Sea to Sky public-school teachers marched from the Squamish Adventure Centre to the District 48 offices on Monday (June 16). They then walked the picket lines in front of local schools on Tuesday (June 17).
One thing they didn’t do is teach classes during the next-to-last scheduled week of school for the 2013-’14 year.
As the B.C. government and B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) headed back to the bargaining table on Tuesday afternoon, most parents faced up to the reality that youngsters are likely to have their summer holidays extended by two weeks.
About 150 teachers from Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton carried signs and walked with a few dozen supporters across Highway 99 and along Cleveland Avenue on Monday between 2 and 3 p.m. Carl Walker, the Sea to Sky Teachers’ Association president, made a few comments about teachers exercising their democratic rights before a bagpiper led the march toward downtown.
“Teachers don’t take job action lightly, but after more than a decade of cuts, we are on strike for a fair deal that provides much-needed support for our students,” Walker said in a statement announcing the rally.
In the Sea to Sky District, teacher-librarian time has been cut by 40 per cent over the past 12 years, English as a Second Language programs by 50 per cent and special education supports by 20 per cent, teachers said.
While school was not in session as of Wednesday (June 18), scheduled exams for Grade 10 to 12 students and final marks for Grade 12s will be completed, as per a B.C. Labour Relations Board ruling that they qualify as essential services.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender said the government’s application to the board aimed to ensure that students’ educational goals aren’t adversely affected by the dispute.
“Our main focus… is to get to an agreement by June 30, 2014, and put this disruption behind us,” Fassbender said.
In a statement sent home to parents, Sea to Sky School District superintendent Lisa McCullough said the district was consulting with the Sea to Sky Teachers’ Association (SSTA) regarding the number of teachers who will be required to administer provincial exams between now and next Tuesday (June 24). She said students are encouraged to continue preparations for those exams.
While students were encouraged to return school materials and take personal effects home on Friday (June 13), Grade 10, 11 and 12 students writing provincial exams were being allowed to keep textbooks until the exam is completed.
Ministry of Education officials said Grade 12 students can expect to have final exams marked in July. Final transcripts and report cards should be received by the end of July “as per normal practice and schedule.”
School administrators are expected to mark Grade 10 and 11 provincial exams, but students in those grades should not expect to receive the usual year-end report card as they are not deemed an essential service, officials said.
“School districts will determine how to best convey relevant information about students’ progress, available class marks, and provincial exam results,” the ministry said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The dispute is not expected to affect 2014 graduation ceremonies planned on Friday (June 20) at Howe Sound Secondary School.
