BCSTA launches 'Back to School Action Plan'
By Contributor
Boards of Education are deeply concerned about the impact of the continuing bargaining impasse on students, families, staff, and the reputation of BC’s public education system. As the governors of BC’s local school districts and employers of staff who make our schools successful, BC school trustees know that a balance must be found between the bargaining objectives of the BC Teachers’ Federation and the economic mandate established by the provincial government. We believe that such a balance can be found.
With a goal of having all BC public school students start their school year on time, the BC School Trustees Association is launching a Back to School Action Plan.
The plan calls for:
· The BCTF to modify the benefit increases teachers are seeking so that the overall compensation package will fall within the range accepted by other public sector unions.
· The government to commit to putting all of the savings accrued from the strike and lockout into the Learning Improvement Fund (LIF) to support students, student learning, and class size and composition.
· The government and all education partners to establish a new bargaining and labour relations structure as per the recommendations identified in BCSTA’s October 2013 Bargaining Structure Task Force Report.
There is much work to be done to ensure that the world-class achievement of BC’s public education system is sustained and strengthened in the years to come. With our students and the long-term prosperity of our future citizens in mind, we must commit to working together to build a strong public education system that is student-centered, collegial and appropriately funded. We are committed to have our schools open on September 2.
This article is a press release from the BCTSA.
