Editor:
Over the past few months I have read numerous letters and articles about the teachers and government. Despite what the government says, teachers are willing to settle for eight per cent over five years, which is well within the guidelines of other provincial settlements. The contentious point of this ongoing dispute is not salary but classroom composition. Class composition is the priority of every concerned classroom teacher.
If a teacher has a class with a number of students who need specialized help because they cannot speak English, have autism, behavioral or emotional issues, or because of other myriad difficulties, then the teacher wants to ensure these students receive the help they need.
This help may require specialized classroom assistance (learning assistant teacher, counsellor, education assistant), specialized programs, IEPs (individual education plans) and so forth.
As teachers, we have a professional obligation to provide, at the minimum, adequate attention to students with special needs. The days of dumping these students in the back of the classroom and hoping they will manage on their own are over, period.
At one time teachers could negotiate with their employer as to the best way to deal with these classroom situations. Unfortunately, the government passed a law (when Christy Clark was minister of education) that removed this procedure from the bargaining process (this is what the Supreme Court referred to as "unconstitutional legislation"). Teachers deal on a daily basis with these classroom situations, are the most knowledgeable about these issues but the government in essence has chosen to ignore teachers' concerns on these crucial matters.
Teachers want to have a say on classroom composition, we are very familiar with classroom situations.
This is our vocation and we are determined to do the best for all our students, especially the ones that need a bit more help, a bit more support, a bit more attention.
We don't know what the final outcome of this struggle is going to be. On a financial level, teachers will never recoup losses as a result of this work stoppage. We know that.
We have mortgages, debts, everyday expenses and we certainly feel the pinch. However, what is at stake is something more important than money.
We owe it to our students as parents, as teachers, as a society to do something better. We are prepared to accept duress in the short term in order to improve the lot of our students for the long term.
We are hopeful that government will recognize and value our point of view in the near future. And we are very grateful for the support of parents and the community in this matter.
Marisa Graham
