The Burnaby school board got an earful Tuesday from a delegation of local teachers fed up with conditions in the trenches of public education.
Before approving a 2014/15 operating budget that will cut the equivalent of nearly 27 full-time staff, trustees listened as members of the Burnaby Teachers’ Association read out anonymous comments written by local teachers describing teaching conditions at local schools.
“I work with some wonderful adults and students at my school,” read one statement, “but we are all trying to do the same: make miracles happen with increasingly less money, support, resources to support our teaching and learning. I love my school, but the lack of support for growing needs is a joke. Kids are being cut loose and sinking because I’m not a super hero and can’t get to all of them. It’s unfair and unfortunate but it’s the reality of our current school system.”
The litany of complaints contained frequent references to shrinking classroom resources, growing class sizes and a lack of support for special needs or “designated” students.
“I currently have three designated children in my class with absolutely no EA (education assistant) support,” one teacher wrote. “Sixteen of my 21 students are English language learners. Many of my students live in poverty. I try to differentiate my instruction, but it’s getting more and more difficult.”
“Since our contract has been stripped,” another teacher wrote, “I have gone from having two to three designated students in a junior sized class of 30 students to having five to seven; and this does not include ESL students with their special needs. How can this be effective?”
Several teachers said conditions were so poor they were looking to get out of the profession.
“I am so angry I don’t even know what to focus on,” said one. “I cannot be all things to my students. The last thing I want to do is leave the classroom, but I am seriously looking at other jobs. The lack of value placed on education is appalling.”
A couple of teachers also suggested the board should protest provincial underfunding by passing a deficit budget—a move that would violate the B.C. School Act.
Trustees were quick to join teachers in criticizing the provincial government for underfunding, but balked at the idea of passing a deficit budget.
Trustee Larry Hayes pointed to the Cowichan school board, which was fired two years ago and replaced by a government-appointed trustee after passing a so-called “needs” budget.
“I think that just marches right into the government’s hands of wanting to take public education out of the public’s hands and put it into government’s hands,” he said.
Board chair Baljinder Narang agreed.
“This board will not take the easy way out,” she said. “We have been elected to represent our community and make decisions that will have the least adverse effect on public education in Burnaby through a balanced budget.”
Tina Anderson, a primary teacher at Douglas Road elementary, however, urged the board to take the lead with a deficit budget and encourage other boards around the province to join them.
“I would submit that the provincial government would have a very difficult time dismissing every democratically elected school trustee in this province and replacing them with appointed trustees,” she said.
