Trustees are very concerned about this development.  We are unsure if we will have a meaningful voice at the bargaining table.  We are not sure what an “advisory role” really means.   A joint letter from SD53, Board of Education and SOSTU was sent to the Minister of Education in the beginning of July expressing our concerns.

Chair Marieze Tarr, School District #53 (right)

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Rob Zandee, Trustee

As a Trustee from Oliver and our local board’s BCPSEA representative, I have to say that I was shocked and disappointed at the actions of the BC Government yesterday.   BCPSEA is, by legislation, the recognized bargaining arm of School Boards in the Province.  The BCPSEA Board of Directors, whom are all Trustees, work very diligently with the 60 School Boards across the Province to direct the bargaining mandate of negotiations under the overarching financial mandate set out by the government.  The removal of the BCPSEA Board is the first step, in my opinion and is pure speculation, of the removal of BCPSEA as the bargaining agent of School boards, and could very well be the first step in the removal of School boards across the Province, moving towards the health model we see in the Province.  Whilst this may or may not be a bad thing, what is clear is that in the short term the government has decided to negotiate a contract that local school boards may or may not be able to work under, without any input from School Boards….co-governance of the system indeed.  The defacto effect of Government negotiating directly with the BCTF and CUPE is that they are now the Employer, not local Boards, regardless of what is said.

I also find it very interesting that this was done after the house adjourned.  To be fair, I think that action may have happened should another elected party have formed government as well.

The actions that the government took yesterday are certainly within their scope, however I believe that it behooves the Minister to tell the people of the province what the actual plan is.

Should my suppositions become correct, there are many schools in this area that should be very worried about their continued existence due to cost pressures placed on them by many factors.  Currently, local trustees are their best  advocates.

As the elected voices of Parents and the larger Community, Trustees are very worried about these actions.

As a parent, I realize that the board has just lost a good deal of its suasion on the system, however change may not be all bad.  In the past, there has been a lot of ink spilled on a “broken system”.  Is this the way to fix it?  I am not sure, however I do believe that parents and the people of the Province are entitled to know what the plan actually is…perhaps there should be an open debate on this matter.

Should any readers have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact me at rzandee@sd53.bc.ca.