Nothing pithy, nothing to quote later on.
My time is up, its over, I'm done.
Thanks for the memories.
A new blogger begins Thursday.... maybe.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Post and fill...
Post and Fill rumbles along.
Certainly it would be good to address some serious issues at the local bargaining table next year - I hope you get involved.
Don't forget on your cover letter for any and all postings that you pay attention to the words on the posting: "When applying for positions it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide details of their qualifications for the position." (we hope to have reached an agreement to have "in their covering letter" added to the end of this statement.
Members, you are but one of about 420 teachers employed in SD5 - you actually mean nothing to the folks in HR - your application is but one of many they'll be receiving for that posting. They do NOT know who you are or what your experience or qualifications are for the posting - so tell them explicitly how you are qualified and exactly what your experience is - as it related to the position applied for.
Simply stating that you have taught something somewhere does not count as 'details' - it is nothing but a statement. Details includes the school, the year, the grades..... Remember that that Professor in some university course who told you how to write a covering letter? Well, he/she has never actually applied for a job in SD5, and so they did not give you the correct information!.
Or, to put it another way, never be implicit, always be explicit.
Let me rephrase my thoughts... do you want the job? then sell yourself in that cover letter buy thoroughly providing tons and tons of details about your course work, and your experience as it relates to the position applied for - IN YOUR COVERING LETTER.
The next round of postings should be out July 5th.....
Certainly it would be good to address some serious issues at the local bargaining table next year - I hope you get involved.
Don't forget on your cover letter for any and all postings that you pay attention to the words on the posting: "When applying for positions it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide details of their qualifications for the position." (we hope to have reached an agreement to have "in their covering letter" added to the end of this statement.
Members, you are but one of about 420 teachers employed in SD5 - you actually mean nothing to the folks in HR - your application is but one of many they'll be receiving for that posting. They do NOT know who you are or what your experience or qualifications are for the posting - so tell them explicitly how you are qualified and exactly what your experience is - as it related to the position applied for.
Simply stating that you have taught something somewhere does not count as 'details' - it is nothing but a statement. Details includes the school, the year, the grades..... Remember that that Professor in some university course who told you how to write a covering letter? Well, he/she has never actually applied for a job in SD5, and so they did not give you the correct information!.
Or, to put it another way, never be implicit, always be explicit.
Let me rephrase my thoughts... do you want the job? then sell yourself in that cover letter buy thoroughly providing tons and tons of details about your course work, and your experience as it relates to the position applied for - IN YOUR COVERING LETTER.
The next round of postings should be out July 5th.....
Thursday, June 24, 2010
All-Day Kindergarten
Education minister responds, The Province, Wed Jun 23 2010. Margaret MacDiarmid
In response to Jon Ferry's column, independent, academic research in North America and Europe shows that a high-quality, play-based kindergarten program has long-term benefits: it helps children to succeed in school and in life. Full-day learning is associated with improved literacy and numeracy, smoother transitions to Grade 1 and opportunities to develop strong social skills.
The likelihood that learning difficulties will be identified earlier and acted upon is increased. And investment in the early years is anticipated to result in reduced costs for special education and remediation going forward.
Expanding choices for parents also can be positive for the workforce, while increased opportunities for early childhood education can result in significant savings in other social program areas.
Full-day kindergarten will be available for up to 50 per cent of all children in B.C. starting in September. And everyone will have the opportunity for full-day kindergarten provincewide in 2011.
Enrolling children in kindergarten at age five is optional and this won't change. Given that every child is unique, parents who have concerns are encouraged to discuss their child's needs with their local school. Full-day kindergarten is designed to be developmentally appropriate and provide a balance of active and quiet time. We believe most parents will be pleased with how well their children adjust to a full-day, play-based kindergarten program.
Margaret MacDiarmid, B.C. minister of education
In response to Jon Ferry's column, independent, academic research in North America and Europe shows that a high-quality, play-based kindergarten program has long-term benefits: it helps children to succeed in school and in life. Full-day learning is associated with improved literacy and numeracy, smoother transitions to Grade 1 and opportunities to develop strong social skills.
The likelihood that learning difficulties will be identified earlier and acted upon is increased. And investment in the early years is anticipated to result in reduced costs for special education and remediation going forward.
Expanding choices for parents also can be positive for the workforce, while increased opportunities for early childhood education can result in significant savings in other social program areas.
Full-day kindergarten will be available for up to 50 per cent of all children in B.C. starting in September. And everyone will have the opportunity for full-day kindergarten provincewide in 2011.
Enrolling children in kindergarten at age five is optional and this won't change. Given that every child is unique, parents who have concerns are encouraged to discuss their child's needs with their local school. Full-day kindergarten is designed to be developmentally appropriate and provide a balance of active and quiet time. We believe most parents will be pleased with how well their children adjust to a full-day, play-based kindergarten program.
Margaret MacDiarmid, B.C. minister of education
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Education seems destined for change
(Surrey Now, Tue Jun 22 2010, Keith Baldrey "In The House"
Are big changes to our public education system just around the corner?
Speculation is growing in the wake of the B.C. Liberal government's fight with the Vancouver school board that something new is coming.
Certainly, the B.C. Liberals have spent years talking about the need for change in the K-12 system. Pretty well every throne speech contains language suggesting significant change is on the way.
But aside from the introduction of full-day kindergarten, nothing particularly revolutionary has occurred in the education system. The Liberals made a big fuss unveiling such things as the "learning roundtable" and "teachers' congress" but they don't seem to have had much lasting impact on things. And now a new slogan - "21st century learning" - will soon be introduced, and I wonder whether some serious alterations to the education system will accompany it.
For possible clues on what may be coming, I dusted off this year's throne speech and re-read the section on public education. Certainly, the language in that speech does suggest something is in the works.
"Government will take steps to renew and revitalize education," the speech stated, adding that a "new emphasis will be placed on parental involvement."
The speech also stated that "new forms of schools will be developed to provide greater choice and diversity."
I suppose these promises can be read as so much empty government rhetoric. On the other hand, given the evident frustration over the conduct of the Vancouver school board the language can also be seen as suggesting provocative change.
Part of the backdrop here is the often testy relationship between the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the B.C. Liberal government. Gordon Campbell is married to a long-time former school principal, and anyone who knows a school principal knows the frustrations many of them feel when it comes to dealing with teachers (in terms of the rigid control the BCTF exerts over the workplace).
So he's had years to become familiar on that front. Another important factor to consider here is the recent report by the province's comptroller-general on the Vancouver school board's financial situation.
Political opponents of the government (most notably Vancouver school trustees themselves) have dismissed the report as a meaningless exercise that revealed nothing new. But those who view that report only as it pertains to school trustees may be missing the larger picture.
Comptroller-general Cheryl Wenezenki-Yolland portrays the Vancouver school board as operating within a governance model that is largely controlled by the employees who work for it (i.e. teachers and CUPE support staff workers). As a result, flexibility and the ability to change policies are greatly hampered.
While there has been a lot of attention paid to the war of words between Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid and VSB chair Patti Bacchus, a key phrase from the minister has been overlooked.
She has talked about the need for a new "governance model" and how she will develop one soon. A new model is going to have a more profound impact on our system than closing a few schools or squabbling over a school board's budget.
So what, exactly, is the B.C. Liberal government up to?
Is it about to do an end run around the BCTF and CUPE by setting up these "new forms of schools" with direct parental involvement? Is it about to take the first steps toward creating a new parallel education system?
One clue may be what's going on in England, where the new coalition government is embarking on a massive restructuring of the country's education system. There, the Swedish model of so-called "free schools" (where parents and organizations set up their own school with government money) is being implemented.
Will we see "free schools" set up on a trial basis in a few school districts? It can be argued that the B.C. Liberals, given their very low standing in the polls, do not have the political credibility or muscle to carry out big changes on any front.
But they wouldn't be the first government to go down swinging over an issue it considers important enough.
Oh, and have I mentioned the BCTF will soon enter negotiations for a new contract? The teachers' union has said it won't accept a wage freeze like other public sector unions, so a fight is brewing on that front as well.
Perhaps that's the one thing - a contract battle with teachers -- that won't change in education. But it sure seems likely that "21st century learning" means other changes are on the way.
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC.
Are big changes to our public education system just around the corner?
Speculation is growing in the wake of the B.C. Liberal government's fight with the Vancouver school board that something new is coming.
Certainly, the B.C. Liberals have spent years talking about the need for change in the K-12 system. Pretty well every throne speech contains language suggesting significant change is on the way.
But aside from the introduction of full-day kindergarten, nothing particularly revolutionary has occurred in the education system. The Liberals made a big fuss unveiling such things as the "learning roundtable" and "teachers' congress" but they don't seem to have had much lasting impact on things. And now a new slogan - "21st century learning" - will soon be introduced, and I wonder whether some serious alterations to the education system will accompany it.
For possible clues on what may be coming, I dusted off this year's throne speech and re-read the section on public education. Certainly, the language in that speech does suggest something is in the works.
"Government will take steps to renew and revitalize education," the speech stated, adding that a "new emphasis will be placed on parental involvement."
The speech also stated that "new forms of schools will be developed to provide greater choice and diversity."
I suppose these promises can be read as so much empty government rhetoric. On the other hand, given the evident frustration over the conduct of the Vancouver school board the language can also be seen as suggesting provocative change.
Part of the backdrop here is the often testy relationship between the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the B.C. Liberal government. Gordon Campbell is married to a long-time former school principal, and anyone who knows a school principal knows the frustrations many of them feel when it comes to dealing with teachers (in terms of the rigid control the BCTF exerts over the workplace).
So he's had years to become familiar on that front. Another important factor to consider here is the recent report by the province's comptroller-general on the Vancouver school board's financial situation.
Political opponents of the government (most notably Vancouver school trustees themselves) have dismissed the report as a meaningless exercise that revealed nothing new. But those who view that report only as it pertains to school trustees may be missing the larger picture.
Comptroller-general Cheryl Wenezenki-Yolland portrays the Vancouver school board as operating within a governance model that is largely controlled by the employees who work for it (i.e. teachers and CUPE support staff workers). As a result, flexibility and the ability to change policies are greatly hampered.
While there has been a lot of attention paid to the war of words between Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid and VSB chair Patti Bacchus, a key phrase from the minister has been overlooked.
She has talked about the need for a new "governance model" and how she will develop one soon. A new model is going to have a more profound impact on our system than closing a few schools or squabbling over a school board's budget.
So what, exactly, is the B.C. Liberal government up to?
Is it about to do an end run around the BCTF and CUPE by setting up these "new forms of schools" with direct parental involvement? Is it about to take the first steps toward creating a new parallel education system?
One clue may be what's going on in England, where the new coalition government is embarking on a massive restructuring of the country's education system. There, the Swedish model of so-called "free schools" (where parents and organizations set up their own school with government money) is being implemented.
Will we see "free schools" set up on a trial basis in a few school districts? It can be argued that the B.C. Liberals, given their very low standing in the polls, do not have the political credibility or muscle to carry out big changes on any front.
But they wouldn't be the first government to go down swinging over an issue it considers important enough.
Oh, and have I mentioned the BCTF will soon enter negotiations for a new contract? The teachers' union has said it won't accept a wage freeze like other public sector unions, so a fight is brewing on that front as well.
Perhaps that's the one thing - a contract battle with teachers -- that won't change in education. But it sure seems likely that "21st century learning" means other changes are on the way.
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Cuts bringing larger classes; 500 Alberta teachers may lose their jobs.
(Calgary Herald, Fri Jun 18 2010, Sarah McGinnis [excerpts for space])
A six-year push by the province to trim class sizes by funding more than 2,900 extra teachers is about to erode with more than 500 teaching jobs to be slashed across Alberta this fall.
….
"It's the start of a slippery slope back to what we had in the early '90s unless we have a commitment to the class size initiative and really make it work," said Alberta Teachers' Association president Carol Henderson.
The Alberta Commission on Learning report released in 2003 established class size targets ranging from 17 students for kindergarten to Grade 3 classes to 27 for high school classes.
The government has spent $1.2 billion over the past six years, bankrolling the hiring of more than 2,900 teachers to meet the recommendations.
And the program was working. Alberta school boards met the majority of class size targets this year.
But most still struggle to get kindergarten to Grade 3 classes down. And with current education funding woes, it is feared they never will.
....
The ATA estimates there are more than 500 teaching jobs on the chopping block provincewide -- including 192 full-time teachers at the Calgary Board of Education.
....
The Calgary Catholic School District went class by class, school by school to cut 85.5 teaching positions.
…..
With teachers and support staff jobs being lost, and the government pushing for increased inclusion of special needs students into regular classrooms, NDP MLA Rachel Notley said the public has a right to be concerned about the state of education.
"It's all coming together to create maximum chaos," said Notley.
"The platitudes from the minister are not enough to allay the concerns of engaged parents. We've got a real problem looming."
A six-year push by the province to trim class sizes by funding more than 2,900 extra teachers is about to erode with more than 500 teaching jobs to be slashed across Alberta this fall.
….
"It's the start of a slippery slope back to what we had in the early '90s unless we have a commitment to the class size initiative and really make it work," said Alberta Teachers' Association president Carol Henderson.
The Alberta Commission on Learning report released in 2003 established class size targets ranging from 17 students for kindergarten to Grade 3 classes to 27 for high school classes.
The government has spent $1.2 billion over the past six years, bankrolling the hiring of more than 2,900 teachers to meet the recommendations.
And the program was working. Alberta school boards met the majority of class size targets this year.
But most still struggle to get kindergarten to Grade 3 classes down. And with current education funding woes, it is feared they never will.
....
The ATA estimates there are more than 500 teaching jobs on the chopping block provincewide -- including 192 full-time teachers at the Calgary Board of Education.
....
The Calgary Catholic School District went class by class, school by school to cut 85.5 teaching positions.
…..
With teachers and support staff jobs being lost, and the government pushing for increased inclusion of special needs students into regular classrooms, NDP MLA Rachel Notley said the public has a right to be concerned about the state of education.
"It's all coming together to create maximum chaos," said Notley.
"The platitudes from the minister are not enough to allay the concerns of engaged parents. We've got a real problem looming."
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
SD5 Budget 'changes' to find nearly 1 million in savings...
Leasing MVES will bring in $60,000
Cutting... (rounded)
$109,000 from equipment replacement
$365,000 out of the 'reserve fund'. Better hope the Ministry doesn't announce some new program next year....
$20,000 from Trustee travel/meeting/meetings
$10,000 from District Management travel and meetings
$28,000 from photocopying/faxing/printing budgets....
$46,500 gone from Teacher Staff Development (as in none left)
$49,000 drop (District Principal retires at Christmas) in Senior Admin.
$280,000 drop in CUPE positions/hours/days
$43,000 drop in teaching position at FLC
BUT, they "added"...
$30,000 to legal to deal with Bill 33 issues...
$23,000 to support opening the shops at ESS
$24,000 software for enrolment/boundary tracking
$54,000 into Achievement Contract stuff (including a management controlled pot of 'Staff Development' money ...)
$6,000 to support the BCTF 'Living With Balance' program piloted this year....
Cutting... (rounded)
$109,000 from equipment replacement
$365,000 out of the 'reserve fund'. Better hope the Ministry doesn't announce some new program next year....
$20,000 from Trustee travel/meeting/meetings
$10,000 from District Management travel and meetings
$28,000 from photocopying/faxing/printing budgets....
$46,500 gone from Teacher Staff Development (as in none left)
$49,000 drop (District Principal retires at Christmas) in Senior Admin.
$280,000 drop in CUPE positions/hours/days
$43,000 drop in teaching position at FLC
BUT, they "added"...
$30,000 to legal to deal with Bill 33 issues...
$23,000 to support opening the shops at ESS
$24,000 software for enrolment/boundary tracking
$54,000 into Achievement Contract stuff (including a management controlled pot of 'Staff Development' money ...)
$6,000 to support the BCTF 'Living With Balance' program piloted this year....
Jobs in Haida Gwaii
There are a few postings for work up in Haida Gwaii, check out the site for more information:
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