British Columbia Teachers Federation

British Columbia Teachers Federation

Fairness starts with sufficient funding BC s teachers are negotiating with government for solutions to meet the needs of both the professionals and the students in our classrooms. But those solutions remain out of reach because of chronic underfunding. Among all provinces, BC is last on seven key measures of education spending. That means BC kids are being short-changed. British Columbians expect better and that s why we re asking government to put more resources into classrooms. Even the Select Standing Committee on Finance, including BC Liberal MLAs, recommended that enough funding be provided to schools to meet rising costs and capital needs while ensuring strong educational outcomes for BC students. 2 A fair deal for teachers, better support for kids

The real costs of education are being downloaded BC has one of the finest public education systems in the world, but high quality comes at a cost. More and more, the real costs are being downloaded onto communities and families. Just this year, the BC government chose to raise BC Hydro rates by 25%. Without extra funding, school boards will be forced to make deep cuts to staff and programs. For example, in Surrey alone, the school board estimates its costs will rise more than $950,000 annually by the 2016 17 school year. 3

BC students are being short-changed Every year BC provides $1,000 less per child than the national average to fund our education system. Only PEI is doing worse than BC. That means students in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and all the other provinces are getting more than our kids here. BC s record of underfunding translates into real issues for our students, classrooms, and schools. BC has the worst student-educator ratio in Canada Here in BC we have fewer teachers working with more students than in any other province. And it s no wonder. Since 2002, BC cut more than 3,500 teaching positions, including 1,500 specialists teacher-librarians, counsellors, Aboriginal education, English language and special education experts. To bring our staffing up to the national average, BC would have to hire 6,600 more teachers today. That would mean, on average, four more teachers in every school, which in turn would mean smaller classes and more one-onone time for every student. 4 A fair deal for teachers, better support for kids

Students needs are becoming more complex Even as the number of teachers has been cut, the number of students with special needs has increased dramatically. The latest data from the Ministry of Education shows classcomposition issues are at an all-time high. Today there are more than 16,000 classes with four or more students with special needs. There are more than 3,800 classes with seven or more. Teachers strongly support inclusive schools, but we need more staff, services, and resources to make them successful. The provincial government needs to restore specialist teaching positions so all students, no matter their needs, can get the one-on-one support they deserve and their parents expect. 6 A fair deal for teachers, better support for kids

Class Composition 18,000 16,000 Number of classes with four or more students entitled to an Individual Education Plan (IEP) 14,885 16,163 14,000 12,000 10,000 9,559 10,313 10,985 11,959 12,240 12,651 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 2006 07 2007 08 2008 09 2009 10 2010 11 2011 12 2012 13 2013 14 BCTF Research chart, with figures from BC Ministry of Education (2006 07 to 2013 14 reports). Overview of Class Size and Composition in British Columbia Public Schools, p. 3; accessible from the ministry data reporting page, http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/province.php. Note: The 2006 07 report is not available online. Contact BCTF Research for a PDF version of the report. 7

BC teachers salaries are falling behind BC teachers are among the most highly trained in the world. We bear a lot of responsibility, and care deeply about our students. But like many of you, it s getting harder to make ends meet as the cost of living keeps going up. BC teachers work hard but our salaries have fallen as much as $20,000 behind those of teachers in other provinces. That s why we are asking government for a reasonable increase after years of zeros and significantly increased workload. We re also aiming to address the needs of new teachers starting their careers. Many are living below the poverty line and are carrying historically high student debt loads in a province with a high cost of living. 8 A fair deal for teachers, better support for kids

Collective bargaining is a right for all In 2011, the BC Supreme Court ruled that the provincial government violated the Constitution when it stripped the teachers collective agreement, cutting class-size limits and removing guarantees of support from specialist teachers like counsellors, teacher-librarians, and special education teachers. Almost three years later, Victoria still has not dealt with the repercussions of the ruling. It s long past time for government to do the right thing and negotiate with teachers in good faith to reach a fair settlement. 10 A fair deal for teachers, better support for kids

What we re negotiating for: Class composition that allows more help for all students, especially those with special needs Smaller classes, so all students can get the individual attention they deserve Time to prepare lessons that engage diverse learning styles A reasonable wage increase that respects teachers skills and responsibilities. 11

Teachers are negotiating for a fair deal for themselves, and better support for all BC school kids. To learn more, please talk to your children s teachers and visit: afairdeal.ca BC TEACHERS FEDERATION 100-550 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4P2 604-871-2283 or 1-800-663-9163 bctf.ca CCD14-0014