BC teachers elect new president and Executive Committee
March 10, 2010
Susan Lambert, a teacher-librarian from Burnaby, is the new president of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Lambert, who most recently served as first vice-president, replaces Irene Lanzinger who stepped down after three years as president. Susan Lambert and the two vice-presidents were all acclaimed. More…
Follow along with the BCTF Annual General Meeting
March 8, 2010
The BCTF's 94th Annual General Meeting is under way in Vancouver. You can follow along with regular updates on the BCTF's Facebook page. More...
New budget delivers more uncertainty and instability for public education
March 2, 2010
BC Liberals’ latest budget will lead to more instability and uncertainty for BC schools as downloaded costs continue to outpace government funding, BCTF President Irene Lanzinger said today. More...
Throne speech shows government is in denial about BC’s education funding crisis
February 9, 2010
The government’s latest Speech from the Throne shows the BC Liberals are still in denial about the funding crisis hitting schools and classrooms across the province. Parents, teachers, and students wanted to hear a commitment from government that substantial new resources would be invested into BC’s public education system, but the government did not deliver. The Speech from the Throne ignored looming school closures and the thousands of students learning in overcrowded classes. More…
Government continues to break its own class-size legislation
January 29, 2010
Once again, the BC Liberal government is breaking its own legislation and breaking its promise to BC’s students. New numbers from the Ministry of Education show more than 3,200 class-size violations and 12,000 class-composition violations. The government promised to improve classroom conditions four years ago, but refuses to fund the system to get the job done. More...
Minister MacDiarmid in denial about education cuts
As news comes in from around the province about potential teacher layoffs, school closures, and dramatic budget shortfalls, Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid is in denial about her government’s role in these devastating cuts. The BC Teachers’ Federation Executive Committee has unanimously passed a motion condemning the government for putting the blame on school boards for the current underfunding crisis. The BCTF leadership also called on the government to take responsibility and provide the funding needed to protect BC’s outstanding public education system. More...
BC teachers win compensation for class-size violations
January 12, 2010
Arbitrator James Dorsey has compensated BC teachers for violations against the government’s legislated class-size and class-composition standards. The ruling states that the government and school districts cannot ignore the class-size limits set in law or the required support levels for children with special needs. In his decision, Arbitrator Dorsey said teachers should not have to bear the burden of overcrowded classes. More…
New ad campaign encourages parents to withdraw their children from FSAs
January 6, 2010
A new print and radio ad campaign in Asian and South Asian media outlets asks parents in those communities to withdraw their children from the upcoming Foundation Skills Assessment. Teachers in BC do not believe these tests help students succeed. They waste time and resources and are used inappropriately to rank schools, which undermines confidence in public education. More…
Withdraw your child from the FSA
December 9, 2009
Teachers across the province are encouraging parents to withdraw their child from the Foundation Skills Assessment. Teachers believe the FSA is not helpful to teaching or student learning. It wastes valuable time, takes away from other learning opportunities, and is used to unfairly rank schools. Last year, more parents than ever before withdrew their children. Join with parents who have already taken action by talking to your child’s teacher and sending a letter to your child’s principal.
What parents need to know about the FSA
November 26, 2009
The Foundation Skills Assessment is a set of annual provincial tests given to Grade 4 and 7 students. These tests do not count toward your child’s marks nor do the results actively support your child’s learning. BC teachers are asking parents to withdraw their children from these tests because they take valuable time and resources away from the classroom. Also, the narrow results are used to unfairly rank schools. Talk to your child’s teacher to learn more. More…
One test does not fit all
November 12, 2009
The BC Teachers' Federation has produced a new YouTube video to help parents and community members understand our concerns about standardized testing. BC Teachers believe the province needs to put a moratorium on standardized tests and establish a task force with all education partner groups to develop a better system--a system that puts learners first. Watch the video and share it with your networks.
Teachers united with trustees, parents, and school workers against education cuts
October 7, 2009
The elected representatives of British Columbia’s largest education stakeholder groups have sent an unprecedented letter to Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid outlining their growing concerns about recent cuts made to BC’s public education system. Through this letter parents, school workers, teachers, and trustees have come together for the first time to ask the minister to reverse these damaging cuts. More…
Government chooses wasteful "Gag Law" appeal over programs for kids
September 22, 2009
The BC Liberal government has chosen to spend thousands of dollars appealing the BC Supreme Court’s ruling that their "Gag Law" was unconstitutional. At the same time, they have cut funding to literacy programs, support for children with autism, school sports, and Parent Advisory Councils. More…
Cuts to public education will hurt kids and communities
September 16, 2009
With the 2009-10 school year just underway, schools are reeling from another round of significant cuts. From school repairs and school sports to funding for Parent Advisory Councils, the government is cutting key programs in public education. Parents, trustees, and teachers need to work together speak out and fight back against these cuts. More…
Back-to-school budget fails BC kids
September 1, 2009
The latest BC Liberal budget, delivered one week before students head back to school, will not protect public education and will lead to more cuts in our classrooms, BC Teachers’ Federation Vice-President Susan Lambert said today. More...
Arbitration award shows government's class-size legislation has failed
August 24, 2009
A recent arbitration award shows the government’s decision to strip the right to bargain class size and support levels for students with special needs from collective agreements has hurt our public education system. The arbitrator ruled in several cases that school boards violated legislated limits and school principals failed to adequately consult with individual teachers as required by law. More…
Summer Leadership Conference 2009
August 18, 2009
Hundreds of teachers from across the province are meeting in Vancouver from August 24 to August 27 for the BCTF’s annual Summer Leadership Conference. Participants will network and participate in skills development workshops as well as strategic planning sessions for the important school year ahead. More…
Summer reading
July 22, 2009
When the school year comes to an end, many children put away their books for the summer. But BC teachers encourage parents to help their children continue to read daily during the holidays—for the joy of it and to maintain literacy levels. More…
Supreme Court confirms teachers' right to advertise
The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the right of teachers, and other public advocates, to advertise on public transit vehicles. The BCTF had been denied a requested ad in 2004 which highlighted the loss of teachers and school closures. The court found that the advertising policies of BC Transit and Translink were unconstitutional. More...
Parents turn away from the FSA
The results from the 2009 Foundation Skills Assessment, released the week after schools closed for the summer, show more and more parents are pulling their children from the controversial tests, said BC Teachers’ Federation President Irene Lanzinger. More...