Letter to the Trustees by Martina Wikison

Dear Trustees of the Board of Education:

Thank you for writing a letter to Minister Fassbender and Mr. Iker regarding the current state of negotiations. Public education is suffering and the situation has become very difficult for all who are involved. I also sincerely hope that a mediator will be found to help resolve this dispute.

I have taken some time to read through Successful Governance to gain a better understanding of a school trustee's role and of the guiding principles. Under the "Provincial Context" section, it states the following principle that "Public education in Canada has been the great equalizer. Public education has been the means by which people of diverse languages, cultures and social and economic circumstance have been integrated into Canadian society with some reasonable aspirations to equality of opportunity." Furthermore, it states that "our commitment to public education - open and available to all members of our society - is the key element in shaping the way our society has evolved and will continue to change." It also states that "Public education in Canada is a provincial responsibility."

Keeping these principles in mind, I submit to you that public education in British Columbia is being threatened by government policies that have illegally reduced funding, increased class sizes and decreased support for all students, whether they are average, gifted, or in need of specialized support. When a family must wait two or more years for their child to receive psychoeducational testing because they cannot afford to pay for it privately, their child suffers greatly. When children do not receive adequate support from their classroom teacher because there are too many students and needs, those children suffer. Public education as "the great equalizer" is under threat. The current government has distanced itself from its "provincial responsibility" for public education.

According to Successful Governance, I understand the challenging role of school trustees to maintain constructive working relationships with the district, community, and government. However, the very principles upon which your jobs are founded, public education for all, are at risk. I challenge you to stand up for public education! I challenge you to speak to the media regarding the inadequate funding you must allocate every year. I challenge you to visit teachers on the picket lines to show that you also believe in education as "the great equalizer."

Yes, our students are worth it! I believe a negotiated agreement will be obtained much faster if groups such as yours stand up for better funding for public education. I look forward to your response.

Respectfully submitted,

Martina Wilkison

Letter to Fassbender - Education for a strong BC

Dear Honourable Fassbender:

I am writing to you to express my displeasure with you as the Education Minister, but also with Christy Clark the leader of the Liberal government. Our government has not been negotiating in good faith; it is my understanding that proposals are not being tabled regarding the size of classes and the composition within. The teachers of BC have consistently brought these issues to your ministry’s attention as the forefront challenge the teaching profession is faced with today. Despite this the government continues to only negotiate one side of the argument, the fiscal side in order to balance the budget!

It is very apparent to me, a layperson who follows these issues in the media that the government is taking steps towards defeating the public education system, pushing our teachers and children into the privatization of education in this province. As a businessman and a 3^rd generation British Columbian this is extremely concerning. I was blessed with a quality education through the public system some years ago, and continue to rely on it as I hire newly graduated engineers and community consultants in my field of work. If we as the people of BC desire to have a strong work fleet to continue to build the economy, we need teachers in the public classrooms investing in our children for the future benefit of our province in generations to come.

I strongly encourage you to look in the mirror and ask yourself what you want the future of BC to look like far beyond your time on this beautiful land. I also encourage you to liaise with Premier Clark and your colleagues and come up with a plan to ethically negotiate with the teachers of BC with the mindset that your negotiation affects us all as a society.

Sincerely,

Jared Wilkison,

Why we need to keep up the fight.

As the teachers strike goes on and talk of food banks for CUPE and BCTF members start coming out I find myself wondering if this is a battle worth fighting. Maybe we just need to go back to work and continue to make do. When I go over my reasons for voting yes in the first place I remember... this is a fight worth fighting.

Here is why I'm on the picket line this week and for as long as it takes.

• I'm fighting for all the children I have taught and that I will teach. They deserve to have the resources, specialist teachers and support they need. 2 and 3 year waiting lists for specialist tests are unacceptable. Students deserve services now! They have waited long enough.
• I'm fighting for myself. In the last 5 years I have had countless conversations with my husband that start with the question "Why do you keep teaching? Find another job. You could do so many other things and work less."  I can't imagine not being a teacher. Teaching is my passion but I'm not sure how much longer I can teach under current conditions. 
• I'm fighting against a corrupt, deceitful government that believes it is above the law. Ripping up contracts, backroom dealings, creating legislature to get their way. This is not how government should be.
• I'm fighting for everyone in BC. Governments should work FOR people.... not against them. Current education policies in BC are working against the poor, special needs students, public education and yes teachers too.
• I'm fighting to restore rights that teachers before me sacrificed for YEARS to bring about. We aren't asking for something new. We are asking that funding be put back into education. 
• I'm fighting for new teachers and future teachers. Over 40% of new teachers leave in the first 5 years of teaching. Working conditions, workload and wages are some of the reasons they leave. 
• I'm fighting for respect. What teacher do MATTERS and the government need to recognize that. We work hard, studied for years and continue to study to be the best teachers we can be. We give hundreds of dollars and thousands of hours every year to our jobs and our students. We deserved to be treated with respect and we deserve to have the supports and services we need to do our job. 

I'm hoping for a fair deal soon but until then I'll see you on the Picket Line.

Note: If you can most locals are setting up food banks for teachers and CUPE members who need some help through this fight drop off a few items for those who need it.