Parenting Issue

Arbitration. Now.

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…

Continue reading

Parenting Issue

Saving Children from their parents’ own food

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…

Continue reading

Parenting Issue

Enough with the teachers’ Labour issues

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…

Continue reading

Parenting Issue

Please stop downloading costs to the children of BC

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…

Continue reading

Parenting Issue

How to control scope of Seismic Upgrading

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…

Continue reading

Parenting Issue

Arguing over who pays for Seismic Upgrading

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…

Continue reading

Parenting Issue

Parent Guidelines – Cell Phones & Kids under 16

A while back I read an article about a problem with bullying via text-messaging.  My daughter was, at the time, too young for a cell phone.  I felt bad for the kids. Fast forward a couple of years and I find myself adding a phone and phone number for my daughter to my plan.  My focus on personal security was increasing, dramatically.  The point of the phone was to give my daughter an easy way…

Continue reading