On behalf of the Kootenay Columbia Teachers Union and its members, I would like to thank the Board for inviting us to make a presentation with respect to our organization’s priorities for education, achievement and the 2011-2012 budget.

“Dignity & Respect”

The theme of our presentation is “Dignity and Respect” and why we believe that this should become the central theme of, and the education, achievement and budget priority for our district.

KCTU Resolution

On January 5th, 2011, the Kootenay Columbia Teachers’ Union, Executive Committee unanimously passed the following motion at its meeting:

"That every person part of the School District #20 Education Community be treated with dignity and respect and that the Board of Education provides us with the programs and resources to assist us in ensuring that this can occur.”

This motion was made as a direct result of the Board’s current initiatives to advance policies ensuring that students in our district are treated in this manner and we believe that this should be the priority for all of us, including, teachers, parents, students, support staff, administrators, board office staff and Board Members.

The manner in which we treat each other directly impacts every aspect of district operations, education and achievement and needs to become our top priority in our District Achievement Contract.

We are not advocating for the abatement of the excellent work that we are currently doing with respect to education and achievement. This needs to continue unabated. But we need to recognize that we also need to concurrently allocate the resources to improving the “Culture and Climate” in our district at many levels.

The Board has not met its contractual obligations with respect to providing mandatory training, particularly in the areas of sexual and other harassment awareness and prevention.

We need to ensure that all education stakeholders have proactive awareness training in these and other areas to minimize the likelihood of complaints with respect to use of inappropriate language, physical contact, boundaries issues, and harassment.

We believe that district support staff and administration echo our concerns and priorities in this area.

PDF # 1112-49 “Establishing and Maintaining a Respectful Workplace and School District Community”**

We have submitted a Project Description Form with respect to “Establishing and Maintaining a Respectful Workplace and School District Community”, which can provide programs, resources and training to support all education stakeholders in mastering new areas of knowledge and skills in the establishment of and maintenance of respectful workplace and school district environments.

We have provided the Board with a comprehensive proposal with respect to this initiative.

The purpose of this training would be to create change and action in “re-culturing” our district, not just providing knowledge.

Research consistently shows that the number one priority for employees, as identified through workplace surveys across Canada, is respect in the workplace.

A respectful workplace is a major component of a positive organizational culture and therefore, of a healthy workplace.

It is one that supports the physical, psychological and social well-being of all employees.

It is a place where everyone is valued; communication is polite and courteous; people are treated with respect; conflict is addressed in a positive and respectful manner; and disrespectful behaviour, harassment and bullying, are addressed.

All members of the School District #20 education community have a mutual interest and shared responsibilities in connection with securing and maintaining a respectful workplace.

As such, we should be committed to establishing and maintaining working environments and workplace interactions consistent with the following:

Harassment-Free Environment

During the last decade, harassment has become a subject of increasing concern for large and small employers alike, as well as for all levels of employees, the media and the public.

Harassment and discrimination in any workplace is detrimental to the working environment because it undermines productivity, work relationships, morale and teamwork.

Harassers can be anyone in the education workplace: teachers, administrators, support staff, students, parents, visitors and/or school trustees.

As stated earlier, the Board is contractually obligated to providing training in this area and is not fulfilling this obligation.

Bullying Cessation and Prevention

Research suggests that bullying is four times more prevalent in the workplace than instances of racial and sexual harassment combined.

Studies also suggest that bullying which continues unchecked, damages the general morale of any workplace, creates serious psychological impacts, and erodes an organization’s financial health through lost efficiencies, absenteeism, and high employee turnover, and ultimately its public reputation.

We need to stamp out bullying by anyone in our school system!

Conflict Management & Resolution

We have all learned how to fight and how to give in, how to run away and how to stand up for what we believe in, how to hide what we think and how to say what we really mean, how to resist change and how to embrace it.

Each of us has learned destructive and creative ways of responding to conflict.

To move from the destructive to the creative, from impasse to movement, we need to draw from within ourselves what we already know, learn from our conflicts, reinforce the positive knowledge and skills we already possess and reduce our tendency to slip into negative or destructive responses.

We all need to learn how to manage conflict successfully and resolve problems collaboratively.

Managing Anger

Anger is a natural, adaptive response to threats. It inspires powerful, often aggressive, feelings and behaviours, which allow us to fight and to defend ourselves when we are attacked.

A certain amount of anger, therefore, is necessary to our survival.

On the other hand, we can’t physically lash out at every person or object that irritates or annoys us. Laws, social norms, and common sense place limits on how far our anger can take us.

Remaining calm, professional, and empathetic when dealing with angry colleagues, students or family members is difficult for any of us, but there are skills that can be used to help us manage our own anger, express our frustration and anger effectively, as well as defuse anger in others and re-establish effective dialogue.

We all need to learn the techniques and approaches for effectively managing defensive, angry feelings and behaviours, including self-management strategies, as well as strategies to defuse, assert, set limits and disengage.

Mediating Conflicts

Anyone working with children can appreciate that having the skills to mediate conflicts is critical to building healthy relationships.

Communicating With Confidence

Effective communication involves the messages we send as well as the messages we receive. We need to learn how to reframe how we express ourselves and hear others.

Instead of being habitual, automatic reactions, such as defending, withdrawing or attacking in the face of judgment and criticism, our words will become conscious responses based firmly on an awareness of what we are perceiving, feeling and wanting.

We need to learn how to express ourselves with honesty and clarity while simultaneously paying others respectful and empathic attention.

Confronting Unmet Expectations

Behind problems that we typically face, are often confrontations that people aren’t holding, or aren’t holding well.

Others in our lives have broken rules, missed deadlines, failed to live up to commitments, or just plain behaved badly--and nobody steps up to the issue. Or they do, but do a poor job of it and create a whole new set of problems.

Accountability suffers and new problems spring up. New research demonstrates that these disappointments aren't just irritating; they're costly-- sapping organizational performance by twenty to fifty percent!

Just imagine the impact in the education system!

Confrontations don’t have to be uncomfortable, awkward, or explosive; rather, when handled effectively, confrontations can strengthen relationships and improve vital organizational outcomes such as quality, productivity and morale.

Dealing With Difficult People and/or Students

No one enjoys dealing with difficult people, yet it is an everyday part of life in education systems.

The stress of handling difficult students and other difficult situations can create a lack of productivity, poor attitude, and reluctance to come to work or school.

We need to learn to recognize toxic individuals, become familiar with the subtle and not so subtle tactics they use, and learn how to skill-fully disarm disagreeable people so our personal and professional relationships are less stressful and more enjoyable.

Stress in the Workplace: Healthy Lives

Stress in our lives is in epidemic proportion today, surpassing the common cold as the main reason for short-term absences at work.

The impact of stress, as well as the cost of stress to business and our health-care system, is overwhelming.

Some estimate that stress and mental health problems cost Canada $55 billion annually!

Employees who have been trained to identify and manage their stress are more focused, creative, and productive at work.

We need to examine the impact stress has on our performance, health, behaviour and attitude and to discover how to alter, eliminate or cope with it.

Summary

Some of you may be wondering why teachers would be requesting the above. You may be thinking: Don’t they know how to do this already? Isn’t it part of their teacher education training? Shouldn’t they be the experts in this area? The answer is that some teachers have more training than others and some teachers have more expertise in this area than others but all teachers and everyone in the School District #20 education community could benefit from intensive training in the areas I have outlined!

We are respectfully requesting the Board to consider establishing this as a top priority in its budget deliberations.

Employee Wellness

“Employee Wellness” is a top priority for the KCTU and its members and fits within the “Dignity and Respect” theme of this presentation.

We have one the oldest teaching complements in the province, with an average age of 53 for our contract teachers.

Many of our teachers could benefit from Board implementation of an “Employee Wellness” policy and provision of diverse programs that will ensure that they are treated with “Dignity and Respect” in addressing their physical and mental health issues. This can have a direct positive impact on education, achievement and the district budget by promoting the health and well-being of all employees and by a reduction in sick leave costs.

PDF #1112-52 “BCTF Living with Balance Program”

We have submitted a Project Description Form with respect to the BCTF “Living with Balance” program which is currently being implemented in districts all across the province and which has been developed to promote the importance of the recognition of workplace mental health and well-being. Please note the following when considering this project:

1 in 5 of us will have a mental health problem in our lifetime;
Most of us will have episodes between the ages of 18 and 65;
2 out of 3 of us will not seek help;
Early identification = reduced disability time.

We are respectfully requesting the Board’s consideration of supporting the “Living with Balance” program as a high priority.

Class Size and Composition & Pupil-Teacher Ratios

We cannot over-emphasize the importance of the organization of our classes to ensure appropriate teaching and learning environments for teachers and students.

We are engaged in a perpetual debate over this issue with every Board in the province.

Pushing the limits on class sizes and composition results in increased stress levels for teachers and a reduction in the amount of individual, face-to-face, support time students can have with their teachers.

It is respectfully suggested, that the Board should be striving to be a leader in the province on reducing class sizes and the number of identified students in each class rather than relying on arbitrary limits. This would engender an incalculable level of respect for all of us.

Last year the Board increased the Pupil-Teacher Ratio at all secondary schools.

We are respectfully requesting an analysis with respect to the impact of this on education and achievement at the secondary level, if any, and a report on the number of elective classes that have been cancelled as a result of this increase. This information should be provided to the District Budget Review Committee for its review and possible recommendation to revert to last year’s Pupil-Teacher Ratio at the secondary level.

Teacher/Board Education Resources Committee

On January 11th, 2011 we sent an email to the Board requesting an explanation as to why there was no mention of, or Board appointments made at the January 10th Board Meeting to the “Teacher/Board Education Resources Committee” constituted by our collective agreement.

The terms of reference of this committee contemplate addressing and providing a bi-monthly forum for a dignified and respectful consideration of a wide spectrum of issues and policies currently being addressed by the Board, such as, education programs and services; draft policies and proposals; and, provision of facilities; and making recommendations to the Board with respect to the same.

We are respectfully requesting the Board’s immediate re-constitution of this committee to enable us to jointly address the sensitive issues impacting our district.

Teacher-Librarians

BC Teacher-Librarians have engaged in cutting-edge innovations for years.

The Board has heard multiple presentations from our Teacher-Librarians over the last two years and we trust that you will not be considering impacting this valuable 21st Century Learning resource.

Collectively, our Teacher-Librarians have honoured the assurances that were given to the Board with respect to their being leaders at their sites in advancing 21st Century Learning initiatives.

“Local Bargaining” = “Local Issues + Local Solutions”

We strongly believe that local Boards of Education should be afforded the dignity and respect of being re-empowered to bargain local issues and address these with local solutions.

We are encouraging the Board to enter into a comprehensive dialogue with us with the ultimate goal of submitting a joint brief to the Ministry of Education and its bargaining agent, the British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association, supporting a realignment of the current limited split of issues that we are permitted to address and a return to meaningful local bargaining.

Health, Safety and Maintenance Issues

The Board is responsible for ensuring that every person working at, attending or visiting district facilities can be assured that there are no outstanding Health, Safety or Maintenance issues at those facilities. To do anything less would be disrespectful.

It is a KCTU priority that all district facilities be “healthy”, “safe” and “well-maintained”, regardless if they are one or fifty year’s old. Anything less than this can result in a teaching and learning environment that is unacceptable and can directly impact education and achievement.

We have submitted three Project Description Forms addressing our concerns in this area.

PDF #1112-51

“Health and Safety Committee Inspections During Site Operating Hours”

It is impossible to assess the level of health and safety issues at any site unless there are Health and Safety Committee inspections during site operating hours.
The current practice, at most sites, is for these inspections to occur during non-operating times due to the potential cost of releasing staff to complete inspections during the day.
In our opinion, this is an untenable practice and needs to be changed.
We are respectfully requesting the Board to provide the budgetary resources to ensure that inspections can occur during operating times.
We have provided the Secretary-Treasurer with a formula as to how this can be implemented.

PDF #1112-60

“External Site Safety & Maintenance Audit”

We are concerned about the back-log of outstanding work-order and maintenance deficiencies that currently exist in our district.
We are concerned about the impact of these on our health, safety, education and achievement and the lack of dignity and respect for all of us by the continued ignorance of these issues.
We are respectfully requesting provision of funding for an external audit of outstanding site safety and maintenance issues at each district site and operation to determine:

if the current level of maintenance staffing and service provision is adequate; and,
if the current level of same is negatively impacting employee health and safety and student achievement.

PDF #1112-50

“Provision of, Stationary, Lunch-hour Clerical Staffing at all District Sites”

Many district sites are currently utilizing students to staff clerical stations during lunch-hour.
The students are not trained in lock-down or emergency procedures, legal alerts, etc.
This has been brought before the Board previously and was not supported because of assurances that administrators would ensure coverage at lunch-time.
Administrators are pre-occupied at this time with a plethora of responsibilities. It is one of the busiest times of the day for them.
The safety of everyone at each of our district sites should not be left in the hands of children.
We are respectfully requesting the Board to address this this untenable situation as soon as possible.

School-Based Teams

We are strongly in support of enhancing the role of School-Based Teams at every site and ensuring that adequate release time is provided for all staff to ensure early detection and assessment of struggling students.

The Director of Student Support Services has provided us with a “Continuum of Services and Programs” process and forms that needs to be more utilized by all of us to ensure that any students struggling with academics or behaviour can be referred to the School-Based Team as soon as possible.

Utilization of the “Continuum” process can help all of us address the needs of “gray area” and “exceptional” students and can turn on the “resource pipeline” at a much earlier date.

Conclusion

Again, we thank you for inviting us to make a presentation with respect to our member`s priorities for education, achievement and the 2011-2012 budget and we look forward to your anticipated consideration of our requests.

Respectfully presented,

Andrew M. Davidoff, President
Kootenay Columbia Teachers Union

**We wish to acknowledge the support of Stacey Holloway in providing us with guidance and materials in preparing this section of our presentation.