B.C. teachers' strike: latest offer blasted by union members

And the kids suffer, yet again.

Yep, they certainly do.

I hope parents are taking the opportunity to teach their kids at home and not just letting them loaf around all day.

We have to work to pay the teachers salaries.

Part of the email from the School District Superintendent here (who has done a fantastic job and I really appreciate his efforts...)


Fuck you, teachers, fuck you.

But they really care about the kids.

The govt and union are not far apart at all on wages - they could bring in a mediator for that.

But the gov won't budge on class size and composition. Some classes have 7 special needs kids in them - how do the regular kids learn in that environment, or do the special needs kids just get ignored. The paper talked about twin girls with autism who were mute an incontinent. What are kids like that doing in a regular classroom? It's not fair to the regular kids nor to the special needs ones. This is what the teachers are fighting, but govt won't give. Time to go back to separate classes.

How did the kids learn around you?

I'd prefer if they brought in a mediator with a club and the mandate to use it to get a settlement.

But strange because I thought the teachers were fighting for more teachers in the "classroom" to help teach these special needs kids not to have these special needs kids moved back to separate classrooms by themselves where they used to be.

But I can't help but think some of the teachers position is because there are 70,000 people with teaching degrees in BC and only 30,000 jobs, plus they're apparently pumping out 1800 more of them a year so, they're really fighting for their Union Brothers and Sisters jobs and not as much for the kids as they'd have us believe.

No, my suggestion is pure heresy. But if they're not going to go back to that system, then they either need smaller classes or more assistants in the same class. I just pity today's kids that have to try to learn in today's classroom - must be bedlam in there. Christ it was hard enough to pay attention when you could get a glimpse of sideboob from the girl sitting next to you.

Most teachers aren't trained to deal with special ed students, as it's a specialized degree. Inclusive classrooms sound nice on paper, inclusiveness and everything, but the reality is they really don't work very well. Teachers spend an inordinate time dealing with behavioral issues and academics suffer. It's hard enough teaching a regular class of Highs and Lows.

Wages do need to see an increase, but only at the rate of inflation. Our union members just turned down the second offer made by the government this year. The most recent being a 7.3% increase over 4 years with $700 signing bonus. However, 2/3 of the membership rejected it because of the changes to the school year. Personally, I voted to accept it, as I voted to accept the previous offer.

Funny those who claim they have to work to pay the teachers salaries. These are the same mouth breathers who scream,'I pay your wages' at cops when they're having their little tantrums. Little do they understand that most teachers pay more in taxes than they earn. Next time they are utilizing anything built with public funds, they should keep in mind teachers, police and other public servants paid a bigger share than they did.

Are you talking about low income people vs teachers?

Your math doesn't add up - teachers pay their taxes with tax money they earned in the first place. In effect they pay no tax, just return some of the tax money they are paid when they pay "taxes".

But yes, the inclusiveness should stop. Problem is, every time the subject is raises, the screaming begins, and the parents with special needs kids are the much squeakier wheel.

Sounds like what your teachers rejected, our teachers were bargaining for but rejected by govt. Our govt has been shown in court to be purposely acting to provoke strikes.

I think teachers should be very well paid, it's a vital job in a well functioning society. However they should also have excellent training and very stiff evaluations as to their effectiveness. Not just in teaching academics, but in how they support and mentor students and model positive behaviors. Judging by my own experience, many teachers are mediocre at best in this regard.

The above average kids get to be "assistants". They don't get extra work to keep them occupied, they get to teach below average kids. Because you know, every kid wants and needs that.