Research Roundup

These short articles summarize a range of BCTF research, and can be used to introduce the more in-depth research or as a basis for discussion.

On the topic of Autonomy:

• What is autonomy and why is it important?
• BCPSEA proposes a narrow, managerial approach to education, aiming to reduce both teacher professionalism and autonomy 
• Autonomy: Is paternalism history, or part of the current picture?
• Autonomy, teacher professionalism, and the erosion of trust in public services 
• Why increased accountability can reduce teachers’ autonomy 

On the topic of Education funding:

• K to 12 education funding is in comparative free fall  
• “Net zero” is less than zero  
• Wow—That’s a lot of money!  

On the topic of Professional Development:

• Time for BC to get into the 21st century with funding for professional development 
• Mentoring and induction programs: BCPSEA and the provincial government well behind the 8-ball when compared to Ontario 
• What is wrong with the BCPSEA perspectives of teachers’ professional development, and which directions might be more useful to consider?

On the topic of teacher salaries:

• Canadian teacher salary rankings  
• Research report: Teacher salaries in BC, July 1, 2010  
• Research report: 2011 Canadian teacher salary rankings: Provinces and territories  
• Research report: Teacher salary comparisons—Inter-city differences: 2010-11 and 2011-12  

Other topics:

• BC behind the rest of Canada in classroom conditions 
• Desperately seeking counselling 
• Government interference in collective bargaining: Greater impact on women 
• Inflation protection for some workers—why not teachers? 
• Local bargaining—local solutions to local conditions  
• MLAs get inflation-based raises every year; refuse those raises to teachers and others 
• More teacher-librarians means higher reading scores 
• "Net zero" is not for everyone 
• Who’s had a big pay increase? The architect of “Net zero” 
• Worklife of BC teachers in 2009 chapter vignettes