate the seismic upgrading process of BC Schools. I totally understand your hesitation due to the fact a project like this could get out of control on costs very easily. Also, since there’s no way to know when the project has to be done (i.e. when…
Dear Mr. Fassbender, It is with shock and dismay I read in that you are thinking that school districts now have to pay half of the costs for seismic upgrades. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/school-districts-to-pay-half-the-costs-of-seismic-upgrades-1.2590704 This flies in the face of past commitments by both Premier Campbell and Premier Clark. http://bc.ctvnews.ca/parents-skeptical-about-584m-promise-to-seismically-upgrade-schools-1.1229728 Plus, this doesn’t make sense. The school boards receive virtually all funding from the provincial government. Therefore to say they have to pay for half of something is…
It’s kind of exciting. Although my audience is highly friends-and-family, it’s fun to have posted on Facebook this site’s existence. I always publish on December 1 and considering the first story in 1984 was on an IBM Selectric, there’s a bit of magic to the technology change. I don’t think I’m mailing anyone a printed copy this year.