[Lemmy]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

The government is required to do what's best for the Province.

The teachers consistently do what's best for them. Period.

You're presuming that what is good for teachers isn't good for students or the province. That's not necessarily true. For example, class sizes. Smaller classes are a benefit to teachers and students. As for unrealistic demands by the government, in 1997, the government wanted to take away prep time. How are lessons to be planned with no planning time? The 1997 "strike" was really a lockout. It was a strike forced by management with ridiculous demands.

[peck420]

Lemmy,

The very same could be said in reverse.

What is best for the teachers is not always best for the students.

Quite frankly, if the only thing luring teachers into teaching professions is the wage, we have already lost the 'best thing for the students' argument. The best employee in any job is the one that wants to be there.

[dino_bobba_renno]

Ok, finally got the school calander up.

So teachers at my kids school recieve and extra 20 days off for profesional development and other associated type days. Which as I said is roughly 2 days a month off. Thats not taking into account long weekends and holidays.

If you factor in those they recive 43 days off not counting weekends. So in a 10 month school year teachers get 2 months off in addition to the 2 months they get for summer. *You have to keep in mind that I'm not counting weekends so a work month is really only 20 days roughly.

That is one shit load of time off!

[Lemmy]

dino_bobba_renno dino_bobba_renno:

Ok, finally got the school calander up.

So teachers at my kids school recieve and extra 20 days off for profesional development and other associated type days. Which as I said is roughly 2 days a month off. Thats not taking into account long weekends and holidays.

If you factor in those they recive 43 days off not counting weekends. So in a 10 month school year teachers get 2 months off in addition to the 2 months they get for summer. *You have to keep in mind that I'm not counting weekends so a work month is really only 20 days roughly.

That is one shit load of time off!

PD days aren't time off. If you ask teachers, it's the worst part of the job having to do the PD things that the boards force them to do. It may be time off for the kids, but it sure as hell isn't time off for teachers. 20 days of PD sounds like a ridiculously high amount. The board my kids are in have 6 PD days.

[SprCForr]

They have 20 here too. One will always be in conjunction with a stat and the other will always be a Friday.

[Brenda]

We have 3 school based pro-D days, 3 district based pro-D days, 1 administrative day and 5 days OFF to make Spring break 2 weeks instead of the Province based 1 week.
That week is NOT on the BCED calendar. Also, it looks like the max number of non-instructional days is 6, but in reality, is 12.

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/legislation/stdcal03.pdf

[Freakinoldguy]

I've got bad news for anyone who believes the BCTF is acting on behalf of the children.

Abbott gets no-bully letters from Grade 1 class

http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews ... c221d46181

B.C. teacher regrets having Grade 1 class write letters to Education Minister
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/teach ... z1o6IwecI4

It would appear that the BCTF isn't above using their position of authority and trust to further their agenda, just like the Government.

What scares me is that instead of just getting an education our kids are now subject to the personal morals, ideals and political partisanship of teachers.

Maybe the Government shouldn't be stopping them from striking but should be passing a a law instead that forbids teachers from expressing in a classroom any of their or the BCTF's political agenda's, ideals or philosophy's.

[Brenda]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I've got bad news for anyone who believes the BCTF is acting on behalf of the children.

Abbott gets no-bully letters from Grade 1 class

http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews ... c221d46181

B.C. teacher regrets having Grade 1 class write letters to Education Minister
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/teach ... z1o6IwecI4

It would appear that the BCTF isn't above using their position of authority and trust to further their agenda, just like the Government.

What scares me is that instead of just getting an education our kids are now subject to the personal morals, ideals and political partisanship of teachers.

Maybe the Government shouldn't be stopping them from striking but should be passing a a law instead that forbids teachers from expressing in a classroom any of their or the BCTF's political agenda's, ideals or philosophy's.

My daughter's high school (she's in Grade 8 ) had allowed the kids to walk out at 2:15 (school ends at 2:38). My other daughter's elementary school (she's in Grade 6) had only sent a letter out from the School District in which was stated that there is no class Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but that the school is open and that there will be supervision for children who had nowhere else to go because parents have to go to work. Buses will not be available tho. The high school sent the same letter by email.

I still do not agree with the strike, but the principal's solution is good enough for me. I can imagine that it is not for Grade 12 kids tho.

[fifeboy]

Brenda Brenda:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I've got bad news for anyone who believes the BCTF is acting on behalf of the children.

Abbott gets no-bully letters from Grade 1 class

http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews ... c221d46181

B.C. teacher regrets having Grade 1 class write letters to Education Minister
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/teach ... z1o6IwecI4

It would appear that the BCTF isn't above using their position of authority and trust to further their agenda, just like the Government.

What scares me is that instead of just getting an education our kids are now subject to the personal morals, ideals and political partisanship of teachers.

Maybe the Government shouldn't be stopping them from striking but should be passing a a law instead that forbids teachers from expressing in a classroom any of their or the BCTF's political agenda's, ideals or philosophy's.

My daughter's high school (she's in Grade 8 ) had allowed the kids to walk out at 2:15 (school ends at 2:38). My other daughter's elementary school (she's in Grade 6) had only sent a letter out from the School District in which was stated that there is no class Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but that the school is open and that there will be supervision for children who had nowhere else to go because parents have to go to work. Buses will not be available tho. The high school sent the same letter by email.

I still do not agree with the strike, but the principal's solution is good enough for me. I can imagine that it is not for Grade 12 kids tho.

Jerez Brenda, almost sounds like your big complaint was the possible cancellation of baby sitting services. (insert smile face here)

[fifeboy]

Brenda Brenda:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I've got bad news for anyone who believes the BCTF is acting on behalf of the children.

Abbott gets no-bully letters from Grade 1 class

http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews ... c221d46181

B.C. teacher regrets having Grade 1 class write letters to Education Minister
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/teach ... z1o6IwecI4

It would appear that the BCTF isn't above using their position of authority and trust to further their agenda, just like the Government.

What scares me is that instead of just getting an education our kids are now subject to the personal morals, ideals and political partisanship of teachers.

Maybe the Government shouldn't be stopping them from striking but should be passing a a law instead that forbids teachers from expressing in a classroom any of their or the BCTF's political agenda's, ideals or philosophy's.

My daughter's high school (she's in Grade 8 ) had allowed the kids to walk out at 2:15 (school ends at 2:38). My other daughter's elementary school (she's in Grade 6) had only sent a letter out from the School District in which was stated that there is no class Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but that the school is open and that there will be supervision for children who had nowhere else to go because parents have to go to work. Buses will not be available tho. The high school sent the same letter by email.

I still do not agree with the strike, but the principal's solution is good enough for me. I can imagine that it is not for Grade 12 kids tho.

Jeeze Brenda, almost sounds like your big complaint was the possible cancellation of baby sitting services. (insert smile face here)

DAMN I- PHONE

[andyt]

That's the impression I get too - no almost about it. I don't think the teachers deserve a big raise this time out, but it's not just about money, but about classroom size etc. The govt wants to be able take off the limit (3) of special needs students per class. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Nor does larger class sizes. The teachers should offer a contract that keeps class size etc the same, and has no provision for wage increases until BC gets it's budget out of deficit. Since the govt has promised that will happen in 2013 (when the election is due) the teachers shouldn't have long to wait.

[Brenda]

fifeboy fifeboy:

Brenda Brenda:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

I've got bad news for anyone who believes the BCTF is acting on behalf of the children.

Abbott gets no-bully letters from Grade 1 class

http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews ... c221d46181

B.C. teacher regrets having Grade 1 class write letters to Education Minister
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/teach ... z1o6IwecI4

It would appear that the BCTF isn't above using their position of authority and trust to further their agenda, just like the Government.

What scares me is that instead of just getting an education our kids are now subject to the personal morals, ideals and political partisanship of teachers.

Maybe the Government shouldn't be stopping them from striking but should be passing a a law instead that forbids teachers from expressing in a classroom any of their or the BCTF's political agenda's, ideals or philosophy's.

My daughter's high school (she's in Grade 8 ) had allowed the kids to walk out at 2:15 (school ends at 2:38). My other daughter's elementary school (she's in Grade 6) had only sent a letter out from the School District in which was stated that there is no class Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but that the school is open and that there will be supervision for children who had nowhere else to go because parents have to go to work. Buses will not be available tho. The high school sent the same letter by email.

I still do not agree with the strike, but the principal's solution is good enough for me. I can imagine that it is not for Grade 12 kids tho.

Jeeze Brenda, almost sounds like your big complaint was the possible cancellation of baby sitting services. (insert smile face here)

DAMN I- PHONE

If you had read anything I wrote on this topic, you would have known differently.

The direct result however, is that when you work, you need a place for your children. Usually, they go to school, and you know in June when they are off during the following school year so you can make sure they are not left unsupervised. This time, it is 2 days in advance. For a lot of working parents, that is not enough. Which makes me say that the solution for THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE was imo solved nicely. And I thank the Principal for that.

[Brenda]

andyt andyt:

That's the impression I get too - no almost about it.

Of course you do. That is because I have repeatedly said that, and ONLY that about the topic, right?

[Brenda]

Also, what you seemed to have missed, is the point that my daughter's elementary school did not politicize it but solved a short term issue. The high school, however, did. The walk out was allowed if you supported the teacher's strike. It was a learning moment for my 14-year old girl tho, who had to make her first political decision.

Of course, she walked out of class (like everybody else) but she did not sign the petition.

[Freakinoldguy]

andyt andyt:

That's the impression I get too - no almost about it. I don't think the teachers deserve a big raise this time out, but it's not just about money, but about classroom size etc. The govt wants to be able take off the limit (3) of special needs students per class. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Nor does larger class sizes. The teachers should offer a contract that keeps class size etc the same, and has no provision for wage increases until BC gets it's budget out of deficit. Since the govt has promised that will happen in 2013 (when the election is due) the teachers shouldn't have long to wait.

So, I guess once they get their raise and class rooms sizes down to where they can manage them, they'll stop politicizing the classrooms?

Somehow I doubt it.

If both sides were honest about doing this for the kids, the only things they'd be putting back in the system are the special ed assistants and reasonable classroom sizes and there'd be no need for a strike or any other job action.