As per my fax out to schools, I have agreed to giving the employer an extra day to make it out to the few schools (and teachers) who will be impacted by lay-offs and transfers.
The reason for this is that both the employer's representative and I will not be available to do this job next week. On Monday we are both in committee meetings. On Tuesday and Wednesday the employer's rep is not available and I will be away on Thursday and Friday.
It is my hope that I will be able to contact any members who will be facing a notice of lay-off before the end of next week.
I have high hopes that not only will there be very few members losing their jobs this year, there maybe a couple of beneficial transfers happening.
Friday, May 23, 2008
East Kootenay Teachers' Assocation
Made up of the president's of the Creston Valley, Golden, Windermere, Kimberley, Fernie, and Cranbrook locals, as well as representatives from the BCTF (our Field staff person and sometimes an EC member), the EKTA meets three times a year - before each RA and before the BCTF AGM. We meet to share our local issues and to devise approaches to issues that impact us that will be presented at RAs and the BCTF AGM.
This group often discovers common themes to employer actions (grievances, staffing, accountability, discipline issues, health & Safety, and board decisions) and BCCT actions that we then plan a unified response to.
This body also ends requests and motions to the BCTF EC and to various BCTF committees on your behalf.
At this year's EKTA AGM, Steve Fairbairn was elected as President, and Becky Blair was elected as the Vice-President.
This group often discovers common themes to employer actions (grievances, staffing, accountability, discipline issues, health & Safety, and board decisions) and BCCT actions that we then plan a unified response to.
This body also ends requests and motions to the BCTF EC and to various BCTF committees on your behalf.
At this year's EKTA AGM, Steve Fairbairn was elected as President, and Becky Blair was elected as the Vice-President.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Gifted numbers on the decline
From an unnamed source I received information on 'gifted headcounts by district' this morning. In our very own SD#5, the count is down 94.1% from 2002/3 year to the 2006/7. In hard numbers, in 2002 we had 51 identified gifted students, and in 2006 we had ... wait for it ... 3.
Across the province (out of 59 districts reporting) only 7 districts reported an increase in the number of gifted students.
The provincial average is a decrease of 37.4%.
Now is this drop as a result of fewer gifted children in the public system, or the significant drop in funding support for these children, or is it the result of the significant wait lists for the testing required to get a child legally defined as 'special needs'?
Across the province (out of 59 districts reporting) only 7 districts reported an increase in the number of gifted students.
The provincial average is a decrease of 37.4%.
Now is this drop as a result of fewer gifted children in the public system, or the significant drop in funding support for these children, or is it the result of the significant wait lists for the testing required to get a child legally defined as 'special needs'?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Upcoming dates - May and June 2008
May 20th: EKTA AGM @ the CDTA office
May 21st: Local bargaining meeting, CDTA office AM, SSS staff meeting, PM
May 22nd: Lay-offs and transfers meeting @ CBO (Cranbrook board office)
May 26th: SD5 committee meetings @ CBO
May 27th: Lay-off and transfer notices, Elk Valley / South Country
May 28th: Lay-off and transfer notices, Cranbrook
May 30th: Rep Assembly in Vancouver (Saturday too)
June 2nd: Rehab meeting @ CBO
June 10th: Board meeting 5 pm @ CBO
June 11th: FDTA Executive meeting and dinner (FDTA office and the 'Blue Toque')
May 21st: Local bargaining meeting, CDTA office AM, SSS staff meeting, PM
May 22nd: Lay-offs and transfers meeting @ CBO (Cranbrook board office)
May 26th: SD5 committee meetings @ CBO
May 27th: Lay-off and transfer notices, Elk Valley / South Country
May 28th: Lay-off and transfer notices, Cranbrook
May 30th: Rep Assembly in Vancouver (Saturday too)
June 2nd: Rehab meeting @ CBO
June 10th: Board meeting 5 pm @ CBO
June 11th: FDTA Executive meeting and dinner (FDTA office and the 'Blue Toque')
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Transfering a pension?
BC has now got a reciprocal pension transfer agreement with NFLD.
That is correct – the Newfoundland government contributed enough money to the Newfoundland Teachers Pension Plan to “fully fund” it. As a result, you can now apply to have your Newfoundland Pension (and service) transferred to your BC Teachers Pension Plan.
For full details, please visit the BC Teachers’ Pension Plan website at <> directly.
That is correct – the Newfoundland government contributed enough money to the Newfoundland Teachers Pension Plan to “fully fund” it. As a result, you can now apply to have your Newfoundland Pension (and service) transferred to your BC Teachers Pension Plan.
For full details, please visit the BC Teachers’ Pension Plan website at <
Thinking of moving on?
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BC TEACHERS CONTEMPLATING EMPLOYMENT IN THE GREATER VICTORIA SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Greater Victoria Teachers' Association is advising all BC teachers to refrain from applying for employment as a teacher in District #61.
The employer has mandated principal-directed Common Planning Time and Student Services meetings for its middle school teachers during their prep time. 50% of teachers' 168 minutes of prep time has been redirected to facilitate these meetings. Middle School teachers in Victoria now have only 84 minutes of individual prep instead of 168 minutes. These teachers have the fewest number of prep minutes of any K - 12 teachers in the province.
In addition, Victoria middle schools are severely challenged with the most class size and class composition violations in the district. Some of the highest frequency of medical leaves originate in Victoria middle schools.
Until this prep time dispute is resolved, the GVTA is asking BC teachers to think twice before applying for a position in District #61.
What to know more? Contact the GVTA president, Thierry Ponchet: thierry@gvta.net.
The Greater Victoria Teachers' Association is advising all BC teachers to refrain from applying for employment as a teacher in District #61.
The employer has mandated principal-directed Common Planning Time and Student Services meetings for its middle school teachers during their prep time. 50% of teachers' 168 minutes of prep time has been redirected to facilitate these meetings. Middle School teachers in Victoria now have only 84 minutes of individual prep instead of 168 minutes. These teachers have the fewest number of prep minutes of any K - 12 teachers in the province.
In addition, Victoria middle schools are severely challenged with the most class size and class composition violations in the district. Some of the highest frequency of medical leaves originate in Victoria middle schools.
Until this prep time dispute is resolved, the GVTA is asking BC teachers to think twice before applying for a position in District #61.
What to know more? Contact the GVTA president, Thierry Ponchet: thierry@gvta.net.
Welcome to cyberspace
Welcome to the FDTA blog. The intention of this site will be to provide members with up-to-date news in a new format. The content of this blog will be factual, and will contain not only excerpts from our print newsletters, it will contain timely tid-bits as they arise.
Everything from meeting agendas and events....
Steve
Everything from meeting agendas and events....
Steve
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